Greece?

[Jurassic Referee]

Greece?

http://www.usatoday.com/sports/baske...a-greece_x.htm

Freaking Greece?

[mick]

Originally Posted by Jurassic Referee

Greece?

http://www.usatoday.com/sports/baske...a-greece_x.htm

Freaking Greece?

Isn't that sumpthin' ?
...For the little guys.

[Nate1224hoops]

Originally Posted by Jurassic Referee

Greece?

http://www.usatoday.com/sports/baske...a-greece_x.htm

Freaking Greece?

WOW. With not one current NBA player on their roster. I wonder what the combined salary of the Greek team totals. Probably about 1/3 of what Wade and LeBron make on endorsements. SAD, SAD, SAD, day for American hoops.

[euby]

This has been coming for a long time and the USA star babies and their big money got their butts wooped by guys who just love to play the game. Sure they get paid but I bet the whole Greece's team salary wouldn't add up to what James makes.

I think the NBA is the new professional wrestling....the college game is the best pure basketball there is.

[JugglingReferee]

Saaaaawhheeeeet. Go Greece!

[bgtg19]

Originally Posted by euby

This has been coming for a long time ....

This hasn't been coming for a long time, this has been *happening* for a long time.

[rockyroad]

I watched about 2 min. of the US/Germany game the other night - watched LeBron pull up and shoot a three during a 3-on-1 break...he missed, Battier rebounds and kicks it back out to Carmelo who bricks a three that is rebounded by LeBron who dribbles back out and shoots a three that hits the backboard about 6 inches from the top and Germany rebounds, throws an out let pass, guy drives to the basket, hits the lay-in and gets fouled and makes the free throw...turned to the Sci-Fi channel and watched old Battlestar Gallactica reruns.

[RonRef]

Maybe we should just send our NCAA Men's Championship team instead of all these NBA guys who obviously don't give a rat's ***! I hope they lose the Bronze game also!

[bgtg19]

FWIW, I think the USA players care, and probably care deeply, about the games and how they perform. I believe that they are trying their hardest while they are out on the court.

What I think people in the U.S. need to come to terms with is that, while the USA/NBA may have the best athletes in the basketball world, they do not have the best basketball players.

For example, the USA team left 14 points on the free throw line during the Greece game. I'm guessing that there are a lot of players all around the world -- yes, even in the United States -- who are shooting 100-200 free throws every day. I'm guessing that the world's "greatest athletes" are not among the players who are doing that....

[RonRef]

Originally Posted by bgtg19

FWIW, I think the USA players care, and probably care deeply, about the games and how they perform. I believe that they are trying their hardest while they are out on the court.

What I think people in the U.S. need to come to terms with is that, while the USA/NBA may have the best athletes in the basketball world, they do not have the best basketball players.

For example, the USA team left 14 points on the free throw line during the Greece game. I'm guessing that there are a lot of players all around the world -- yes, even in the United States -- who are shooting 100-200 free throws every day. I'm guessing that the world's "greatest athletes" are not among the players who are doing that....

We don't have our best players in Japan, where is Kobe, Shag, Garnett! Our guys just don't care, they get paid too much money to be bothered to play in theses events.

[Jimgolf]

Originally Posted by RonRef

We don't have our best players in Japan, where is Kobe, Shag, Garnett! Our guys just don't care, they get paid too much money to be bothered to play in theses events.

Well, Kobe is on the team but had knee surgery recently. Shaq's best days are behind him. Garnett wouldn't have helped much.

[26 Year Gap]

Top 6 from NCAA champ & top 6 from NCAA runner-up. That would worth watching. I can't remember the last international contest I watched, but lots of electronic gadgets had not been invented yet. And it probably pre-dated the 10 panel ball.

[Jimgolf]

Originally Posted by 26 Year Gap

Top 6 from NCAA champ & top 6 from NCAA runner-up. That would worth watching. I can't remember the last international contest I watched, but lots of electronic gadgets had not been invented yet. And it probably pre-dated the 10 panel ball.

You might like to watch it, but Florida / UCLA would have lost by 30. There is no way an NCAA team could compete with the top 8 international teams.

Greece plays basketball the way it's supposed to be played: pass, cut, screen, layup. Defend. Repeat.

[JRutledge]

Greece did not miss big shots. There was a point in the game when everything they threw up went in. Every time the USA made a run, Greece would hit a 3 point shot or make a difficult lay-up. Greece played out of their mind. The pick and roll worked all night and the USA could not stop it. Greece played a great game, they deserve all the credit.

Peace

[zebraman]

Originally Posted by RonRef

We don't have our best players in Japan, where is Kobe, Shag, Garnett! Our guys just don't care, they get paid too much money to be bothered to play in theses events.

We had some of our best players there. I'm quite confident that USA would beat Greece in a 7-game series. But the other countries are close enough to us now that "on any given night." We are no longer good enough to beat other countries without our A game. Give Greece credit. They put together an awesome game on a night when the USA didn't play their best. End of story once again.

Z