As the 2024 Olympics in France wind down, we take a look at the big picture of USA Basketball at the Olympic Games and what it’s meant for American development over the years.
As Team USA goes for its fifth straight men’s basketball Olympic Gold Medal on August 10 (3:30 pm ET, NBC) against host France, we wanted to put into perspective what the Olympics has meant to American basketball development over the years.
To give it some perspective, Team USA was 143-6 all-time entering Olympic competition at this year’s games, including the 5-3 “disaster” of 2004 when America took the Bronze medal. Overall, there is no big problem. Everyone always says the world has caught up to the U.S.A., but in reality, they still have a plenty ways to go.
Serbia led 76-63 with 10 minutes remaining in this year’s semifinal contest vs. the USA with arguably the best player in the world on its team (Nikola Jokić) and still fell, 95-91. When Team USA had to get it done, it defended and played team ball. It wasn’t all that surprising it made that comeback. It’s how it got to this point that raises questions and/or doubts about the quality and usefulness of the American Olympic process.
There is no denying that the decision to use NBA players starting with the 1992 Olympics in Spain and coaching clinics around the world featuring some of the brightest minds over the last half century is the reason the world is so much better at the game we love. The Dream Team gave the world the motivation and our coaches gave the world the know how to get better at the game. Without that 1992 Dream Team, there perhaps is no Jokić today, or maybe a player of his caliber wouldn’t have developed for another 50 years or so.
Many folks feel the development across the world has come at the expense of development here in the United States, but at the highest level, that development is curtailed.
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Publish date : 2024-08-08 14:21:00
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