2008 USA Team Will Not Strike Gold

Despite their numerous claims, I am still sticking to my previous belief that they will not be successful for their quest for gold. Sorry to LeBron James whom I have high regards but the team is simply full of stars and egos.

Kobe Bryant, the acclaimed star of the NBA is there but rather than being a savior, will be adding more towards the woes. This is not one on one basketball folks. It is a team game and most of the players like Bryant are not team players. They are trying hard team players and that is obvious as we saw in the last NBA finals where the Boston Celtics defeated the Lakers.

When you say NBA stars, they are used to being favored. In this case, how can you do that with 12 stars always hogging the limelight? Who will step back and play the dirty role backup? No one.

We saw it happening. The first USA Dream Team got the gold because they stuck to the basics. Add to that the fact of most countries not yet ready for the transition on the use of professional players.

But it has been years now and we have seen the development of other countries that can win championships with one or two stars. You don’t need to win by 30 to become champion each game. One point will make the difference.

This lineup will not do. Perhaps the presence of role players like James Posey or even Bruce Bowen can make a difference. But with a team full of superstars who play for money, it is a bomb waiting to explode.