Of all the Olympic sports, basketball may be the most American. It was invented in Massachusetts in 1891, dominated by U.S. players throughout the 20th century and remains a large part of our athletic culture and identity.Which means: It's not OK to lose in the Olympics.
When it happened for the first time in 1972, it was chalked up to atrocious officiating. When it happened in 1988, the U.S. responded by sending professional players for the first time — and the 2000 Dream Team showed the world exactly how well the game can be played.
But when a similar collection of NBA all-stars crashed and burned in 2004, one thing became clear: The U.S. had lost its stranglehold on the sport. The Americans failed again in the 2006 World Championships, once more settling for the bronze. So now, after four years of revamping the national team program, we'll see the results this month in Beijing.
The current Team USA, led by the likes of Kobe Bryant and LeBron James, aims to reclaim its perch atop the basketball universe. But international teams are formidable enough these days that American victory is no certainty.
So what will it be? Redemption for the so-called Redeem Team? Or more evidence that it's now the world's game — and the U.S. is just another country playing it?
