For the third straight Olympics, the US Men’s Basketball team took home the gold. Unlike 2008 and 2012, however, this team had to grind through several games en route to yet another Olympic sweep. A team bereft of the country’s biggest names like LeBron James, Chris Paul, Russell Westbrook, and Stephen Curry, Team USA struggled to come together and dominate at times. In reality, their only truly A+ game was the Gold medal game, where they finally put all the pieces together to crush Serbia.
One of the biggest questions that has emerged following the Olympics is: How does Team USA progress going forward? Do they change the system to recruit deeper into the pool of American players? Do they stay on course and hope that the Olympic spirit reinvigorates current players into recruiting new, younger players? Above all, is USA Basketball a dying breed, or is there hope for the future?
To address the first three questions, we need to objectively look at the results from the last three Olympic games, as well as the FIBA World Cups (formerly World Championships) in 2010 and 2014. USA Basketball is undefeated since 2006. No matter how you view the team’s performance in this cycle, or how underwhelming they may have looked at times during the tournament, the fact is that no other team has beaten them in 10 years. 10 YEARS!
This lack of competition and a true rival (sorry, Spain) means that there is absolutely no reason to change the system as it is currently constituted. As long as Olympians are allowed to compete in multiple games, the concept that the well of American-born players will dry up is misleading. In 2020, you can likely expect to see at least some of the top NBA stars like Curry, Kawhi Leonard, John Wall, Anthony Davis and a whole list of others I simply can’t choose from. The pool is deep, and changing the system now won’t benefit USA Basketball as much as it might hurt it.
The main question, and driving force behind the competition for roster spots on Team USA is more complicated. Do Americans still want to compete for their country? Ask around the NBA and you’ll probably get a mixed bag of answers. Guys still have pride for their country; An Olympic medal is on par with an NBA Championship; Guys need to recover after a grueling season; The risk of injury outweighs the reward of a medal. The list could go on and on and the picture would be just as murky.
While top names may have skipped out this time, few if any ruled out a return to USA Basketball. LeBron said he might be back for Tokyo, while Kevin Durant said he doesn’t know the future, but has appreciated his time with Team USA already. Meanwhile, DeAndre Jordan proclaimed that to him, a Gold medal is more important than an NBA Championship. Still think the pride of Olympic glory isn’t there? Perhaps American legend and International superstar Carmelo Anthony will change your mind:
What you see in that video is not just a superstar announcing his retirement from USA Basketball. No, what you see is a man who put it all on the line for his country for 12 years, and emerged with three gold medals and a wealth of pride, emotion, and appreciation for his fellow Americans and American players. Anthony was the leader of this team, and cherished the opportunity to impart wisdom and advice to the younger players on the team. It’s a role he can now learn from and take back to the NBA, but also remember fondly as he looks back on his career, knowing that he led a team – a nation – to glory.
No, the Olympic spirit is not dead among USA Basketball. Every four years the members of Team USA head back to their respective teams with a greater appreciation for each other, the game of basketball, and a renewed passion and wealth of knowledge for their NBA teammates. Not to mention that they also learned from the some of best coaches in basketball while practicing with the cream of the NBA crop. Everyone wins when they put on the red, white, and blue jerseys.
Heading into the 2020 Olympics, as well as the 2019 FIBA World Cup, there will be a lot of talk about how USA Basketball is weaker than ever, and how the rest of the world is poised to take them down once again. A new coach, new system, and new faces could all bring the downfall of Team USA. Unfortunately, for the rest of the world, that coach is Gregg Popovich, the new faces are the faces of the future of the NBA, and this year’s US Men’s Basketball team just reminded everyone that even the weakest team in recent memory can still turn it on and win the gold medal without ever looking like they really clicked. Does that sound like a team on the verge of destruction? I don’t think so.
Still think USA Basketball is a dying breed? Think again.