American Arrogance
The United States has dominated men's olympic basketball since the start.
Granted the Soviet Union beat the US in a freak win in 1972 and that they didn't compete in the 1980 Moscow games, they have always touted that they were the best in the world. And they were.
And the third place finish in Seoul Korea 1988 happened. The resulting shame was unbearable, the best of the best vowed to send only their very best players and so they did in 1992.
Dream Team
The Dream Team of Michael, Magic, Bird, Barkley, Malone, Stockton, Ewing, Robinson, Drexler, Pippen and the rest of the team needed to prove to the world that the US is still home of the greatest basketball players and that the NBA is still the best league on the planet.
And every four years since, they sought to send their very best.
But of course they became complacent and arrogant again. And so have another big loss again in 2004 in Greece.
And the third place finish in Seoul Korea 1988 happened. The resulting shame was unbearable, the best of the best vowed to send only their very best players and so they did in 1992.
Dream Team
The Dream Team of Michael, Magic, Bird, Barkley, Malone, Stockton, Ewing, Robinson, Drexler, Pippen and the rest of the team needed to prove to the world that the US is still home of the greatest basketball players and that the NBA is still the best league on the planet.
And every four years since, they sought to send their very best.
But of course they became complacent and arrogant again. And so have another big loss again in 2004 in Greece.
Redeem Team
The result was the Redeem Team of 2008 -- a team composed of Kobe, LeBron, Wade, Kidd, Carmelo, Dwight, Paul, Bosh, Deron Williams and others.
Of course, they achieved what was expected of them, like the original Dream Team but again after several years of basketball dominance, complacency and arrogance are to be their worst enemies again.
2021 Tokyo
After France beat the Americans in the Basketball World Cup in 2019, France once again beat them in the first official game of the 2020 Olympics (being played in 2021) -- the first official Team USA lost since 2004.
Of course, they achieved what was expected of them, like the original Dream Team but again after several years of basketball dominance, complacency and arrogance are to be their worst enemies again.
2021 Tokyo
After France beat the Americans in the Basketball World Cup in 2019, France once again beat them in the first official game of the 2020 Olympics (being played in 2021) -- the first official Team USA lost since 2004.
I dare say, this could be the start of a second Redeem Team in the making. Americans just haven't learned their lesson. Or American basketball players of today just do not care to show the world that they are the best anymore or worse if they are not even the best in the sport that they originated and love anymore.
(American football is not an Olympic sport, USA Men's soccer team didn't make the cut. Baseball is a relatively new Olympic sport and the US Men's baseball team have not even won an Olympic gold medal in baseball yet.)
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