Dream Team III, Anyone?
They’ve grown up a lot in the past four years. This time they’ll have reason to smile
Look, when it comes to the world of international basketball, Turkey is no Spain and Russia is no Argentina. That said, with USA Basketball spanking Turkey and Russia like they did, whispers clamoring over the latest installment of the Dream Team echo across the sports world.
Earlier this week, the USA Men’s Basketball team beat Russia by 20 points, and a few days before that they destroyed Turkey in an even more dominating fashion.
To put it simply, they are destroying teams as they prepare for the start of the Olympic basketball tournament.
But are we just fooling ourselves again? Is this another mirage? Are the big names and flashy games of Dwyane Wade, Kobe Bryant and LeBron James just dominating these lesser opponents, or are they actually ready to dominate some real competition?
It’s hard to say, because we’ve seen this same plot before, but with two different endings. We’ve seen the men dominate the weaker international teams, then go into the Olympics and dominate the better teams.
But we’ve also seen them dominate weaker teams, and then we watched them struggle against not only the top teams, but also against some of the more middle of the road contenders.
Those two scripts, still fresh in our heads from the 2004 and 2000 Olympics, make it hard to come to a conclusion on whether or not the USA will win the Gold in Beijing. But sports is about making tough decisions, and if forced into an answer, one has to maintain that this USA basketball team is looking quite dreamy.
That’s right, this is probably the latest version of the Dream Team; or Dream Team III, if you will. With players like Kobe, Wade, LeBron and Carmelo Anthony on the squad, you’re talking about players with comparable talent to that of Magic Johnson, Michael Jordan, and Larry Bird, except all of these players are in their primes, when both Magic and Bird were at the end of their careers when they combined to create the first Dream Team.
So am I saying that Dream Team III is better than the original? No, not quite. The Dream Team had Hall of Fame players like Patrick Ewing, John Stockton, Charles Barkley and David Robinson all taking a backseat to Bird, Magic and Jordan; I mean, that’s just unprecedented. You don’t have those kind of players surrounding Kobe in this year’s crop. This year’s squad is comprised of more specialists than great players. Tayshaun Prince was brought on for defense. Michael Redd is there for his shooting. Jason Kidd is there purely as a distributor. And most of the big men on the team aren’t even your true low-post scorers, but they are more athletic post-men with the ability to move their feet on the perimeter.
However, even though Dream Team III isn’t necessarily comprised of the greatness that Dream Team I was, it may be a more team-oriented squad that is set to face a much more challenging international wave of basketball talent.
The first Dream Team never saw anyone who belonged on the court with them. Basketball wasn’t an international sport in 1992. It wasn’t the big commodity across the world that it is now. International players weren’t flooding the NBA ranks. Michael Jordan wasn’t the biggest thing on the planet yet. Moreover, the European basketball league–did it even exist?
This Dream Team is going to face serious competition. They will see their teammates in these Olympics. We’ re talking about all-stars like Yao Ming and an MVP like Dirk Nowitzki. These aren’t your Mom and Dad’s international basketball players. These are serious contenders.
And yet, for whatever reason, I feel as if this Dream Team is going to do away with team…with relative ease. No disrespect to the Argentina’s and Spain’s of the world, but with Mike Krzyzewski at the helm, and the best players in the world finally on the squad, this team can’t lose. They just can’t.
And when they do win this Gold-and do it in what I predict to be grandiose fashion- it will be a physical accomplishment greater than that of the first Dream Team’s gold medal. It won’t be as big of a world statement, because of the symbolic nature of the original team’s victory and the way they helped inspire the world to play basketball. But their road to the Gold was a cakewalk compared to what today’s team will face in terms of competition, and yet I see nothing but staggering defeats in their fast approaching future.
Here’s some interviews I conducted with some of the team earlier this summer. I must warn you I didn’t have a tripod…so please don’t have a seizure.
