One of the most excited parts of the sports world is the fact that is is truly a world full of sports. One great example of this is the Olympics. However, I am more interested with something on a slightly lesser scale of global interest. The FIBA World Championships are right around the corner and we as American should be proud of our land.
The best of the best facing off to become the champs of the world. Many teams participate in this exciting show of national pride. Perhaps one of the most underrated events of the major titans in the gobal circuit. Competing against the FIFA World Cup, Rugby World Cup, and the FIVA World Tour. The FIBA World Championship, although is rising in popularity, is not near the world competion that it could be.
Even with it being a low as it is on the priority totem, the major of the teams put together very strong rosters. They'll practice and build the chemistry for many years. Never changing, only growing closer and more in sync with one another. The perfect foundation for any team. They'll play together and even grow old together. Finally after twenty or so years of play the next generation becomes the team and repeat the same cycle.
Sounds like a winning game plan, don't you think? So then why doesn't the USA just win every year? I mean after all when you put the best, I mean the BEST of America on the court, after serveral years of building chemistry, should we, America, be untouchable? You'd think so except there is one mistake with this theory. The USA is the only team in the entire world that doesn't use the same team for every competion.
The 1960 Olympic team was amazing and so was the 1992 "Dream Team". A couple of classy teams that came out victorious against all odds. Yes, they were very good teams, yet, they were assembled months before the games and had little to none experience playing with each other.
Today, the USA has elected to put together roughly 40 players that will be team USA. Depending on the given situation of the players and scheduling of the competion the team will pick 12 to 14 players from their roughly 40 man roster and play the given competion.
This summer the team is being lead by Mr. Kevin Durant and Carmelo Anthony. However, the last Olympics it was Kobe Bryant and LeBron James. With the way things have been working out next time it will probably be John Wall and Blake Griffen. What a joke. Does USA basketball really have that much of an ego? No matter the game we can put out whatever 5 guys we want and we will always win.
New flash, teams like Spain and Italy have something to say about that. Both of which have won recent competion and have shown that they are both teams to not be taken so lightly. Spain, of course having serveral of their own NBA stars mixed with the other Spaniards have but the same well practiced, seasoned team. Even their younger players like Ricky Rubio have been apart of this team for serveral years now.
Isn't it about time that America finally just admit that the rest of the world is just as good if not better and we need to put together a smaller roster so that we can play with greater flow of chemistry? Sure we still win games, but the USA is in no way undefeated. We haven't even one every tournment in the last five years. Pride in ones nation I would hope takes greater priority then the time spent on a club team.
Show some class! Commit to your country and respect what it represence. As for me I will always be stand tall with my red white and blue. God bless America and God bless you.
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