It’s been two years since the FIBA Championships in which the Greeks picked apart the US National Team to win the FIBA Championship leaving LeBron James and US disappointed. In their first challenge in this Olympics the US National team defeated Greece, holding a Greek team that put up 101 in their last meeting to a mere 69 points.

This victory by the US is more about the Greeks beating themselves than the US beating the Greeks. Greece decided to play a one-on-one type game, a game that is no match to a team that has Dwayne Wade and Chris Bosh off the bench. They failed to get going offensively as Wade’s defensive gambling paid off as he had 6 steals in the game. But, is this the true Greece?

After winning the first two games, it seems as if the Greeks will make it past the group stage easily. Now, European teams have been known to do this…under perform, resting their players making it seem as if they are worse than they really are and then when the elimination round comes around, a completely different team shows up. Now, this routine has been argued about as to whether it’s really done, and whether it’s smart, unethical, or just plain stupid. Either way it doesn’t matter if you’re USA.

No team is short of any tom-foolery but if the Greeks truly did this on purpose takes the cake. Whether it will pay off or not is yet to be seen. I like the idea of resting your players for the next round to a certain extent, but to risk putting them in a bad rhythm for the rest of the Olympics is beyond me. One thing’s for sure though, Kobe Bryant, LeBron, and company are playing too well right now to be fooled by this.

So far throughout this Olympics and even exhibition games leading up to them, it seems as though the mantra of the team is not to underestimate any team at all. So I don’t see how they will underestimate a team in the latter rounds. If this move was done on purpose by the Greece national team, it will be a move done in haste as the Redeem Team will have golds around their necks.

Technorati Tags: 2008 Olympics LeBron James, Basketball Rumors Olympics, Beijing Olympics, Beijing Olympics 08 Mens Basketball, Chris Bosh, Chris Bosh 08 Olympics, Chris Bosh Bench, Chris Bosh Bench Olympics, Did Greece lose to USA on purpose?, Duane Wade, Duane Wade 08 Olympics, Duane Wade Basketball, Duane Wade Olympics, Dwayne Wade, Dwayne Wade Defense, Dwayne Wade Defense against Greece Olympics, Dwayne Wade Defense Gamble Olympics, FIBA Championship, FIBA Championship Greece, FIBA Championship LeBron James, Greece, Greece Basketball, Greece Basketball Argument, Greece Losing on purpose basketball olympics, Greece vs. USA Basketball, Greeks vs. Americans Basketball game, Kobe Bryant, Kobe Bryant 2008 Olympics, LeBron James, LeBron James Olympics, mens basketball olympics fotos, Mens Basketball Olympics Photos, Mens Olympic B-ball photos, Olympics, Olympics 08, Olympics 08 Basketball, Olympics Greece vs. USA Basketball, Redeem Team, Sean Connolly, Sean Connolly Basketball, Sean Connolly Sports, Sean Connolly Writer, Unethical Play Basketball, US Mens Basketball Team, US Mens National Team, USA, USA Basketball, USA Basketball Olympics, USA Basketball Olympics Rumors, USA Mens Team Olympics 08 Gold Medal

If you forgot how great Michael Jordan is, just watch this video please. He’s at a basketball camp and a kid asks Jordan who would win in a one-on-one game between him and Kobe Bryant. Jordan responds, “in my prime, not even a contest.” It’s Jordan being Jordan.

[youtube:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zqlBUj9bFC4&feature=related]

How amazing is that. I know he’s not up against NBA players but it’s obvious that he still has it. You know after that he was thinking…hmmm, maybe my Bobcats need a guard.

I just love how confident he is when he’s playing, there’s no doubt in his mind that he’s going to miss, even with his eyes closed. Earlier this season when Kobe was on a tear, I began to wonder…maybe he is good as Jordan. I’ll tell you this right now, Jordan at 45 years old is better than Kobe is now or will ever be.

Technorati Tags: basketball, Charlotte Bobcats, Jordan Retirement, Jordan talks trash Kobe Bryant, Kobe Bryant, Michael Jordan, Michael Jordan 45 years old dunk video, Michael Jordan 45 years old video, Michael Jordan at 45 years old, Michael Jordan Basketball camp, Michael Jordan Basketball Camp video, Michael Jordan disses Kobe Bryant, Michael Jordan Dunks, Michael Jordan Dunks Video, Michael Jordan Kobe Bryant comparisons, Michael Jordan Kobe Bryant One on One Video, Michael Jordan Kobe Bryant Video, Michael Jordan Kobe Video, Michael Jordan plays kids one on one, Michael Jordan Plays kids one on one video, Michael Jordan says not even a contest video, Michael Jordan Shoots with eyes closed, Michael Jordan talks about Kobe, Michael Jordan Talks about Kobe Bryant video, Michael Jordan Talks Trash, Michael Jordan Tricks video, Michael Jordan Video Eyes Closed, Michael Jordan Video where he makes fun of kobe bryant, Michael Jordan Videos, Michael Jordan you reach i teach, Michael Jordan You reach i teach video, NBA, NBA players, not even a contest kobe Michael Jordan video, Sean Connolly, Sean Connolly Basketball, Sean Connolly Sports, Sean Connolly Writer, You reach i teach

Today the Bulls signed Luol Deng to a six year deal worth up to $80 million. Now is $80 million worth it for a guy who put up 17 points a game with 6 rebounds and 2 assists? I don’t think so.