-Mizzo
Carlos Boozer. I begin speaking with him at the 2:07 mark
Michael Redd
Chris Bosh
LeBron James…the Brooklyn controversy
Kobe Bryant
Coach K
Thanks Uzo Ometu for the post. You can find this piece and the rest of his work at TheSportsWatchers.com.
August 5th, 2008 at 4:13 pm
They have to win Gold before I’ll even entertain this discussion. Good piece though.
August 5th, 2008 at 5:35 pm
This article must have been written prior to their lackluster performance today..although considering how well they’ve played, they do deserve a mulligan. Then again considering Bogut didn’t play, I’m revoking my mulligan. This team has mental lapses that could cause them to get behind, which may lead to someone(Kobe) gunning…I hope I’m work though. I still wouldn’t mind seeing entire teams go, instead of this dream team business
August 5th, 2008 at 5:49 pm
Actually many of the european basketball leagues have existed for many years. The Euroleague started in 1958.
I think FIBA was even started in the 1930s. These guys must win to be considered great.
The thing is the international game is so much different then the NBA game (the international game is played inside out, very few big men know how to post up but can shoot. Carries aren’t called but traveling is. There is no such thing as a moving pick. And my favorite, you can play physical on the perimeter but like the NCAA big men get called for touch fouls in the paint).
True the dream team blew those other teams out. But wee were sending our best. Even on this team we still don’t have our best. No Duncan, No STAT, No Garnett, No Allen.
Plus the first dream team those dudes had been playing professionally for 8 years atleast. Except for Laetner, Pip and Robinson.
So that team was far more experienced then this one. And they had what many consider the greatest SF, PG and SG of all time. In the history of basketball. See there is just no comparing.
Also many these foreign players play by FIBA rules during the regular season in their leagues. They have been playing with one another in the same systems since they were kids. They know this stuff like the back of their hand. So automatically our players are at a disadvantage.
The reason I want US to win is because all the racial crap they have to put up with everytime they lose. When they lose american and foriegn bigots run off saying they lost cause they play street ball or because all they can do is dunk. Or calling them monkeys and what not. Yet many of the foreign teams not only have americans on their teams but have black folks (some american) on their teams.
August 5th, 2008 at 5:54 pm
Also Rashad Austraila was beating argentina by 20 points. And bogut only played in the 1st QTR.
Argentina came back in the 4th and barely won by like 4 points.
So Austraila might be better then russia. They might even get a medal this year.
August 5th, 2008 at 6:54 pm
Australia is not getting a medal. And, like Co Co, I will only entertain this discussion if the US actually gets the gold. I still don’t think they are a lock, honestly.
Great piece, though!
August 5th, 2008 at 7:01 pm
SML it’s a lock bruh. Kobe has yet to be unleashed. They are all trying to figure out their roles within the team construct. They played relatively chill today I thought. They will have a sense of urgency when it all goes down.
August 5th, 2008 at 7:04 pm
I haven’t watched a game yet. I’m curious to see how teams like Argentina, China, and Germany fare. I will be locked in once the games start though.
August 5th, 2008 at 7:34 pm
I hope you are right Mizzo.
SML I am not saying they will but they have a good chance. That australian team is pretty good.
August 5th, 2008 at 7:50 pm
How does the Women’s team look
August 5th, 2008 at 8:28 pm
origin,
how is a guy a bigot for saying they can only dunk?
It took the addition of Redd and Kobe for the team to have any legit threats on the perimeter. Other than those 2, who can you count on to hit a perimeter shot when it matters, when an actual Olympic medal is on the line?
The lack of front court beef will hurt this team because you will have guys playing out of position. But this team is best at finishing at the rim, which I guess makes everyone who believes that a bigot.
I think they win, but I think it’ll be closer than everyone thinks.
August 5th, 2008 at 10:47 pm
Boney,
Let me clear this up in case you didn’t understand. Remember last year it was Mizzo or Dwil who brought up this team in an article with the orginal starting five website.
