USA 92, Greece 69
Yes, I missed the US-Angola game. The Redeem Team won, though, 97-76.
Another fitting “re” word for this edition Team USA basketball team is “revenge.” It’s what happened this morning as the US pressure D suffocated the Greek pick-and-roll, avenging the semi-final loss at the 2006 World Championships in Japan.
I set my Sony DreamMachine to wake me at 5 a.m. so I could watch the game. When it sounded I wasn't thrilled. I laid in bed and listened to the music, trying to convince myself to get up. When I did 45 minutes had passed. Pathetic, huh? It seems like the wonderful Olympic basketball channel we get has caught NBC’s primetime bug because I discovered it delayed the west coast start time. Complete bullshit. I knew the game was being played as I stumbled around my apartment in the dawn’s mellow light, so I checked the box score on ESPN.com: 51-32 with 21 seconds left in the second quarter. I waited until halftime before exhaling. Phew! I called my dad and told him the score.
“You sound tired,” he said.
“Yeah.” My voice was froggy and dry. “I’m going back to bed for an hour.”
My dad thinks Team USA is unstoppable. We’re too skilled, versatile, deep, and adept. He’s confident they’ll reclaim the gold but I have my doubts. Obviously, it’s no cakewalk anymore; the days of absolute domination are over. The world has caught up and I think it’s a great thing. Basketball is growing more and more popular all over the world. A lot of people in my generation, regardless of nationality, grew up admiring Michael Jordon, Larry Bird, Magic Johnson, and the host of other NBA stars in the ‘80s and ‘90s, many of whom played in Europe in the twilight of their careers (Darryl “Chocolate Thunder” Dawkins and Dominique Wilkins among them). Instead of playing keepie uppie, many kids started shooting hoops. Basketball is slowly chipping away at the world giant — soccer — but it has a long way to go. We’re witnessing the fruits of The Dream Team and the NBA’s global outreach. But, nonetheless, it’s still nice to kick everyone’s ass.
Back to the competition and my doubts. The Europeans can shoot. It’s what they do, which is why I was weary of the Greeks. It’s the same reason I fear the Spanish. They can shoot lights out. NBA and college basketball commentators often speak of the “lost art of the mid-range jumper.” Although cliché, it hits the nail on the head. Since the advent of the 3-point line, Americans are less likely to shoot unless they’re behind the arch. We use our size to post-up (which is why the FIBA key is a trapezoid) and our speed and strength to drive for the high percentage shots. I do it, too. If you’re going to shoot away from the basket why not take another few steps back for the extra point? Nobody takes the long two unless it’s uncontested, and you’ll see this when you watch Team USA. That space between the arch and key has become a No Man’s Land for American players. However, it’s where the European’s thrive. It’s their comfort zone. Their shots are crisp and clean, and they have no problem taking a long look within the 3-point strike. This makes them a threat at any point. If they can shut down our inside game, and our shooters aren’t hitting from range (which they haven’t throughout the Olympics), we’re dead in the water. The idea haunts me, but so far it hasn’t been a factor. I was pleasantly surprised with the halftime score and confident the fulltime result would be similar.
There was another pleasant surprise. After talking to my dad I scrolled down the page to see the player stats and noticed Chris Bosh had 12 points — off the bench! Yes — this Chris Bosh:
I think I’ll write him in for president (Bubba as VP, of course).
Another fitting “re” word for this edition Team USA basketball team is “revenge.” It’s what happened this morning as the US pressure D suffocated the Greek pick-and-roll, avenging the semi-final loss at the 2006 World Championships in Japan.
I set my Sony DreamMachine to wake me at 5 a.m. so I could watch the game. When it sounded I wasn't thrilled. I laid in bed and listened to the music, trying to convince myself to get up. When I did 45 minutes had passed. Pathetic, huh? It seems like the wonderful Olympic basketball channel we get has caught NBC’s primetime bug because I discovered it delayed the west coast start time. Complete bullshit. I knew the game was being played as I stumbled around my apartment in the dawn’s mellow light, so I checked the box score on ESPN.com: 51-32 with 21 seconds left in the second quarter. I waited until halftime before exhaling. Phew! I called my dad and told him the score.
“You sound tired,” he said.
“Yeah.” My voice was froggy and dry. “I’m going back to bed for an hour.”
My dad thinks Team USA is unstoppable. We’re too skilled, versatile, deep, and adept. He’s confident they’ll reclaim the gold but I have my doubts. Obviously, it’s no cakewalk anymore; the days of absolute domination are over. The world has caught up and I think it’s a great thing. Basketball is growing more and more popular all over the world. A lot of people in my generation, regardless of nationality, grew up admiring Michael Jordon, Larry Bird, Magic Johnson, and the host of other NBA stars in the ‘80s and ‘90s, many of whom played in Europe in the twilight of their careers (Darryl “Chocolate Thunder” Dawkins and Dominique Wilkins among them). Instead of playing keepie uppie, many kids started shooting hoops. Basketball is slowly chipping away at the world giant — soccer — but it has a long way to go. We’re witnessing the fruits of The Dream Team and the NBA’s global outreach. But, nonetheless, it’s still nice to kick everyone’s ass.
Back to the competition and my doubts. The Europeans can shoot. It’s what they do, which is why I was weary of the Greeks. It’s the same reason I fear the Spanish. They can shoot lights out. NBA and college basketball commentators often speak of the “lost art of the mid-range jumper.” Although cliché, it hits the nail on the head. Since the advent of the 3-point line, Americans are less likely to shoot unless they’re behind the arch. We use our size to post-up (which is why the FIBA key is a trapezoid) and our speed and strength to drive for the high percentage shots. I do it, too. If you’re going to shoot away from the basket why not take another few steps back for the extra point? Nobody takes the long two unless it’s uncontested, and you’ll see this when you watch Team USA. That space between the arch and key has become a No Man’s Land for American players. However, it’s where the European’s thrive. It’s their comfort zone. Their shots are crisp and clean, and they have no problem taking a long look within the 3-point strike. This makes them a threat at any point. If they can shut down our inside game, and our shooters aren’t hitting from range (which they haven’t throughout the Olympics), we’re dead in the water. The idea haunts me, but so far it hasn’t been a factor. I was pleasantly surprised with the halftime score and confident the fulltime result would be similar.
There was another pleasant surprise. After talking to my dad I scrolled down the page to see the player stats and noticed Chris Bosh had 12 points — off the bench! Yes — this Chris Bosh:
I think I’ll write him in for president (Bubba as VP, of course).
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