The USA lost. Serves us right for thinking that we can just show up and beat anyone.

Peace

This is a FIBA sanctioned tournament,so it doesn't really count anyway. :)

its the refs fault!

Yeah....
 

it was only two of them. What the hell is up with that? I did not realize that they still used two officials. No wonder they cannot get the calls right. ;)

Peace

I believe that there is not a country in Europe in which they use three referees. I don't understand why they came up with the idea to use three refs if they don't use them...

I read this:

"Reggie (Miller) brought us together,'' Pierce said. "He said the world is against us. The world, the stands, the refs are all against us. The only thing we can do is go out and play hard the rest of the games and get the gold medal.''

on http://espn.go.com/nba/news/2002/0904/1427403.html

Don't you think that that's a little childish??

ADR

ADR,
No.
I think it is very childish.
... Jock mentality at it's best.
mick

Yes, but so is having 10 guys in their 30's run around in short pants, bouncing a ball :)

chuck

I watched the 2nd half. Because I'm not familiar with the FIBA rules, I can't really comment on the officiating. Didn't seem to affect the game one way or the other.

What I did see was the incredible effectiveness of the Argentinians' offense - spacing, pick and roll, good, crisp passes. Compare that to the NBA-style, one pass, one-on-one, go-to-the-hole style of play. The Argentine team simply outplayed the US in all aspects of the game. Can you say "fundamentals"?

The game continues to point out how far international basketball has come.

Don't you think that the international game has come so far in large part b/c of the influence of the NBA talent in international competition? Many countries used pro players long before the US ever did; and our college boys stilled whipped their butts. But since the US introduced pro players into the competition, other countries have worked a lot harder to reach the higher "bar" set by the NBA talent. Plus the NBA has brought a lot of talented "foreign" players into the league, making them even better when they go home to play for their own countries. That's the theory I've heard. It seems pretty reasonable.

Chuck

Reggie Miller? Childish? Surely we're not thinking of the same Reggie Miller. Are we?? http://www.stopstart.fsnet.co.uk/smilie/rolleyes.gif

childish?
 

Well isn't a leader's job to find some way to buck the troops and move forward? Seems to be that Reggie wasn't making excuses -- he didn't say anything to the press, just to his team -- but trying to get them motivated to come back for the next game. I'd call it head games rather than childishness. T'wil be interesting to see if the loss leads to a stronger team going next time.

How about the great move by Jermaine O'Neal after he had a dunk attempt blocked? I saw this one on SC this morning, and if that were a game where I saw that happen, the player would be politely excused from the remainder of the game. Maybe because it was a bigger stage than a HS game, but I do not believe he was removed from the game. Anyone disagree or agree?

For those of you who didn't see what happened, and Argentine player blocked a dunk attempt by O'Neal, the Argintine player fell to the floor, and O'Neal stepped right on the small of his back - definitely could tell it was no accident!

Re: childish?
 

Welcome, hawkk.
I am sure the wake-up alarm is on.
I don't understand why Professionals need that type of fire lit, unless they are not yet real professionals.
mick

I don't understand why they don't just send the Lakers, the Nets, or one of the other great NBA teams??

ER