When you talk of improvement about the teams that joined the 2008 Beijing Olympics Men’s basketball, team USA definitely has something to say. The difference between the previous team of the United States of America to the so-called Redeem Team is teamwork and maturity.
During the previous summer Olympics in Athens, Greece, the Americans showed everyone their inexperience and arrogance when it comes to international competition. The team was simply disintegrated from the inside and going home without the gold was the consequence. The Dream Team of America just didn’t deserve the gold.
When the Beijing Olympics began, the NBA-powered roster of America came not to be called by their critics as loud-mouthed players but as a team with the desire for the gold. And that desire was apparent particularly on the standing where the team remained undefeated throughout the tourney. Teamwork was biggest difference of the current Olympic gold medalist to the previous American squad. LeBron James even said that in Beijing they were working as a team for their country and not as individuals. They simply had a goal and that was to go home carrying the gold and redeeming the confidence of their loyal supporters.
James along with Kobe Bryant and the other were indeed more cohesive and balanced. That gave them the edge. And they used that to their advantage by defeating one of the best leagues like Spain, Argentina, and Greece.
Maturity also made a crucial difference on the Olympic champions. They were respectful of their opponents and showed their gratitude for their coach, which does not normally happen. The deed in which all the players of the American team put all their gold medals on their coach during the awarding ceremony was a sign of their growth as professional athletes playing for the honor of their country.
The second women basketball game group B match that took place in the Beijing Olympic Basketball Gymnasium now has an official results. At 11:15 a, the match between Mali and New Zealand took place.
And the winner is…New Zealand Women’s Basketball team! New Zealnd beat the Mali team with the scores of 76-72. Such a close fight! the New Zealand Women’s Basketball team beat Mali in a in the preliminary round of the Olympic Women’s Basketball tournament on Saturday, August 9.
Mark your calendar this summer. It’s the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, China. Also known as the Games of the XXIX Olympiad, the Olympics will be held from August 8-24, 2008. Opening ceremony will take place at exactly 8:08 pm, with the number 8 believed to be good fortune for the Chinese. Among the anticipated games in the Olympics is the basketball Games in the XXIX Olympiad. The games will be held in the Wukesong Indoor Stadium, which can seat about 1800 people.
All countries are ready with their players. Spain’s team includes the great talents of Juan Carlos Navarro and Pau Gasol. If Spain shows great defense in their games, they can expect to bring home the gold this summer. Lithuania’s team led by Sydrunas Ilgauskas is also ready for their free-wheeling shooting style. With great outside shootings, they will either shoot their way to victory or loss. Canada, Russia, China, and all the rest of the teams in the Olympics are also all set to shoot themselves to success.
So, which team will take home the gold medal? Will Argentina bag another gold this year after its winning performance in the 2004 Sydney Olympics? Will China compete successfully in front of its home fans? Or will USA finally redeem its disappointing performance in 2004? All these questions will only be answered this summer.
The pressure rises as the biggest sports event in draws nearer. Obviously, among the most excited ones are the basketball fans. And one of the most awaited line up of players will come from the US basketball Olympic team.
The picture shows off the entire 12 members of 2008 U.S. Olympic Team for men’s basketball with their head coach Mike Krzyzewski (1st L). From the image, the Nike uniforms of the players were unveiled, in New York last June 30, 2008. The team seems to be so ready to get it on.
Carmelo Anthony, Dwyane Wade, Kobe Bryant, and LeBron James are some of the top players of the team. Basketball fans will be really looking forward to their games this August in Beijing. If you are asking about the criteria on selecting the players of the team, then here’s how coach Mike Krzyzewski answered it:
“The selection process for this team was very difficult because there are so many really good players involved in the senior team program. We used the team’s training and competitions over the past summers and also considered the last three NBA seasons when we evaluated the players. Ultimately what we tried to do is pick the best team, not the best players by their individual skills.”
Basketball is one sport that has captured the imagination of billions of people worldwide. And this sport will be one of those sports that will be closely watched for the duration of the games. Basketball in Beijing Olympics will be held from August 9 until the 24th of August and the competition will be hosted at the Wukesong Indoor Stadium in Beijing, China.
The organizers of the sport will award two sets of medals for the winner of the basketball men’s event and the basketball women’s event. The qualification for the event is tight. Based on the rules, a National Olympic Committee may send 1 men’s team with 12 players and another women’s team consisting of 12 players.
The reigning world champions and China will have an automatic ticket to the games. And the others with automatic entry for the event are the winners of the five continental championships. For those countries that failed to get an automatic entry to the basketball event for the Olympics, these countries need to participate in qualifying tournaments all around the world. These tournaments include the FIBA World Olympic Qualifying Tournament or the FIBA Qualifying Tournament for Women. The winners of these qualifications will be added to the roster of the teams that will compete in the games.
