*USA Basketball* WOMEN EARN GOLD v. ESP (101-72)! MEN EARN GOLD v. SRB (96-66)!

Did anyone listen to this Jerry Colangelo podcast? It's annoying to hear people carry on as if USA basketball is the least bit meaningful

"Some players hold this above an NBA championship"

Who? Who would do that. It's uncompetitive nonsense basketball to America.

America just really wants to hype up the only guaranteed win they have in the tuck and I get it, but it's exhausting to hear these lies.
 
^^^ I think there's some middle ground between the value Colangelo is attributing to is and it being meaningless "nonsense" basketball. I don't buy that players value a gold medal more than an NBA ring, but I do think they put some importance on playing in the Olympics. Or else they wouldn't do it. And it definitely has had a spill over effect on the NBA. Guys who have played for Team USA, at least after the first time, have come back to the NBA better players. Plus, the relationships that have been established due to guys being on Team USA together have influenced player movement in the NBA. I doubt the Heatles would have come together in 2010 were in not for the fact that Bron, Wade and Bosh played together in the Olympics in 2008.
 
^^^ I am the exact opposite. A gold Medal is just as valuable as a ship in the NBA. I mean ask any international players and the will tell you the exact same thing. This is playing for your country.

Playing for your country >>> Playing with a regular team.

Pride come into play and I think we finally see that here in the US of A with a lot a players. The reason I think people dont hold it up to par to the NBA is because the tournaments are short and we dominate all the time.
 
Mastralf said:
 
Carmelo is better on the international stage because he is best suited as a complimentary piece rather than being the guy. Carmelo can play within his own natural flow this way thus making him a better player.
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TRUTH! This is why he'll never win a championship heading a team. If he could go to a team where he was second fiddle he'd slay offensively.
 
KRISPACINLA said:
^^^ I am the exact opposite. A gold Medal is just as valuable as a ship in the NBA. I mean ask any international players and the will tell you the exact same thing. This is playing for your country.

Playing for your country >>> Playing with a regular team.

Pride come into play and I think we finally see that here in the US of A with a lot a players. The reason I think people dont hold it up to par to the NBA is because the tournaments are short and we dominate all the time.
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A gold medal is not as valuable as a ship to NBA players. These guys do not grow up wanting to be olympians, they grow up wanting to be NBA players. You can't compare International player's view on the olympics to Americans because they were socialized in a completely different way. If you grow up in the states and play basketball, you wanna make the league, not the olympic team. The proximity of the greatest league in the world, which far and away pays the most, to basketball players in the states socializes them in a way that they value The NBA over the Olympics, much more so in fact. It would be naive to think otherwise.

It sounds good, "playing for your country," but your country isn't paying you 75M's over 4 years, the NBA is. Something that occurs once every four years is not more important than the freaking NBA.
 
And Anti is right, Jerry and USA Basketball have really done a fantastic job of romanticizing USA Basketball and making it more than what it is. I mean I get it, playing for your country is cool, and I think players truly do value it,

But in no way would a player value a gold medal over a ring. You think CP3 cares more about a gold medal than getting a ring? You think KD cares more about a gold medal than a ring? Come on man, get real. 
 
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shoeking2102 said:
And Anti is right, Jerry and USA Basketball have really done a fantastic job of romanticizing USA Basketball and making it more than what it is. I mean I get it, playing for your country is cool, and I think players truly do value it,

But in no way would a player value a gold medal over a ring. You think CP3 cares more about a gold medal than getting a ring? You think KD cares more about a gold medal than a ring? Come on man, get real. 
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Yep. And adding to your point, winning a gold medal isn't a real "legacy" factor for NBA players. Their legacies are evaluated by their success in the league. International accomplishments are just a side note. For example, one of the most prevailing narratives about Chris Paul right now is that he's never been past the second round of the playoffs. Nobody ever says, "hey, the fact he's won two gold medals makes up for him not ever getting to a conference finals." I bet, deep down, he'd be willing to trade one of those golds just for a trip to the Finals, let alone a ring.

Same thing with KD and so on. Having the golds is an added bonus for guys like MJ, LeBron, Wade who also have NBA rings.
 
^^^ While I disagree with your opinions somewhat, I think you guys have valid points. I personally do think winning a gold medal does carry some weight to it though. Otherwise, I think a lot of players would opted out of playing.
 
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KRISPACINLA said:
^^^ While I disagree with your opinions somewhat, I think you guys have valid points. I personally do think winning a gold medal does carry some weight to it though. Otherwise, I think a lot of players would opted out of playing.
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Nah I don't think anyone is saying that there's no value to it. People absolutely value their gold medals. Playing in the Olympics is some bucket list, all time type **** that you can say you did. You represented your country. There's absolutely value in that.

But these guys were born in America. How you're socialized matters big time in regards to this. We as american basketball players aren't socialized to prioritize A Gold medal over an NBA championship. Just doesn't work like that here. Now whether you agree or disagree with that is another story, but that's how it is here.

Like my man Lawdog said, no one brings up CP3's gold medals, they bring up his team's 2nd round failures in the NBA. 
 
It's clearly more important to your legacy as a player to win a NBA title if you are an American player. At least some of that is due to us being so dominant.

It may mean more to the player on a personal level to win a medal.

It would be interesting to hear the thoughts of international non-NBA players considering they would be underdogs to make it to the L and underdogs to win the gold.

It's a cool conversation. I've enjoyed seeing people's thoughts.
 
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None of these guys value a gold medal over a championship. That's crazy talk.

I guarantee you Ewing, Barkley, Malone, Stockton, T-Mac, Vince, etc., would gladly trade in their medals for a ring.
 
So we are winning the gold.

Who do you think wins Silver and Bronze?

My prediction:

GOLD- USA

SILVER- France

Bronze- España
 
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People here grow up wanting to play for the country more than anything else I understand why it's different for team USA.They have done a fantastic job in making it seem more significant though from getting war veterans to speak about sacrifice for country etc,, to just making the whole thing a process.

As a non American though I've wanted team USA to lose every year except 2008 just for chaos purposes.
 
To be honest, basketball isn't that interesting in the Olympics unless the US loses.. Or you got something like the Vince Carter dunk

But then again, I don't think certain sports should even be in the Olympics.. If the Olympics isn't the pinnacle of your sport then it has no need to be there.. Save that time slot for stuff that people only really really care about when the games come up ever 4 years

So cut men's basketball, men's soccer, golf, and tennis

Add women's softball.. No need for skate boarding, which I saw was just added
 
itsaboutthattime said:
To be honest, basketball isn't that interesting in the Olympics unless the US loses.. Or you got something like the Vince Carter dunk

But then again, I don't think certain sports should even be in the Olympics.. If the Olympics isn't the pinnacle of your sport then it has no need to be there.. Save that time slot for stuff that people only really really care about when the games come up ever 4 years

So cut men's basketball, men's soccer, golf, and tennis

Add women's softball.. No need for skate boarding, which I saw was just added
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I don't know about cutting those sports, but I do generally agree with this.
 
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