It's all about the money Added: 9th September, 2002 It would not be an exaggeration to say the USA were humiliated at these World Championships, and what makes matters worse is the fact that it happened on their home turf. Many doubt that there is a team more talented than the one USA Basketball put out there in this tournament, so why did they lose? If you ask head coach George Karl the answer is easy; the money and greed of today's NBA stars. "The money and greed of the NBA. Does that have an effect on our competitive nature? Yeah, you can write that," Karl said. Team USA went into this tournament without the likes of Shaquille O'Neal, Kobe Bryant, Jason Kidd, Tracy McGrady, Chris Webber, Tim Duncan, Kevin Garnett, Ray Allen and Vince Carter to name a few - all of which would at least be chances to start for an All-World team. Reasons that each player missed vary, but to some degree greed and un-patriotic attitudes certainly played a part. After all, if you earn $10 million a season why risk injury at doing something as pointless as beating up on some foreigners? Team USA received their wake up call when their NBA players lost for the first time ever at international level, but suprisingly not even this woke them. The nightmare continued as the team then lost to gold-medalists Yugoslavia and Spain, making it three losses from four games, only a 10 point win over lowly Puerto Rico breaking the streak. Team USA finished sixth, their worst ever positioning by a U.S. men's team at a major international competition. "I still think we're the best, the model for the world, but people are catching up. They beat us, and they beat us in our own country. We have to tip our hat to them," said Karl.
http://msn.espn.go.com/nba/news/2002/0908/1429026.html That's a link to an espn article. Basically states the same. But check out Yao's FG %. That is gaudy.
I sort of disagree that the money and greed is a reason why USA lost. C'mon, do they all suck in the NBA cuz of the money they get paid? NO!
There is a big difference in the attitude and intensity from the players when they play in the NBA compared to the WC. The USA players all wanted to be the man, and would rather throw down vicious dunks, than get back on defense. It was painfully obvious that alterior motives played a role in the US folding like a cheap tent.
so tell me. . .when is Karl giving his check back????? Karla is full of **** maybe if he was even a HALF decent coach the players would have had some pride and dignity about them Rocket River Karl just replaced Phil on the Jackass list
I want to hear from those (hint . . . hint . . . hint) who still refuse to acknowledge the "fundamental" problem with American bball on this board.
The fundamental problem with the US is too much emphasis is placed on post play and the dunk (players are told in HS to work on their inside game, not their J. If you can't get rim, you're not playing high school ball, it's that simple). The wide key eliminates that post-up ability, and the NBA's popular isolation system has made it so that while other teams stress team passing and backdoor cuts, Team USA was giving it to Baron Davis, Andre Miller, or Paul Pierce up top and having them create. It doesn't work like that in Euro ball. And you want to see problems with fundamentals, look at the free throw shooting, it was horrid. Davis shot around 50%, Ben Wallace shot 35%. That's fundamentals, straight up. I belive US had the lowest FT percentage in the tourny.
What are the Fundamentals? US Yugo Arg Germ T-over 11 11 12 15 Assist 22 18 22 18 Rebs 38 34 32 33 Blks 6 3 3 5 Stls 9 7 9 8 yea. . they killed us at the fundamentals Rocket River
I was talking about the free throw shooting. Pierce - 67% A, Miller - 65% Davis - 40% O'Neal - 42% Brand - 55% Wallace - 36% Three point shooting percentage was 39%, extremely low considering the line was moved up AND these are some of the best NBA players. Shooting was all I was talking about, they were cold most of the way. And does anyone agree with me that if George Karl wasN'T the head coach of this team, they would've won gold? He didn't have a shootaround before the Argentina game, and just had awful decisionmaking abilities.
They shoot Freethrows better. ONE Category. Beyond Reggie Miller i don't recallthis being our best 3 pt shooting team George Karl is an ass clown and He lost this . . ALOT of the blame sits with him He can say well . they overpaid greedy etc but u know what . . .HE DIDN'T COACH . . I feel HE CAME IN WITH THE IDEA THAT THIS WAS AN EASY GOLD Rocket River
I agree with you on Karl. And my point on the shooting is if you rebound, that's great, if you block and steal balls, that's great. But if you can't put it in the basket, you WON'T win, plain and simple. Poor shooting=Losses.
So, RR, I guess the other teams had better athletes? Or, did we just not play as a team? Nothing wrong with relying on the post. It's easier to make an 8 foot basket rather than a 19 foot one.
If you don't get it now, you never will. Fundamentals are NOT STATS!!!! They are intangibles of the game: Setting a proper pick... Running a proper screen and pass... Sending a cutter for the back door pass... Being patient in the offense... Letting all the players touch the ball during an offensive set... Knowing how to shoot off the glass rather than just dunks... Guards that shoot better than 85% from the FT line... Forwards that shoot better than 80% from the FT line... Centers that shoot better than 75% from the FT line... Knowing how to lay the ball up with both hands... Knowing how the dribble with both hands (not being one-hand dominant)... Knowing the finger roll...(very valuable when your shot is about to be blocked)... Clock managment... Communications with team mates when there is a need for a defensive swtich... These are just a few things that make up "fundamentals" of the game...
By saying it's all about the money,Karl is undermining his own players and admitting that the team he had wasn't good enough to win.He didn't have time to prepare them for the tournament but he sounds like he is trying to escape taking any responsibility for the defeat.
i tink he is trying to call out the best. I'm glad francis wanted to play, its not about greed with him thank god.
saleem, Karl said that if Kidd was on the team, they would have won it all. Players aren't just about the money, they want attention as well.
