Beijing preview: Basketball

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SCHEDULE

Aug. 8-24

OVERVIEW

Where: Wukesong Indoor Stadium

Outlook: The United States domination in basketball faded in the 2002 world championships and the 2004 Olympics. The using-the-NBA-players concept began in 1992 with Magic Johnson, Michael Jordan and Larry Bird rolling to a gold medal. By the time Team USA reached Athens, they weren’t the favorite, they didn’t have the best NBA players on their roster and chaos followed. The U.S. team settled for bronze and lost three games. It had lost two games in the previous 14 Olympics. A makeover was needed. Jerry Colangelo was put in charge, and he hired Mike Krzyzewski as coach. The duo asked for three-year commitments from their players. Most — chiefly Kobe Bryant — bought in. The starting lineup of Bryant, Jason Kidd, Carmelo Anthony, LeBron James and Dwight Howard is unmatched. But the world continues to catch up. The competition has four teams that have beaten Team USA in the last four years — Puerto Rico, Greece, Argentina and Lithuania. And who knows how big a boost the Chinese will get from playing at home?

MEN’S BASKETBALL

Coach Krzyzewski: “There’s only one Dream Team. That was ‘92. The mistake that our American people make is calling every team after a ‘Dream Team.’ This isn’t Rocky I, II, III and IV. It’s Dream Team I forever — and then the next teams have to get their own identity. This team will work at developing its identity.”

Last three major international tournaments: two bronze medals.

In 1992, the U.S. team beat Lithuania by 51 points in semifinal.

In 2004, the U.S. team lost three games on way to bronze; they had lost two games in previous 14 Olympics.

Dwyane Wade: “It is redemption. That’s what it is: a road to redemption.”

Wade one of three holdovers from 2004 team (Anthony, James)

Contenders: Puerto Rico, Greece, Argentina, Lithuania. All have defeated U.S. in the last four years.

Colangelo: “The U.S. model — showing up — was broke.” In 2006, lost to Greece in semifinals of worlds. That loss told the U.S. it needed 1. Shooters (32 percent 3-pointers in that game), 2. To defend the pick-and-roll, a staple of the international game — Greece shot 63 percent from the field, which led to taller, more physical guards to work their way through the screens. 3. Maturity.

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