First Loss for the USA.

[fletch_irwin_m]

Originally posted by theboys
Hey, Chuck.

Interesting theory - never looked at it that way. As I understand it, many European countries have "basketball academies", similar to the prep schools in the US. We in the US are so ignorant of the goings on in the rest of the world. I would like to see an ESPN special on the growth of basketball worldwide, the structure of European leagues, etc, etc.

I know that in Eastern Europe, especially during Soviet days, kids were taken at a young age to be filtered for their sports programs. The modus operendi was to have the children go to school for 4 - 6 hours a day and train 6 to 8 hours aday. The difference you are seeing now under essentially the same system is the American influence. It is impossible to tell how many coaches, players and teams have put on clinics over in Europe preaching fundamentals and exposing them to American thought on basketball. So while their kids are practicing opposite hand dribbles and free throw shooting, ours are perfecting the between the legs bounce off the backboard cartwheel whindmill 360 two handed dunk. Which last I checked still counted the same as a lay up. This is a good wake up call and hopefully, HS and MS coaches will see that being fundamentally sound can make up for a lot of athletic deficiencies.