Team USA Basketball’s Return to Dominance?
This past weekend has wrapped up another international basketball tournament, the FIBA World Basketball Championship. Believe it or not, team USA left Istanbul with the gold. Could this prove to be a return to the gold medal podium for good for our all-star studded cast? Let’s take a look at the post-tournament wrap-up.
In the Gold Medal game, Team USA defeated Turkey 81-64 to take the gold. Lithuania defeats Serbia 99-88 in a grueling third place game and Argentina edges Spain in a 5th place game. 2006 silver medalists, Greece, didn’t even qualify for the elimination round.
It doesn’t take an NBA aficionado to realize that almost every international team in the tournament was what sports analysts call a “B” squad. Off-season injuries as well as the grueling summer free agency period kept many of the worlds best basketball players out of this month long tournament in Turkey.
Team USA rolled through most of the competition without key players Kobe Bryant, Lebron James, Dwayne Wade, and Dwight Howard. Defending champions Spain, also without their superstar and NBA champion Pau Gasol who decided to take the summer off to rest his healing injuries. Also some notable players that were missing from the tournament were China’s Yao Ming, France’s Tony Parker, Germany’s Dirk Nowitzki, and Argentina’s Manu Ginobili.
Despite the absence of some of the top players there was still plenty of competition. After a not so stellar start to the tournament’s group round play, where USA just edged Spain by 1 point, they began to gain steam through their remaining games leading to the elimination round, winning every game by at least twenty points, led by All-star and scoring leader Kevin Durant. The elimination round began with a mauling of Angola, followed by strategic victories over Russia and Lithuania, leading to the gold medal game against Turkey. By this point, they had all the momentum needed and their hard work paid off with an 81-64 victory in the championship game.
Short-handed, as most teams were, this tournament proved to be exciting, fast-paced and competitive. Underrated teams, such as Lithuania who pulled a dominant upset over top-rated Argentina, showed all viewers what it is like to play like a team. Perhaps, team USA is all the proof we need. Talent and determination, paired with strategic coaching and guidance, is exactly what it takes to take a team all the way.
USA’s dominance in the sport of basketball has indeed returned. The competition will always be there internationally, year after year, but it seems that whoever we put on the court wearing a team USA jersey will put in the work and effort needed to win the gold.
The 2012 Olympics in London are the next test for team USA basketball. You can be sure to expect the NBA elite to take part in this tournament and Premiere Global Sports can bring you there. Offering several incredible packages to the 2012 Olympic Games in London, England, Premiere Global Sports will put you in the front seat to watch your team bring home the gold.
