Team USA always has most of the world's top basketball players filling their rosters, both NBA and WNBA. But Spain is always a tough team to get past and this year's Summer Olympic Team is no exception. The Spanish Olympic Basketball Team has always been a thorn in the side of our USA Men's Basketball Team and at this year's Olympics, Spain will have the 2nd most NBA players in the world representing their country. But in my opinion, it doesn't really matter.
While Team USA has an impressive 12 NBA players on their roster, there are 34 other NBA stars playing for their native countries, an Olympic record. Spain is 2nd in the world with 7 active NBA players and 3 retired players totaling 10. Brazil, Australia and France each have 5 NBA players respectively. Argentina is playing with 4. The other 5 players are scattered across various countries' rosters. China and Venezuela are the only two teams without active NBA players. But Spain is always the one team to give us trouble and, usually, close games as well. In past years, it was always the Spanish Men's Olympic Team that knocked the wind out of Team USA's sails and with 10 NBA players, they seem threatening. To me, the fact that Spain has NBA talent doesn't matter.
The only reason this is even a topic for me is because the U.S. Men's Basketball Team is EXPECTED to bring home gold medals. From as far back as the 1970's, to the 'Dream Team" in 1992. This lasted for decades, until the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens, Greece. That Summer Olympic team for the U.S. was loaded with NBA All-Stars, but it didn't matter.
In 2004 the promising, young USA Men's Basketball Team had Allen Iverson, Tim Duncan, LeBron James, Dwayne Wade and Carmelo Anthony (among other superstars) playing on their roster. With Larry Brown as head coach and Greg Popovich, Oliver Purnell and Roy Williams as the assistants, we looked poised to dominate the world. However, we were anything but "dominate". Team USA's Men's Basketball Team lost games we shouldn't have. Then we won games against tough teams like Spain in close fashion. In the end, the men's team had a disappointing 5-3 record and a roster wearing bronze medals. That effort in the Olympics begged the question: Do NBA "Superstars" playing on the same roster equal an actual "superstar" team?
After 2004, Team USA's Men's Basketball team was intent on getting back on track. They kept the same core of young players but switched their coaching staff and, in turn, switched their attitude. They became focused toward living up to their self-proclaimed "Redeem Team" name. The coaching staff completely changed. Larry Brown was replaced by Duke University's Mike Krzyzewski. A college coach was just what the doctor ordered as "Coach K" brought Syracuse University head coach Jim Boeheim along with NBA coaches Nate McMillan and Mike D'Antoni on board serving as assistant coaches.
The 2008 "Redeem Team" won all of their games, took home the gold and lived up to their name. The same coaching staff and almost every major player from the 2008 "Redeem Team" returned for the 2012 Olympics in London winning more gold medals. Meanwhile, the U.S. Women's Teams have yet to bring home anything less than gold medals. WNBA players don't have the same egos that most NBA superstars have. They play like a team which equals victory in ANY team sport. That's what "Coach K" did to these "Superstars": made them play as a team. That is why this new record of 34 NBA players playing for other countries doesn't scare me.
History has shown us, especially here in America, that star-power does not equal victories in the Olympics when it comes to basketball and other team sports. That is one of the reasons I love the Olympics. The Olympic games will expose teams to their core and test the limits of true teamwork. So, to be honest, other people may be scared that more countries have finally gotten NBA-caliber players to represent them in Olympic Basketball games, but I'm not.
We have leadership that is unmatched with our coaching and veteran players. We also have an amazing group of guys on the Men's roster that are very talented, will play unselfishly and are willing to win by any means necessary. The number of NBA players on your team DOES NOT mean you will automatically be good. It means you have talent and talent alone is not enough. As we have learned here in America, you have to earn the right to be called "gold medal talent" by playing like a gold medal team!
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