As you know all know, Greece defeated the USA 101-95 in the FIBA semifinals today, which means the Americans are again without a chance to win a major international basketball tournament.
I think it is time for us to start watching the European basketball leagues exclusively, and let the Americans play in their own inferior NBA league
American basketball is the best in the world, but like American team sports in general it is totally insular. They just aren't interested in such tournaments. The prestige of winning them is so minimal compared with doing well in the NBA the players don't really want to know - they are fully aware nobody at home even cares.
Great result for Greece, though.. no taking away from that.
It has ben six years and 3 tournaments since the USA won any international tournament. If yuo had watched the game against Greece, you would have seen that the US players had a huge size advantage inside, but the Greeks made their threes and thier free thrwos, and the NBA Americans were very shaky in the non-dunking shots (I think it was Wade who missed a two-handed dunk late in the game so as to ice the deal ).
The Greeks on the other hand did not have a single NBA-based player (even teams like Spain and argentina get most of their players from European clubs), and now they could become both European and World champions. seems like a vindication for non-NBA basketball !
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