July 27, 201214 yr It might be the last team of it's kind. It's looking more and more likely Stern is going to establish an U23 rule. Both Stern and Colangelo have hinted at it recently. Dan Wetzel wrote an article about the mystique of the current Olympic team even 20 years after the original dream team. And USA Basketball director Jerry Colangelo notes, "I sense that change is in the air." USA Basketball gets Beatles-like welcome by Olympics media in London - Yahoo! Sports The send-the-college-kids crowd? "They are not getting how big this is," Krzyzewski said. "It's way beyond that now." Twenty years into the Dream Team experiment, the world still sops up every last bit of the hype. This was the biggest media conference in the run-up to the Olympics, the players needing security just to get into the building. And they were still stopped for pictures and autographs, swarmed as they rode up an escalator from the parking garage. I love this line... "I love our spirit, our camaraderie, the way these guys are so willing to adapt. They get along great. They listen. … All of this talk about big egos? They do have big egos. They are great players. But it doesn't supersede the USA ego." It shows in they way they play.
July 27, 201214 yr "I love our spirit, our camaraderie, the way these guys are so willing to adapt. They get along great. They listen. … All of this talk about big egos? They do have big egos. They are great players. But it doesn't supersede the USA ego." I completed agree about loving this line, especially the last part. I love the "USA ego" that comes out during the Olympics! I think they should stop Toby Keith's concert tomorrow night at Riverbend and show Phelps winning his race!
July 27, 201214 yr There's no doubt we can still put together a solid team of young players at the U-23 level. It'd probably be a really fun exhibition of young stars. Truthfully, the "dream team" era has solidified that when the USA sends its best players, nobody in the world can touch us. I'd be curious to see matchups between our younger guys and some of talented young players from around the world.
July 27, 201214 yr Why not let the superstars play if they want to? My own guess is that David Stern hates the idea that any international tournament might in any way detract from the NBA Playoffs being the premier basketball event on the planet. He wants to keep his stars in his own backyard. But I don't particularly care for David Stern and I understand this this doesn't cast him in a very good light. The other alternative is simply that him and the owners would like their older and occasionally aging stars to have a full summer break between seasons to recover from any injuries or general weariness.
July 27, 201214 yr How could David Stern stop an NBA player from playing for his own country? If he stops them from playing in USA, the international guys better not be able to play for their country either, and good luck with that.
July 27, 201214 yr The other alternative is simply that him and the owners would like their older and occasionally aging stars to have a full summer break between seasons to recover from any injuries or general weariness. I think that is has more to do with the owners not wanting their players to play, and Stern basically works for the owners. Mark Cuban is completely against his players playing International ball.
July 27, 201214 yr I think that is has more to do with the owners not wanting their players to play, and Stern basically works for the owners. Mark Cuban is completely against his players playing International ball. Bingo. If I were an owner I would not like it either. Sure the Clippers were happy that while the ink was drying on Blake Griffin's contract, he is injuring himself all in the name of USA pride. I do not have to see our guys in action to know we have the best players in the world.
July 28, 201214 yr I think its more about Stern trying to establish a "World Cup" type event for basketball to coincide with the Olympics. He envisions a tournament as big as what the world cup is for soccer but that's just not going to happen IMO. His idea is to make Olympics 23 and under and have the world cup style tournament to showcase the established superstars.
July 29, 201214 yr I'd hate to see them go to the new format. If the other teams get to use professionals of all ages and the USA doesn't then I think we are dreaming if we believe the USA would take the gold with any regularity. Sure, they could, but it isn't like they haven't been challenged in the recent past with the bigger name guys.
July 30, 201214 yr Tyson Chandler was quoted as saying he didn't like this idea either. I understand the owners' viewpoint, but which one would be willing to be first to publicly tell his players not to play or even put it their contracts?
July 30, 201214 yr Author ^ Cuban pretty much said that the other day. He's not a fan of it at all. He feels like the NBA owners are providing the financing for the IOC to make money.
July 30, 201214 yr ^ Cuban pretty much said that the other day. He's not a fan of it at all. He feels like the NBA owners are providing the financing for the IOC to make money. And he is right.
July 30, 201214 yr I have no issue if individual NBA teams, work into player contracts no Olympic play, however I do have issue if the NBA says their players can not play for their countries. Can you imagine the international backlash if the NBA tried to banish its players? Don't most international teams have at least one NBA player on their team, the good ones anyway. Does the NBA really want to **** off their international market.....Wait this is David Stern............ugh
July 30, 201214 yr Teams would use that vs. teams didn't allow Olympic play during free agency. Media would make those owners out to be unpatriotic.
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