You made a comment similiar to what I saw many times from the internet trolls on websites like ESPN and such. Your comments were something to the fact that the reason Team USA lost in 2004 and 2006 was because all our players wanted to just dunk and grab their nuts.
When Lastpoet, sankofa and myself called you out on your ignorant comments you made a remark stating that we felt you were a bigot because of your skin. I stated no it was because of your ignorant comments. Then I even pointed out how the reason we lost was because of the 2-3 zone and not having enough shooters.
See the comments about dunking have nothing to do with it. Its the usual bigoted comments that are always associated with blacks (and most recently team USA over the last 8 years) that are considered bigoted. You know lazy, low IQ, just want to play streetball, thugs, comments about their tats, arrogant, all they want is blig blig. Yet theses dudes play for free and dedicate multiple summers for a worthless medal.
These are the comments that are thrown at these dudes by the media and the bigot internet trolls from america and all over the world. The bigots oversees us these same comments to describe black players too.
See first of all the USA basketball team is the only US team in which many americans cheer against. Since when do americans cheer against their own country in the olympics??
The USA baseball team didn’t qualify in 1994 with MLB players no one called them thugs. Or they lost because they were showboating or had low IQs.
It seems as though the only teams that are ever critized (by the media and fans) for not winning in the olympics or world games are the basketball teams or track teams.
August 5th, 2008 at 11:28 pm
Any team minus MJ is not the ‘Dream Team’, though it’s tempting to put these guys in that category. Talent to burn, if not much depth at true center…
As far as winning goes, these guys should feel they have something to prove. Only Wade, Kobe, and Prince are NBA champs, and two of those guys had Shaq and the other is, well, Tayshaun. Teams will be throwing everything they have at these guys, and some of the Euros especially are gamers, as they’re more used to elimination games. I think that’s one of the drawbacks of NBA-style play: not enough all-or-nothing games, and so many of the teams in the league are garbage so guys can put it in cruise control a bit until the playoffs. Anyway, good luck to ‘em — with a bit of luck and their talent, they really should take gold…
August 5th, 2008 at 11:46 pm
Good point clown tooth. Yep in single game elimination the best team rarely loses. Then add on the FIBA rules like the zone and closer 3 pt like. Often times our scouts have no film on some of these dude (like the young brortha that plays the point for Austraila.) It easy to see upsets.
And lets not forget that the whole team is filled with NBA players who have played well over 100 games. Except Wade.
Euroleague players are luck to play 60 or 70 games in a season.
Hell thats not even an NBA schedule. I think thats one of the reasons wade looks so fresh in these games. I mean the dude played like 40 or 50 games.
August 6th, 2008 at 12:18 am
Absolutely!
August 6th, 2008 at 1:41 am
Thank you Origin. I’ve been screeeeeeaming that for years. I have to dig through the archives and find the piece.
Boney you know damn well Americans were rooting against us in the last Olympics.
Don’t even front.
That shit was absurd and makes Bill Rhoden’s book title even more relevant.
It’s incredible how quickly they forget.
You must have a serious hatred brewing inside of you Boney because O called you out then yet you still came back for more.
August 6th, 2008 at 11:01 am
Origin, say it again and again and again!
“Since when do Americans cheer against their own country in the Olympics?” The answer is ever since the demise of Larry Bird. Alot of white fans of basketball are really pissy that it’s been over twenty years, and they still don’t have a legitiment superstar who is pale and pasty. And that’s a long time to wait for someone that the “average fan” can “relate” to.
August 6th, 2008 at 12:16 pm
What about when the US Hockey team trashed hotel rooms after losing in the Nagano, Japan Olympics, all they asked for was the items to be replaced.
Imagine that being the US Basketball team.
August 6th, 2008 at 12:30 pm
Honestly, I don’t see this team losing but can we please stop with the “Dream Team” fiasco (lol). There was only one “Dream Team” and that was the ‘92 Team. This team has been labeled as “The Redeem Team” and perhaps rightfully so. They must redeem themselves first before we even consider them amongst the ranks of the all-time greatest Olympic teams.
