I love the Olympics

I love the Olympics.  I love nearly everything about them except for the terrible coverage by the commercial networks and the undecipherable athlete names.  I even love the Winter Olympics with their weird and scary sports like Skeleton and Biathlon.  But the main thing I love about the Olympics is it is the best time for basketball fans to see the greatest players playing at the same time.  Sure the World Championships are a big deal but whenever the Olympics roll around country pride is at an all time high and a hell of a lot more people are tuning in.  Tell me, when was the last time someone outside Europe watched a game of Handball outside of the Olympics?

There has been plenty of history since the sport was introduced in 1936 with notable stories, such as the American dominance that is embodied by the 1992 ‘Dream Team’ super team filled with the likes of Michael Jordan and Magic Johnson who averaged a 44 point winning margin and never called a time out.  Or the shock win by Argentina in 2004 when the USA came in an humbling third.  Australia has a deep history as well, competing in thirteen of the seventeen Games that basketball has been included and coming fourth three times.  Unfortunately that is the best that the men’s team has done, coming middle of the pack in the rest of the competitions.

This year will be no different.  There are at least two teams that could dethrone the USA juggernaut in Spain and France, while Argentina is the dark horse in the mix.  Here is a rundown of the countries who I think will be vying for the Gold in London.

Argentina

The winners of the 2004 Gold, Argentina still has the firepower to be a contender, especially if Manu Ginobili can bring his usual quirky style.  Luis Scola was in a league of his own at the World Championships and the South Americans will again be putting all their eggs in the Scola basket.  The big question is do they have enough talent to make up for the fact that Ginobili will be 35 years old when the tournament rolls around?

France

Tony Parker was outstanding in the European Championships and should lead from the front this time around.  They have a lot of NBA talent with Joakim Noah and Nicolas Batum and if Kevin Seraphin keeps developing they look to have a fantastic starting five.  The only downside is that a lot of young players on the team that will need to step up if they want to challenge Spain and the USA.

Greece

I don’t know much about the Greek teams because most of their players don’t go to the NBA but that doesn’t stop them from being an elite team in every Olympic Games.  What surprised me in Beijing is that their team was both younger than previous years and taller.  Greece may not have the most recognisable players to the average basketball fan but their teamwork and overall talent is not to be overlooked.

Lithuania

Another team that is always in the top echelon of the sport, Lithuania has become a bane in Australia’s campaigns.  Two of the three times Australia has played off for the Bronze Lithuania has knocked them back.  And with good reason as their teams have grit and determination which combines well with their natural talent.  Look for Jonas Valanciunas to break out after his otherworldly display at the under 18 World Championships.

Spain

Even before Serge Ibaka committed to Spain they looked dangerous.  All but two Spaniards have been linked to an NBA team and they boast depth that makes nearly all other teams weep in terror.  Chemistry is key but if previous showings are any indications they will challenge the USA for the Gold.

USA

What else can be said that hasn’t already been told by history?  Thirteen Golds out of the sixteen tournaments, numerous hall of famers in the same team, The Dream Team.  The USA are always favourites going into the Olympics and this year will be no different as a lot of Beijing’s team have expressed their interest in coming back to defend their title.  Unless they pick an All D-League side then anything less than gold will be a huge disappointment.

So you are probably wondering what all this has to do with the NBL, right?  As we all know that a few NBL players get picked to go along with all the other overseas Australians and next week I will go over my picks for the 2012 Boomers side, with one slight twist.