KnickDanger wrote:Thank goodness no Knicks are on the team.
What will we ever do without that bronze medal from the Paris games
martin wrote:What is going on?
In my opinion, no chemistry and Joel sucks when he can't foul bait. Injuries has really made him slow and lumbering. Just throwing big names on the team is no longer good enough to steam roll everyone.
EwingsGlass wrote:ToddTT wrote:Everybody’s disgusted with this piece of shit.Fuck Embiid.
Embiid is an ass
At least the rest of the team is likeable.
Sorry, can’t root for this group.
KnickDanger wrote:Sorry, can’t root for this group.
Yeah, I hate sounding unpatriotic here, but these guys are clowns. Glad that JB is not part of this circus.
If Kerr manages to botch another major international tournament, which means Team USA failing to win the gold, he should be banned from coaching anywhere.
KnickDanger wrote:Sorry, can’t root for this group.
No Brunson and LeBum and KD on the team so same for me. 
Im for Team USA. I might not watch much, but if Lebum and Dirty Embiid want to open their summer playing for American that is ok by me.
If another team wins the pride they will feel of their guys will be nice. If Rangers or Isles don't win a cup I like it when a Canadian teams wins. They just appreciate that a bit more. Good for them.
Snubbed or not, I don't think Jalen plays due to his hand, but it would have been nice to been asked.
As a boy I was devastated by Team USA losing to the Russians in 1972. That began the track to the Dream Team eventually and what I perceive as the overkill. I was also glued to the set in 1968 - funny, I recall Lew Alcindor (and others) being there who weren’t (he was protesting the treatment at home of African Americans - good for him). Who was there - Spencer Haywood and Jojo White who put on a mighty show. Charlie Scott and others as well. At that stage of my life I lived and died with my teams. When my Colts lost to Namath and the Jets my jaw was dragging on the ground for days and days. Anyway, this Olympic team isn’t taking me there.
KnickDanger wrote:As a boy I was devastated by Team USA losing to the Russians in 1972. That began the track to the Dream Team eventually and what I perceive as the overkill. I was also glued to the set in 1968 - funny, I recall Lew Alcindor (and others) being there who weren’t (he was protesting the treatment at home of African Americans - good for him). Who was there - Spencer Haywood and Jojo White who put on a mighty show. Charlie Scott and others as well. At that stage of my life I lived and died with my teams. When my Colts lost to Namath and the Jets my jaw was dragging on the ground for days and days. Anyway, this Olympic team isn’t taking me there.
I was 11 and a hope fan watching the 72' debacle. It was so wrong on many levels and bloody awful. The ref's must have had guns pointed to their children to have messed that thing up as they did. Blatant disregard for the rules. It was crazy.
We won in '76, We. boycotted the 1980 games in Moscow as did Soviets did us in Los Angeles in 1984. In 1988 we lost fair and square finishing with the bronze. When the rules changed and we could send our pro's that was the Barcelona games with the "Dream Team". A bit of over kill but super fun never the less.
With the FIBA World Cup thing maybe the mystique of the games has dissipated. Its also kind of fun when these underdog countries win. Our national pride is not bruised like it used to be when wars, cold or not were more frequent and the olympics were less commercialized. It was kind of a big deal. Since who don't really care about Soccer/futbol, that was our stage. American Basketball playing the kids vs men was also a nice thing.
I was too young for the 1968 Mexico games but the legend of Spencer Haywood was incredible. When mostly blue chip players from the biggest schools played, this kid comes from the Bayou, played a year at junior college in Colorado, then a year at Detroit Mercy. He made the team from Junior college! He must have destroyed them in tryouts to get named on the team and as we know became a star.
Notably absent from the squad or the list of alternates were Pete Maravich, who led the NCAA in scoring during his sophomore season at LSU and would go on to set the NCAA career scoring record of 3,667 points, and reigning NCAA Champion and Player of the Year Lew Alcindor, who chose not to try out for the Olympic team in protest at the treatment of African Americans in the United States, stating that he was "trying to point out to the world the futility of winning the gold medal for this country and then coming back to live under oppression."[4] Some of other NCAA stars, such as Elvin Hayes, Wes Unseld, Bob Lanier and Calvin Murphy, were also absent. As such, the Americans were severely weakened.
Read that Maravich was cut from trials. Maybe the ball hog thing was not cool for team concept?
Elvin Hayes, who avi'd 36pts as a senior did not even try out stating his family needed money and he wanted to prepare to go pro. Maybe he figured an injury would devastate his career? Or did he really just do this to boycott but not have to deal with the fall out/publicity of doing it? I have not read anything to that effect.
Embiid?
I suppose if Embiid played for France they might have been formidable (they are having big issues in exhibitions).
Embiid is a U.S. Citizen as his married and his son is a U.S. citizen. Hey, can't fault a man for wanting some things.
He was granted French citizenship in 2022 then got his USA. Being 7'1 and one of the best players on the planet gets you privilege. Cameroon was a French colony until 1960. He never lived in France.
Rasheed Wallace on a podcast critical of him playing this summer as he should be focused on getting healthy for his employer.
Nalod surprised he played given his knee issues and durability thru a season.
I might make a field bet for the Gold Medal here. Not feeling team USA. I think France will be tough to beat at home.
VDesai wrote:I might make a field bet for the Gold Medal here. Not feeling team USA. I think France will be tough to beat at home.
All it takes is a bad shooting game because Wemby and Rudy will have the paint on lockdown.
I wonder how many meniscuses were used up in this rejection.
I’m guessing three.
France is o-4 in friendlies leading up to games vs some good teams.
Nalod wrote:France is o-4 in friendlies leading up to games vs some good teams.
What’s Fournier’s plus minus?
EwingsGlass wrote:Nalod wrote:France is o-4 in friendlies leading up to games vs some good teams.
What’s Fournier’s plus minus?
Funny, seems we not about countries anymore but who is playing?
Personally I won't watch until there is some kind of back story or interest. By that, say Team Canada goes on a run and meets USA in a metal round. That will matter.
the exibitions are of no interest. Teams are working thru things. Team USA working thru lineups.
Nalod wrote:EwingsGlass wrote:Nalod wrote:France is o-4 in friendlies leading up to games vs some good teams.
What’s Fournier’s plus minus?
Funny, seems we not about countries anymore but who is playing?
Personally I won't watch until there is some kind of back story or interest. By that, say Team Canada goes on a run and meets USA in a metal round. That will matter.
the exibitions are of no interest. Teams are working thru things. Team USA working thru lineups.
I can probably name more players in the Olympics than countries.
