If Team USA wins the FIBA Americas tournament, people will say, "We've got the best players in the world, why wouldn't we win." If Team USA loses any of their games, even their next game against Uruguay (which is meaningless), it's a disaster. "The US has been passed up by the rest of the world. We've got bunch of spoiled, lazy superstars who don't care about representing their country with hard work and urgency."
Weirdly, nobody even seems to care much about Team USA winning....except for Kobe Bryant and his teammates. Nobody's watching the games on TV. The announcers aren't even in Las Vegas. They're in studios on the east coast calling the games off a TV monitor. Not many people are showing up in Vegas to see the games in person.
And still, a loss will be the equivalent of the 4 Horsemen of the Apocalypse riding through America's heartland (and David Stern's office).
One of the reasons nobody cares is that the FIBA Americas tournament uses "Pool Play." The Olympics use it too. That means that teams play and try to qualify for single elimination play. I wish that international tournments would just go one-and-done like the NCAA tournament. Make every game "life and death." That's compelling. Instead, Team USA is undefeated, and they can still make the single elimination semis, even if they lose their next 2 contests.
Kobe Bryant is using the FIBA Americas to, once again, resurrect his image. He's a little like John Travolta. Disaster then comeback then disaster then comeback.
Kobe's line against Puerto Rico last night was 24 minutes (more than anybody on the roster), 6 of 11 from the field (about 55%) and 2 of 4 from beyond the arc, 1 rebound, 2 assists, 2 steals and 2 blocks. Mark Heisler from the LA Times captures what Kobe is doing in his story today.
Some highlights....
"Unlike his role on the Lakers, the guard sets the tone with intangibles such as defense, work ethic and hustle.
"I'll be honest with you," says U.S. director Jerry Colangelo, "when I first started this process, as I spoke with a lot of people I respect a great deal in the game, there were a lot of people who were down on him. I knew what he was as a player. I knew what he was as a competitor and I knew if he was focused on wanting to be part of this, you couldn't ask for a better guy.
"Kobe is a dominant personality," Colangelo says. "Kobe is maybe the best player in the game right now. . . The first play of the game a couple of nights ago [diving on the floor in the opener], that set the tone. Not just for that game. That made a statement."
"He's been nothing but humble, man, coming in trying to lead," teammate Chauncey Billups says of Bryant. "You see what he's doing defensively out there, picking the tempo up every single time and raising the bar for everybody else. I'm not surprised about Kobe at all. I sit here and I watch him and I see him getting up super-early every morning and lifting weights. He puts so much into it, I'm not surprised at all."
Let's take tht first line apart.
"Unlike his role on the Lakers..."
...where he has absolutely no help whatsoever and must shoot relentlessly because nobody else can or will....
"the guard sets the tone with intangibles such as defense, work ethic and hustle."
...because he's got a lot of help on Team USA from legit players with skills. He can focus on defense and doing the little things. Bryant is able to support teammates. He doesn't need to be the leading scorer. If somebody else on the team wants to score, he'll find other ways to contribute that don't show up in the box score.
I get the feeling that Kobe views the Gold medal in Beijing next summer as his next legitimate shot at a championship. Good news for Team USA and American basketball fans.
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