US Olympic Basketball: What a Shame

Andrew Lynch

Andrew Lynch

Joined
Feb 6, 2000
Messages
3,021
Remember back in the good old days when all the pros who were asked to play played? Take '92 for example; Jordan, Bird, Malone, Robinson, Barkley, Ewing, and more great players played. Not surprisingly, the US won all matches by atleast 30 pts.

These last couple of Olympics we're getting beaten. Now, losses in and of themselves don't depress me that much. What gets to me is that Shaq and Kobe and Kidd, etc., turn down the chance to play for their country and for olympic gold. Some are injured, but some aren't and still turned it down (probably they didn't want to get injured or similar). The team, while still good, is made up of mostly very young guys...one of them is straight from college. How is this our Dream Team?
 
I guess, for some people, playing for your country doesn't really cut it when you can make multiple millions playing at home.

Here in Oz we currently have a number of athletes fighting court cases to make sure they DO get included in the olympic team.
 
Well, since the Olympics is supposed to be the highest level of amateur competition, it really isn't such a bad thing that they're sitting it out IMO. Still, I doubt they declined based on principle.
 
I can't imagine what their opponents must have felt like, facing those twelve guys. That had to be one of the greatest collections of sport talent of all time. And after all those years of rivalry, starting with the NCAA championship and continuing on through several NBA Championships, it was great to see Magic Johnson and Larry Bird on the same team.

:cool:
 
well, Kidd just had knee surgery recently, so playing was sort of outta the question for him. but Shaq and Kobe were just being dickheads.

personally i think this team is good, probly as athletic as the Dream Team, but not nearly as good...

i mean, they put Omeka on the Olympic team, and he hasn't even played a single NBA game yet...

apparently there's talks of not sending NBA players to the Olympics anymore @ all... even international players.
 
The best NBA player in the US-Germany game was Dirk Nowitzki who was playing for Germany. I'll be surprised if we win the gold this year. Some of these international teams have played together for years and in basketball a "team" can still beat five guys no matter how talented they are individually.

Jack
 
I'm probably in the minority on this one. I still don't understand how basketball became an Olympic sport anyway.
I doubt Basketball, Synchronized Swimming, Baseball, Table Tennis, etc where ever played on Mt Olympus. I guess at the next Olympics there will be NASCAR drivers competing in the Olympic Racing. :confused: :confused: :confused:
 
fruitbat said:
I'm probably in the minority on this one. I still don't understand how basketball became an Olympic sport anyway.
I doubt Basketball, Synchronized Swimming, Baseball, Table Tennis, etc where ever played on Mt Olympus. I guess at the next Olympics there will be NASCAR drivers competing in the Olympic Racing. :confused: :confused: :confused:
Click to expand...

The games of the Ancient Olympics were:

Boxing
Equestrian events:
- Chariot racing
- Riding
Pankration
- (A mix of boxing and wrestling)
Pentathlon:
- Discus
- Javelin
- Jump
- Running
Wrestling
Running

As you can see, there were not alot of events in the Ancient games.

I agree that events like synchronized swimming ( :eek: ) don't belong. They are subjectively scored, which opens up a whole can of worms.

IMHO, the only true games are the ones that are either won or lost by strength, speed, or skill - Not by style or form. You can either win or lose a race heat or a wresting match. You don't get a 8.9 from a panel of judges on a basketball game or a flight of arrows.
 
Who gives a damn about basketball, anyhow? It seems to me to be a game for altitudinally overendowed kids with too damned much money.
 
It seems to me to be a game for altitudinally overendowed kids with too damned much money.
Click to expand...

Is that why some of the best players in the world have come out of the poor inner city?
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top