There's No "I" in Showboat
But there is one in "Biyatch!"
The US Olympic men's basketball team, consisting of NBA players including Tim Duncan and Lamar Odom, got their asses handed to them by fricking Italy in an exhibition game yesterday. The final score was 95-78.
Sez Odom, "We need more time together. These teams play together for years and we have to put it together in a couple of weeks. . . . Our defense wasn't up to par. This was a lesson for us." Duncan echoed the defensive woes, also adding "It doesn't hurt at all. It's great preparation."
Or, gentlemen, perhaps the problem is that the rest of the world still spends time on crazy timewasters like shooting, ball-handling, team play, and defense, while American basketball players prefer to dunk! dunk! dunk! and work on their foul-drawing pratfalls. Woo! Lookit me! I'm dunking! Hey ref! That guy hacked me! Ow, ow, ow! Now, where's my Escalade!
The NBA is a pit of crappy play and lax refereeing, and the league's entire culture rewards criminal behavior, total irresponsibility, and utter selfishness.
Check out this bit from the end of the article: "LeBron James delivered [the pyrotechnics] late in the third quarter, breaking away on a turnover and throwing in an emphatic dunk. The crowd booed loudly when the basket was negated by a traveling call." When is the last time you saw and NBA player called for travelling on a three-step dunk?
Italy, man.
[wik] Of course, part of the issue is that these days the biggest players don't want to risk blowing out a knee in some stupid non-paying glory gig. Just check out the roster from the original 1992 dream team: Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson, Larry Bird, Charles Barkley, David Robinson, Patrick Ewing, Karl Malone, Scottie Pippen, Chris Mullin, Clyde Drexler, John Stockton, and Christian Laettner.
Now, let's compare it to this year's version of Team USA: Carmelo Anthony, Carlos Boozer, Tim Duncan, Allen Iverson, LeBron James, Richard Jefferson, Stephon Marbury, Shawn Marion, Lamar Odom, Emeka Okafor, Amare Stoudemire, and Dwyane Wade.
Who?
on
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With the exception of Tim
With the exception of Tim Duncan, there isn't a guy on that roster who could carry water for any of the guys on the 1992 team.
But you knew that.
puleeze... I can't stand AI's
puleeze... I can't stand AI's punk ass, but you know, he can play ball for a little guy. But one short point guard a team does not make.