Does anyone think that if Ming played on the U.S. team for the current WBC (i.e. he was one of the members of Dream Team V), that the U.S. would have gone undefeated on the way to an easy gold medal?
im almost glad that the U.S. team lost. this may be the wake up call to shaq, duncan, garnett, kobe, mcgrady, webber, carter, and the rest of them, that shouldv'e been on the team but turned it down. how can the U.S. win with a team of players that arent even the best players on their nba team (except for davis and marion)? can our national team beat the lakers? or the kings? i dotn think they can with all of the role players they have. i like ben wallace but he should not be on the national team. thats like putting mutombo on the '92 dream team. if the guys that should make the team will never do it, then i say we should send our championship team. or why not put it in players contracts that they get a bonus if they PLAY for the national team? just like in seattles offer to lewis (he would get a bonus if he plays for the allstar team). whatever happens things need to change and im glad that they finnaly realized that, even if it took getting our first loss.
I dunno...maybe if they put the world games in like the bahamas they would join. How many of you on vacation would jump at the thought of being given more work away from the family and put in Indiana?
I think that the players probably don't care that much when it comes to the World Championships but I bet that many of the players that shoudl be there and havn't done it before like Kobe, T-Mac, and Webber will be there when it comes to the olympics.
Not if they didn't play Team Basketball. The individual Showman type of Basetball only wins if you have the first Team playing.If its the second Team playing, then only players that can play Team Basketball, should be selected. In the Worlds all the other Teams are playing Team Basketball!
i think it should be an honor to play for your country. i think everybody who says that they wouldnt want to spend a few weeks of their precious time to play in the wc is embarassing. i do not understand. i guess i never will.
The international teams got tougher and played better than before..The US team probably underestimated the international teams that why they lost......
I don't think these losses give Shaq, Kobe, etc any more motivation to play for Team USA. If anything, it LESSENS it even more. Nothing to gain, and everything to lose, as far as reputation goes.
I actually think the opposite is the case. It is now a fact that the USA team is beatable rather than it just being a theory/trash talk. It is now irrelevant if the NBA player lead USA team looses again, apart from damage to pride. The current "dream team" has already got it's new nickname in the press - "nightmare squad"!!! The current team established the non-gold-medal-winning precedent, and in the event of a future loss people will be able to say "at least they're not as bad as the nightmare squad..." BTW I've never understood why people say no to international rep ball. Here in Australia there is controversy & complaints about players not being selected for the "Boomers". The players selected all treat it as an honour. I think this is the case for most countries/players... Divacs came back for Yugo & Mings comments typify this nationalist spirit. Perhaps the losses (i still can't believe they lost three times) will create a little passion in the US marquee players (except steve as he's stated many times he wants to play, they just don't select him)