I agree w/ CoCo & SML…..let’s see what they do during the course of the international competition first and foremost.
Peace!
August 6th, 2008 at 1:07 pm
I don’t see how you all can syy its a lock especially since theyve been getting their asses kicked in International competetion the past few years,annnnd most importantly they are sitting on the Bronze medal right now. How can the third best team be a lock? They don’t need to go over there too confident, because even though the team is littered with really good players if the wrong person gets in foul trouble (Dwight Howard) they become very thin….. From a talent standpoint no one will trot out better guys than the U.S. but that doesn’t mean they can’t be beat if they run into the right team.
August 6th, 2008 at 2:31 pm
I feel you on the Dream Team ish…
LOCK!
And…you didn’t call me last night. Don’t make me chase yo ass girl.
Co Co the sole reason why we lost the last go round was because so many players dropped off because of surmised security issues.
That got lost in all the bs criticism that America couldn’t wait to scream.
I’m guaranteeing the shit.
Co Co how about a return to the Boogie Down before they tear down Reggie Jax’s spot as collateral?
Put your money up young missy
The only thing that will stop this team is the refs, not dirk, manu, yao, ricky rubio or whoever the hell else.
Chris Paul is about to show his ass and since Flash’s hops are back nobody better stand under the rim and take a charge or they’ll be getting the peeknuckles.
August 6th, 2008 at 2:39 pm
“Yet theses dudes play for free and dedicate multiple summers for a worthless medal. ”
If the players believe that then they will surely loose. Dont know what an olympic medal means for usa but for the rest of the world is the biggest honor to even participate to the olympics.
August 6th, 2008 at 2:40 pm
August 6th, 2008 at 2:51 pm
They were fragmented hon. I don’t care how much talent you have, you ain’t winnin’ if you are just thrown together.
August 6th, 2008 at 3:02 pm
They aren’t perfect now………..
August 6th, 2008 at 3:04 pm
They are as close as anybody else is……
Bronx Bombers? Stop runnin’.
August 6th, 2008 at 3:15 pm
They better hope Dwight never gets in foul trouble…
Just to get this point out, i’m not saying they’ll lose.. I just don’t think they’re a lock. You can’t be a lock when you’ve been geting smacked around by the International teams for the past few years.
They have to prove it to me and earn my unwavering trust all over again.
August 6th, 2008 at 3:16 pm
Sorry about the typos in the above rant.
August 6th, 2008 at 3:21 pm
They got my trust, for I’m an American…all patriotic and ish. :p
August 6th, 2008 at 3:51 pm
This team is the truth, and in all my years of playing basketball up the way up from middle school through college, its not about how many points you beat the other team by…the only thing that matters is the WIN. If the team wins by 1 or 20, its still a W.
Dream Team killed teams, and since then, people expect that type of mass murder. Things change and as long as the team comes home with the gold, then the mission has been accomplished.
August 6th, 2008 at 6:08 pm
[...] Anways… check it out HERE. [...]
August 6th, 2008 at 7:17 pm
If this team does not win gold, then I will never watch another NBA game again.
August 6th, 2008 at 7:59 pm
Although I understand Origin’s points about this USA Senior Men’s Basketball Team and I agree with them, I cannot and will not support this current collection of $40 Million Dollar Slaves, or any collection of likeminded individuals.
These are self-ackowledged “NBA guys,” you see, whereas I’m a “John Carlos and Tommie Smith” type of guy. Get my point?
Since 1992, when Stern first sent his fungible property to Barcelona, these affranchised slaves have had numerous opportunities to stand for something far greater than themselves, and to bring some clarity to issues and problems that affect millions of lives both here and overseas. But what do they do instead? Yesterday’s Nike men wrapped themselves in the American flag in order to hide the logo on their Olympic unis which were sponsored by Reebok.
