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US basketball team named

  2. Tori
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The US invented the sport of basketball, and yet at the Athens Olympics 4 years ago, we had our high-tops handed to us, losing 3 games in the Olympics and coming in 3rd.

Hopefully this year will be different. The team will be led on the court by super-stars LeBron James and Kobe Bryant, but more importantly (in my unabashedly biased opinion - I am a Dukie after all!) they will be coached by Hall of Famer Coach Krzyzewski.

The full roster announced this morning is:
Kobe Bryant
LeBron James
Dwyane Wade
Carmelo Anthony
Jason Kidd
Tayshaun Prince
Carlos Boozer
Chris Bosh
Dwight Howard
Chris Paul
Michael Redd
Deron Williams

Is this team unbeatable? Or could egos cause them tp come home without the gold? And there's no one from the newly crowned NBA champs, the Boston Celtics. Is that a slight?
Tori

36 responses // US basketball team named

  • As much as I hate saying this,
    I think it's just going to be another ego festival like 2004.
    Scott_Bromley
  • High FIVES!
    joshuaheller
  • Boozer and Kidd?! Really?!

    Scott you are so dead on about this. I wonder if they'll be arguing more about who gets more play time or more camera time?
    clarity_kat
  • o my....
    hestheone
  • unbeatable
    TopScruffy
  • I watched the press conference - the most interesting thing I heard was the decision to go with a smaller squad. Because the alley in international basketball is bigger than in the US, it's harder for a big man to post up and then just turn around and score. With the bigger alley, big guys are less effective in the paint, so if they're not agile and quick...they're more in the way than anything else. Should be interesting to see how that pans out. Coach K makes wise decisions though - I'm sure he knows what he's doing!
    davidtaylor
  • If Coach K can't beat the world with this team, I say the next Olympic coach should be Big Bad Ben Howland of the UCLA Bruins.
    rawleyv
  • http://graphics.boston.com/bonzai-fba/Globe_Photo/2006/...
    the omission of the great Brian Scalabrine is deeply scandalous...
    ron_pual_2008
  • I still don't see the USA bringing home anything more than a bronze =( Hopefully they can learn to play as a team and not be the ego-manic flop-zillas they were last time.
    rabidlemur
  • WIth the current international political environment and media coverage of the Olympics this year, I feel there is a great emphasis in demonstrating a nations greatness through the Olympic venue. I expect the USA team to bring home the Gold.
    VynalFrontier
  • kobe and lebron sweet!
    linebacker51
  • Just when I thought the basketball excitement was over!!
    pstuart
  • i would of like to see kevin garnett on there, but i think this team will dominate
    fuckbush
    1 response to this
  • They SHOULD be unbeatable. Whether or not that will be the case, we just have to wait and see!
    crababble
  • They were much smarter about picking this year's team. The last few years, the players have been sort of thrown together...and we haven't had enough shooters. This team has already trained together, practiced together and dominated together. Thankfully, guys like Michael Redd are on the team which is critical to winning in the international style of play.

    We should be primed and ready to resume our global dominance in hoops once again. Watch out Latvia - we're coming for YOU!
    jsaraco
  • Kobe Diem.
    mirimysweet
  • Actually, it was a Canadian that invented basketball, haha. And any team with Kobe and Lebron is not going to lose... period.
    AreOh
  • This team will win the Olympics this time. Just having Kobe and LeBron is really enough. The US team is stacked with great guards and mobile yet strong big men. The only mistake is having Coach K be the coach. Phil Jackson, Vince Popageorgio or another NBA coach would be a better decision if the issue is how the coach will relate to all the big egos. Bottom line is that it is inexcusable for the United States of America to get anything but a gold medal in basketball, no matter what. period; end of sentence.
    AROC
  • Um, basketball was invented in Canada.
    Bravura
    2 responses to this
  • My quick analysis:

    + The three most important players on our team are Carmelo, Kidd, and Kobe. Anyone who watched the U.S. team last year knows that Carmelo, for whatever reason, is an international force. I predict he'll lead our team in scoring. Kidd made our team go, and he was definitely the most productive guard for us. Remember Lebron and Kobe raving about him last year? And Kobe sets the competitive tone. The effort he gives on defense might be the single most important thing for our team.

    +The addition of Michael Redd is huge. We were pretty much the worst outside shooting team in the last Olympics so that'll help, especially if Kobe and Carmelo are knocking their shots down.

    +All this analysis is kinda stupid since we should win regardless. We just need to sack up.
    khasson
  • WOW. we are going to lose. Carmelo and Kidd? Give me a break. And besides, when are we gonna bring back the amateurs like the way the olympics are suppose to be?

    All other sports have amateurs yet mens basketball wants ego trippin millionares. Not Cool
    Phatdrew
    1 response to this
  • Obviously this team will get the gold. The Americans have become complacent over the last few years and now that we have lost these players are not going to want to be labeled losers as well. I predict huge blowout wins and the gold.

    Jason Kidd????
    observer2121
  • LeBron is awesome, and unselfish on the court. "Crush the World 08"
    Cortlanderson
  • "Jason Kidd???? "

    This is pretty much the same team that won the western hemisphere tournament last summer in Vegas. Did anybody watch any of that ?

    Kidd was the set up man and he was the sparkplug that drove this team. He did exactly what a point guard is supposed to do. Lots of assists and he barely shot the ball.

    Dwight Howard, Carmello and LeBron were all fantastic. There was great chemistry, they shared the ball and they had a great attitude.

    These guys should make it look easy.
    seeker561
  • We will win. We wil be weak at power forward unfortunately, however this is typical of Coach K teams. Egos will not be a problem with this team. With the addition of players capable and willing to play specific roles as well as the inclusion of players who shoot well from the perimeter, the USA should be a lock.
    GavinTheMother
  • Great Squad!!!! It never hurts to have the best player in the world, KOBE!!!
    ScreamingDinosaur
  • We lost last time (and probably will again) because the teams of the other nations are more technically sound. They are great all-rounders.

    All we put up are arrogant and overpaid a-holes who can't play as a team.

    Go team USA, but put away the egos please!
    nickwe3d
  • soooo....how bout those women basketball players???...??? (cough, cough)
    northstar13
  • Hope Kobe doesn't screw this team up as well.
    eldamon
  • Basketball was invented in Canada, but what do you expect from a dukie. Go Heels, Go USA.
    ItsGoTime
  • call me an old fart, but I still think the olympics should be left to amateur athletes.
    gruven_reuven
  • If China wins Houston wins. =P
    J_Jammer
  • Who cares.
    osiris326
  • In early December 1891, Dr. James Naismith,[1] a Canadian physical education student and instructor at YMCA Training School[2] (today, Springfield College) in Springfield, Massachusetts, USA,
    basketball was created in america
    clayjj05

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