A major area of concern surrounding U.S. professional basketball is the notable lack of recent victories when pitted against international competition. In the quadrennial World Championship tournament, an American team has failed to win the gold medal since 1994, and in the Olympics since 2000.
In the 2006 WC competition held in Saitama, Japan, the team only managed to come in third place, winning a bronze medal. The 2004 Athens Olympics produced the same result. The 2002 Indianapolis, IN WC tournament was disastrous, as a team beset by internal dissension placed sixth, the worst showing in history by an American squad in an international tournament.
This turn of events has brought on an orgy of hand wringing and harsh criticism as fans and commentators have taken turns lambasting the "lazy" players for not dominating foreign competition. Suffice it to say that there is no dearth of proposed "solutions" to address the problem. The 2007 WC tournament to qualify for the 2008 Olympics is scheduled to be hosted by Las Vegas, NV, Aug. 22 through Sept. 2. We'll see what happens then.
There is a consistent theme here -- the U.S. no longer enjoys a huge advantage in hoops. Long gone are the days when a group of U.S. professional players could just show up and easily batter international opponents. That era ended after the first Dream Team, led by Magic Johnson and Michael Jordan, performed in the 1992 Olympics perhaps the greatest collection of talent on one team in any sport in history. Now, the international teams, who feature a more pass-oriented, free-flowing version of the game, smell weakness and are very eager to heap more indignities on the heads of the American players.
This state of affairs causes many to speculate as to whether the finest basketball is actually played in the NBA. Many media commentators have indicated their preference for the European-style game. Because American teams have been soundly beaten in international competition for the better part of a decade, one would have to be very foolish to dismiss this notion.
Making it all the more awkward is the fact that the team that wins the NBA championship is dubbed the "World Champion." How appropriate is that title? Shouldn't the championship team have to prove that it's the best team in the world?
What would be the problem with holding a true World Championship series between the U.S. and Euroleague champions? The 'PR' value, along with worldwide interest in such a event would be tremendous, and the games themselves would serve to settle for once and for all which side of the Atlantic the best basketball is played on.
