Since 1891, when basketball was first played in Springfield, Massachusetts, it has become a global sport that has dominated the industry. The NBA alone in USA attracts the world’s best players and millions of fans every year. The NBA Committee and all participating teams earn millions of dollars every game that makes this sport not only a hobby but also a decent and very high paying job.

In the upcoming 2008 Beijing Olympics, which will run from August 9-24, 2008 at Wukesong Indoor Stadium in Beijing, basketball will one of the highlights. With several countries competing for the gold, the basketball Beijing Olympics 2008 will surely be an event to catch. The question now would be who would take home the gold this year. Would it be a winning streak for the United States again? Or would another country snatch the gold home?

Already included in the 2008 Beijing Olympics basketball lineup are Angola, Argentina, Australia, China, Iran, Lithuania, Russia, Spain, and USA. The three remaining slots are yet to be decided in the FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament for Men in Athens, Greece which started last July 14. The teams included in the qualifying tournament are Brazil, Canada, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Lebanon, Puerto Rico, the Republic of Korea, Germany, Greece, Slovenia, Croatia, and New Zealand.