That’s bullshit. Despite the fact that they play for “free,” such an act only proves the lengths some slaves will go to protect their master’s monetary interests.
They talk about how the olympis are for sport, not for politics.
That’s bullshit. If war is politics with a gun, and politics is war without a gun; then sports (as well as nearly every other human activity you can think of) is politics with a football, basketball, baseball, etc. If that weren’t so, then why does TSF even exist? Why does SOMM exist? Why the hell are we ganging up on the likes of Boney or that other cracker who is fond of using African names when they post comments reflecting white supremacist ideology - even in sports?
They talk about how they’ve just come to play basketball, how basketball is their “focus” now.
That’s bullshit. As if it’s cool to say later for those Team Darfur cats I used to rep, later for brothers getting lynched, women getting raped, and whole villages getting burned to the ground - shid, we’ve got a ballgame to play, corporate interests to protect, and the image of a sho good grateful nigger to maintain. As if a grown-ass man or a woman can’t “focus” on more than one thing at a time. When I listen to these slaves speak, I’m insulted, and I’m ashamed for my race. Seriously.
People around the world used to look toward African Americans as a kind of vanguard in human rights movements, but not anymore. In the eyes of many, we have joined the historical oppressor in the expression and satisfaction of our needs, wants, and desires. These slaves who blatantly misrepresent the condition of the masses in the United States are nonetheless apt symbols and examples of American excessiveness and opulence which has been condemned in advance by many members of developing nations throughout the world - shid, it’s gotten to the point that, in my travels, I refuse to tell people I’m from the United States because I can’t countenance the look of sadness and dismay - and sometimes anger - that flitters across their faces when I do.
I know this comment was more than anyone bargained for - it was much more than I originally intended to write. I mean to say, “I’m a Tommie Smith type of cat” and leave it at that.
So I said all that to say this: damn the slaves to hell, I’m rooting for Angola.
Now excuse (and forgive) me while I exit this rant…
August 6th, 2008 at 9:50 pm
Brotha Lastpoet thats some true stuff and we have spoke on this in Modi’s piece on this very same subject.
I definitely understand where you are coming from brotha.
On the big scale of things I would love Angola to win. Boy that would have everyone pissed. A team full of blacks from a so called 3rd world country. Boy folks would be rioting…..
August 8th, 2008 at 6:05 am
[...] The Starting Five: "The first Dream Team never saw anyone who belonged on the court with them. Basketball wasn’t an international sport in 1992. It wasn’t the big commodity across the world that it is now. International players weren’t flooding the NBA ranks. Michael Jordan wasn’t the biggest thing on the planet yet. Moreover, the European basketball league–did it even exist? This Dream Team is going to face serious competition. They will see their teammates in these Olympics. We’re talking about all-stars like Yao Ming and an MVP like Dirk Nowitzki. These aren’t your Mom and Dad’s international basketball players. These are serious contenders. And yet, for whatever reason, I feel as if this Dream Team is going to do away with team … with relative ease. No disrespect to the Argentina’s and Spain’s of the world, but with Mike Krzyzewski at the helm, and the best players in the world finally on the squad, this team can’t lose. They just can’t." [...]
August 8th, 2008 at 3:20 pm
LastPoet — nobody in their right mind who has heard of the country “Africa” would ever consider black men and women as “vanguards of human rights.” And does anyone need to hear a long rant about how politicized the Olympics are? Christ, we all knew that in grade school. Black athletes are not unique for being tools of their respective governments — this applies to athletes of ALL colors and shapes and sizes.
August 10th, 2008 at 8:38 pm
Quacko,
You played yourself when you said “Africa” was a “country.” Nothing you said after that even mattered, holmes.
August 11th, 2008 at 2:34 pm
the remark regarding international basketball in 1992 is, how to better put it… absurd. what about 1988 Olypics? And what’s the point of this demonstration of total incompetence regarding anything non-US online? Interntional European leagues started even before WWII. Aren’t Americans fed up of being considered total fools by the majority of Europeans?