I'm watching the USA National basketball team play Italy and I have one question?
 

Where is the pride? These guys are letting a subpar Italian team just run all over them. Once there was a time when other national teams heard they were playing the U.S team they were scared to death that's not the case now. I personally feel that many of today's players are missing some pride and that deep rooted desire to win and that's a shame b/c they are seriously ****ing up the great tradition of U.S Basketball.

It's like they didn't even care that they had their behinds handed to them in a sling......shameful.....just plain shameful.

AXEM, you have to understand that the talent gap is getting smaller and smaller as the years drag on. It's bound to happen especially since now you have foreign players coming in to the NBA. Also alot of the international teams are coached by NBA guys. Del Harris is coaching China and Don Nelson's son coached the Lithuana team that almost stunned the Americans in Sydney in 2000. Give Italy some credit, they played fearless and stuck to their gameplan and not play the up and down NBA game (a style that would have got them beaten by 60).

Another thing you have to consider is the "hood" factor. Alot of people see these NBA guys like AI, R.Wallace, etc... and say they grew up in a tough neighborhood and that makes them fearless compettitors. You look at where some of these international guys grew up. They're from places where you can have your arm blown(or chopped) off just for walking to school. They come over here and play a GAME. They ahve no fear whatsoever.

Man I don't think it's that the rest of the world has gotten that much better but many of these young fellows lack discipline,pride and heart. After barely beating the Greek basketball team many of these fellows showed up to watch US women's basketball team play South Korea, many of these fellows wore headphones listening to walkmen while bobbing their heads. Now why would you show up to support the women's team and not cheer for them but instead listen to your walkman is a little tacky to say the least. I really feel that many of these guys have taken this thugged out ish a little too far many of these guys are wearing doo rags w/ their clothes hanging off their behinds. The coach ought to tell these wannabe thugs to get their head right or get the hell on.....because thuglife and athletics don't mix.

I think the talent gap has decreased. Remember, there are about 83 international ballers in the NBA now.

Also, this wasn't the best team the US could have sent. A lot of players refused for personal interest/security reasons, which I'm cool with. My biggest issue is the make up of the team. How can you have NO outside shooting on the squad? and the 3 point line is only what, 20 feet? That's on the team selection committee and the coach to the degree he had input on team selection.

If no NBA 3 point marksmen wanted to ball, go get the best college shooters. This is hard to watch.

Hard to watch is not even the word. I watched that mess that they US called a bball game on Sunday 8-15 when PR made a fool of the US. The outside shooting game was never there, that is what we need right about now.

Im not sure that I am ok with these overpaid athletes just shrugging off the olympics like it means nothing. The days of Magic, Kareem etc. are long gone I guess...when they actually took pride in representing the USA.

I think the team USA that showed up deserves respect just for that...and they don't have the best squad over there. I believe Vince Carter proposed to his wife after he was asked to go, Shaq wanted rest, J, Kidd wanted to spend time with his family, and I think T-MAC was skurred :rolleyes:

I think its ridiculous.:mad:

Just curious, why is their refusal ridiculous? Don't athletes, like the rest of us, have the right to make decisions? I agree this team deserves respect for going, but I also respect others' decisions not to go because bullets and bombs do real damage...and for what, basketball?

What days are you referencing regarding Kareem? Abdul-Jabbar never played Olympic ball and boycotted the 1968 games over what he felt was American racism.

I think its ridiculous because these people make money from a SPORT and many of their salaries are largely paid by Fans i.e. endorsements...and for them to just say the dont want to go because they are scared is just ridiculous to me. You're making 11.5 million dollars+ a year and you're scared?? tired??
Puh-Lease.

The days where Magic played..pardon my reference to kareem..i got caught up in the moment :p but do you remember when athletes considered it an honor to play for the USA?? That was my point.

So, the more compensation you draw, the higher your level of courage/willingness to go should be? How does this correlation work? I saw a recent report indicating that the average solider makes $19K or less.... so if your theory transfers to war, then perhaps there ought to be a few more CEOs and captains of industry over there handling biz....

But I feel you, LS6, on the Magic J. tip; players of his era played harder, and would probably be giving a better effort in Greece. "Honor" and athletes is dicey for me. Some will play for "love of country." Others have boycotted, in effect, because they felt their country didn't love them back. Who is to say whose "honorable" decision is right?

but I'm way off the topic of this thread, so my bad. :D

NO not just the level of compensation...but I'm talking about where that compensation comes for. When you're a millionaire from the support of fans, endorsements etc. basically the people ...I think you owe them something. You can't just act like you don't owe anybody nothing when every kid in the hood is trying to rock your jersey or sneakers before they even get their school supplies. Charles Barkley was wrong, they are role models. OK let me get off that..cause I can go on a tangent with this one ;)

But on another note, I WAS a die hard b-ball fan but over the years...I have seen the level of talent drop so low. Its hard for me to get into b-ball before the playoffs. These boys from other countries are taking the game as serious as we "used to" take it back in the day.

Somebody please bring back the days of short shorts and long socks! When the men took pride in being b-ball players and were professionals!
>>OK let me get back to reality:rolleyes: <<

We need another thread but I do feel your point. My question is why make only the athletes responsible? I feel your analogy, but we fly on planes made by Boeing, and I don't see anybody holding the Boeing CEO to the same standard. (not for playing ball, but you get my point). Entertainers and ballers get all the ink but really they have less impact on folks' day-to-day lives than industry leaders and gov.t bureacrats, IMO. Im just saying if we put the ballers on front street (and I'm not calling that a bad idea), let's put errybody out there on the responsibility tip.


What you know 'bout old school baskeball; about the days when you drove the lane and the enforcer would put your point guard in the front row of seats? :p

Once again I don't believe it's the lack of talent that is hurting this squad but the lack of discipline this team is more then able to beat the other teams in this years games. The lack of discipline coupled w/ a lack of pride is the main factor in their sudpar play, now as far as those players who decided not to attend this year's games I feel it's their choice. The NBA season is long and I'm sure many of the guys who didn't want to play in the games are in need of some much needed rest and they don't owe the fans a thing. I only feel that those players who chose to play in the games should give their best effort and getting beat by sudpar teams is not giving their best effort.

But see that pride and discipline that you're talking about is all about this new culture in the NBA. I'm not saying these brothers aren't talented..but they're whole view toward the game is just off. I don't really feel like they respect it like players from back in the day did. They're too busy trying to be thugs. When Worthy, Magic, Dr. J, etc. played...you really FELT it! It wasn't about who did the best dunk..them brothers took that game serious. It never came up whether they "owed" the fans back then, cause you saw how hard the brothers were playing, how serious they were, how much they respected the game, Where's the love for the game now? Too many caught up in the glitz and glamour...or are going to complain about Practicing :rolleyes: (referring to Iverson's tirade about practice on sportscenter last season.)

Oh let me not get to reminiscing on here..but I just miss those days.

But I think..well I know I'm off topic though.:p

Dats what I'm talking bout TYB! Old Skool!! :p

ANd I guess I"m ragging on the athletes because of the way they play the game. This is a sport..for fun...people support them..the least they could do is act like they give a darn! I dont think some of them do. We need Planes, we don't need basketball. its for fun. (well we do need it LOL..but I think you get what I mean)