Looking at those numbers, the best you can say about them is that they’re good, not great, not worth $80 million. I understand that the Bulls have made it clear that they want Deng to be the corner stone of the franchise, but shouldn’t your cornerstone put up better numbers and play more than 63 games?

Deng has only been in the league three years and although he has shown a good deal of talent, he had injury problems all of last year and has yet to prove that he can make a significant enough impact in which the team can depend on him in crunch time. He isn’t a player that’s going to take over the game, he’s a guy who will give you points somewhere in the high teens and put up a solid shooting percentage. But, if the Bulls want to improve with the amazing amount of talent they have in Derrick Rose, Ben Gordon, Tyrus Thomas, and more they should have traded Deng for someone more talented.

I just think the Bulls could have got two players with equal amount of talent for the price of Deng. There were talks of a trade of Deng to the Utah Jazz, but I guess the Bulls were to adamant about signing Deng to a long term deal. Since Michael Jordan retired and left the Bulls, the Bulls have had ten years of outstanding young talent that could never develop. They have the same dilemma this year and I think it’s their last shot before they run out of chances to become the dynasty they once were.

Technorati Tags: Ben Gordon, Bulls Dynasty, Bulls Dynasty Jordan, Chicago Bulls, Derrick Rose, Luol Deng, Luol Deng Bulls, Luol Deng Career Stats, Luol Deng Contract, Luol Deng Deal, Luol Deng Debate, Luol Deng Money, Luol Deng Signs, Luol Deng Signs Contract, Luol Deng Signs With Bulls, Luol Deng Stats, Luol Deng Stats 07-08 Season, Luol Deng Trade, Luol Deng Trade Debate, Luol Deng Trade Rumors, Michael Jordan, Michael Jordan Retires, Shooting Percentage, Tyrus Thomas, Utah Jazz, Utah Jazz Trade Rumors, Utah Jazz Trade Rumors Deng

Mike Krzyzewski said it best about developing an Olympic Basketball team…

We’re not ’selecting a team’, you select people and hope they become a team.

Mike Krzyzewski on the USA Olympic Team

This year, I think everything is falling in place. It seems like there is a completely different demeanor on this Olympic team. Kobe Bryant and LeBron James have taken the leadership roles and they have enstilled in this team, and many basketball fans (me being one of them), that USA basketball is going to be on the top podium come Beijing.

LeBron James and Carmello Anthony

An article in Sports Illustrated gave an excellent title to their article on this USA Olympic team that fits so well. “The Redeem Team.” It’s so true. They need to redeem themselves after the pathetic, unenthusiastic basketball they have played in the past decade. Sure Jordan and Magic left huge shoes to fill with the Dream Team, but if players like Carmello Anthony, LeBron James and Kobe Bryant can’t fit in those shoes, I don’t know who will.

Kobe Bryant

This team is the closest to the Dream Team that dominated the 1992 Olympics and they cannot take this for granted. In an interview on the MIke and Mike show on ESPN Radio, Mike Golic asked Kobe Bryant where a Gold Medal from the Olympics would sit on the proverbial trophy case. Bryant said it would sit on top, above the NBA Finals trophy which shows just how important this medal is to him (plus, that trophy case was expecting a Finals MVP this season…). Bryant said there is nothing more rewarding than playing for your country and I hope the rest of this team feels the same way.

Technorati Tags: 1992 Olympics, 1992 Olympics Basketball, 1992 Olympics Dream Team, 1992 Olympics Dream Team Gold Medal, 2008 NBA Finals, 2008 NBA Finals Kobe Bryant, 2008 NBA Finals MVP, 2008 Olympics, 2008 Olympics Beijing, 2008 Olympics Carmello Anthony, 2008 Olympics China, 2008 Olympics Kobe Bryant, 2008 Olympics LeBron James, 2008 USA Basketball Team, 2008 USA Basketball Team Olympics, Dream Team Basketball, ESPN Radio, ESPN Radio Kobe Bryant, ESPN Radio Mike and Mike, LeBron James Olympics, Michael Jordan, Michael Jordan Dream Team, Michael Jordan Gold Medal, Michael Jordan Olympics 1992, Mike and Mike Interview Kobe Bryant, Mike and Mike Radio Show, Mike Golic, Mike Golic Kobe Bryant, Mike Krzyzewski, Mike Krzyzewski USA Olympics Basketball, Mike Sheshevski, NBA Finals, Sean Connolly, Sean Connolly Basketball, Sean Connolly Sports, Sean Connolly Sports Writer, USA Basketball, USA Basketball Team 1992 Olympics, USA Gold Medal Basketball