U.S. Olympic basketball team just got stomped by...Italy

[SaveElmer]

Actually pretty funny...they can't just show up and assume they are gonna win anymore!

http://sports.espn.go.com/oly/summer04/basketball/news/story?id=1851520

[Dookus]

1. LOL

love it!

[TychoBrahe]

7. Kinda sad actually...

I'm not saying we need a lot of ra-ra patriotism... but the players that are on the US Olympic basketball team really do want to be there. Allen Iverson desperately wanted to play in the Olympics; young guns like LeBron and Carmelo could have just ducked out, but they stayed in to play for a gold medal. Emeka Okafor should be working out and focusing on his post skills with the Bobcat coaching staff; instead, he's out there playing for his country.

Mock the guys who wussed out -- the players that we have over there are more than just me-first millionaires.

[Tummler]

2. Among the NBA's veteran superstars, only Duncan & Iverson are on this team

The Kevin Garnetts, Tracy McGradys, and Shaquille O'Neals of the NBA couldn't be bothered. Even second-tier stars like Rip Hamilton and Ben Wallace let down Team USA. Here's a complete list of NBA players who crapped out on the team, along with their excuses.

My hat's off to Tim Duncan and Allen Iverson for following through on their commitment to represent their country. They'll pay for it during the next NBA season in terms of fatigue and injuries, just like Duncan did in '03-'04.

IF the other guys on the team (many of whom are 19-22 years old) would just play good defense, rebound, and pass the ball, then the combination of Duncan and Iverson would be unstoppable. But based on today's result, especially the atrocious perimeter defense, it doesn't look like the youngsters are ready to play those kinds of roles.

Anyway, I'm not going to laugh at Team USA this time around. Most of the team is not far removed from the kind of college all-star team the U.S used to field in international competition. The ones who should be mocked and scorned (if anyone) are the established NBA stars who backed out of their commitments to play.

[Khephra]

3. It's not quite that they couldn't be bothered

Many of the stars of the NBA decided to stay out of it because of "terrorism".

[Tummler]

4. I know, and that's weak

You don't hear many track & field athletes, gymnasts, or even basketball players from other countries using that excuse.

[MsUnderstood]

6. I also didn't hear many soldiers crap out

I also didn't hear many soldiers crap out that they wouldn't follow the Commander in Chief's order becuase of their fear of terrorism or many firefighters refuse to enter the WTC because of any fears they had.

It is just another example of how pathetic our sports idolatory will take us--after financing his education, pay some guy millions so he can have the opportunity to have questionable sex at an exclusive club in Colorado which will prevent him to go show how great America is to the world

while another guy has to join the military for hundreds a month in order to pay for a tiny bit of college so he can get a barely liveable wage working for corporations that will eventually rape his pension fund. . .

*sigh* so depressing

[GOPisEvil]

5. Good...the sooner the olympic basketball becomes an actual contest,

the better!

This team better learn what the word "DEFENSE" means.

[trumad]

9. I smile at this...

If all the stars of the NBA played together as a team for any contest they would stomped the shit out of the rest of the world. As for them not wanting to play.. If your livelihood depended on being healthy and not getting injured I'd do the same damn thing.... Besides, the fucking Olympics has so jumped the shark.

[zbird]

8. I lost all interest in the team sports when they started allowing pros.

It was much more exciting when the US teams made up of "amateurs" were able to compete and win against the state-sponsored teams. I just don't care to watch a bunch of overpaid whiners play in the Olympics.