USA Basketball is Back

It’s official - by virtue of its performance in the FIBA Americas Championship, Team USA Basketball has qualified for the Beijing Olympics. While this does not seem like a huge accomplishment it is a first step toward reclaiming their position on top of the international basketball world.

Team USA has stumbled, or more accurately the rest of the world has improved dramatically, since the 1992 Dream Team burst on the scene to create arguably the greatest spectacle in international sports. After riding high for the first eight years after the Dream Team’s coming out party in Barcelona, Team USA has struggled, finishing Sixth in the 2002 World Championship, winning bronze in the 2004 Athens Olympics, and capturing Bronze in the 2006 World Championships in Japan.

This team is different from the others that have shown poorly in international play the last several years for a number of reasons. First is the commitment of the stars to Jerry Colangelo and Mike Krzyzewski’s three-year program. Second is the roster. The three legitimate point guards (Jason Kidd, Chauncey Billups and Deron Williams) and the shooters (Michael Redd and Kobe Bryant) make this most recent team ready for the international game, and getting Dwyane Wade back will only improve the guard play. The most impressive feat is the dedication to defense, highlight by Kobe Bryant’s defensive performance. When the best player in the world decides to clamp down and be the best defensive player in the arena every night, it inspires the rest of the team to play hard on both sides of the court.

This team is lacking a bit upfront, especially compared with other Team USAs, but this is the best team since the original Dream Team because of their commitment, camaraderie and the fact that the US has been humbled recently. If everyone stays healthy and keeps playing well together, Beijing could be a repeat of Barcelona, providing Team USA the opportunity to showcase its talent and reestablish its position atop the international basketball world.