USA Basketball's Decline

[Angel Face]

This is the result of raw talent on the NBA. Players coming in 1 year of college experience, lacked fundamentals like the players before them. Manufactured Stardom, soft era, buddy - buddy mentality. USA basketball will continue to decline. Players are used to soft NBA rules. International rules are tougher. This modern era lacked the killer instinct of the players 20 - 30 years ago.

Miss the old NBA. Old team USA where they dominate. This is the softest era.

[Spurs m8]

Yep...soft as fvck players these days

All making too much money, sitting back being little prima donna b1tches.

Bar a few, they lack any sort of fight, can't handle adversity and are so fvcking entitled they probably expect the gold just handed to them...just for being who they are.

The way they're playing right now speaks volumes to what the league has become over the past few years, especially in the Adam Silver days...and the apparent LeBron era

There's no one more soft and entitled than LeEntitled

[Joey Turnbuckle]

Jimmy Butler is viewed as some hard dudd, when in reality the bitch cried on every team he played for, blaming everybody else and he is beyond metrosexual.


If Jimmy Butler is considered "hard", I'd like to see these bitches play even the 2004 Pacers/Pistons. Those guys would straight up butt f*ck these *******. Reggie went at Jordan and threw Kobe over the scorers table. These g*y motherf*ckers wanna play grab ass and collude with their puffer friends to take the easiest route to a title.


"Look at me! I won the title! I stacked the deck to do it, I'm the greatest!"

https://m.imgur.com/Q5PhOBU

https://m.imgur.com/Q5PhOBU

[Gohan]

luka gonna clap that ass

[Axe]

Yep...soft as fvck players these days

All making too much money, sitting back being little prima donna b1tches.

Bar a few, they lack any sort of fight, can't handle adversity and are so fvcking entitled they probably expect the gold just handed to them...just for being who they are.

The way they're playing right now speaks volumes to what the league has become over the past few years, especially in the Adam Silver days...and the apparent LeBron era

There's no one more soft and entitled than LeEntitled
You blaming kong once again? Wow. :(

[Spurs m8]

Fvck I wish I could somehow see Bron play against bad boy pistons for even one game hahahahha

Fake injury in warm up hhahaha

[2much_knowledge]

Kobe was old testament to the core and his presence in team Usa made a difference

[coin24]

Losing to batum and fornier:roll:

USA needs more smart, skilled white players. They have too many iso, hood soft betas on the current roster

[ScottieQuitting]

Losing to batum and fornier:roll:

USA needs more smart, skilled white players. They have too many iso, hood soft betas on the current roster
100%


Kobe was old testament to the core and his presence in team Usa made a difference
100%

[rawimpact]

Kobe was old testament to the core and his presence in team Usa made a difference

Pretty much this...

Kobe was the old head that everyone just accepted as a leader despite a majority of the younger dudes being better at that point.

This current team lacks a veteran head like that...

[getting_old]

Pretty much this...

Kobe was the old head that everyone just accepted as a leader despite a majority of the younger dudes being better at that point.

This current team lacks a veteran head like that...


always been a hassle, couldn't get Alcindor (Abdul-Jabbar) or Bill Walton to commit from college

lost in 72, lost many more times... will lose many more times

losing to Iran would be brutal though

[ScottieQuitting]

Pretty much this...

Kobe was the old head that everyone just accepted as a leader despite a majority of the younger dudes being better at that point.

This current team lacks a veteran head like that...
No, at that point it was Jason Kidd.

Kidd and Kobe changed the culture for Team USA under coach K. Requisite leadership, IQ, experience, hard work, intimidation factor etc.

What young players were better than Kobe Bryant in 2007 and 2008?

He was 28 and 29 years old, and in his prime. He was clearly their best player. Legit out played LeBron in televised highly competitive scrimmage with each being leader of their respective teams.

Now, 2012? Yes, Kobe was the respected old head who had at that point been passed up by younger guys like Bron, KD, Melo and CP3. Before that? Nah.

[Spain_]

A lot of the things people bring up have some truth to them but the biggest factor is the world has caught up in terms of talent and coaching.
This started in 04 and it will only continue to intensify.
The average euroleague/eurocup player can be competitive against NBA players now, it is what it is.

[getting_old]

A lot of the things people bring up have some truth to them but the biggest factor is the world has caught up in terms of talent and coaching.
This started in 04 and it will only continue to intensify.
The average euroleague/eurocup player can be competitive against NBA players now, it is what it is.


it started in 1972 and has been shaky since, sometimes they have been too good to be beatable, but that's rare since 1972

[Spain_]

it started in 1972 and has been shaky since, sometimes they have been too good to be beatable, but that's rare since 1972

The Soviets were the first to really push America yeah.
They had some good teams, those guys would definitely do fine on the NBA level.
If it wasn't for communism the international boom would have happened earlier because the Soviets and Yugoslavs had some absolute killers in the 70s.

[rawimpact]

No, at that point it was Jason Kidd.

Kidd and Kobe changed the culture for Team USA under coach K. Requisite leadership, IQ, experience, hard work, intimidation factor etc.

What young players were better than Kobe Bryant in 2007 and 2008?

He was 28 and 29 years old, and in his prime. He was clearly their best player. Legit out played LeBron in televised highly competitive scrimmage with each being leader of their respective teams.

Now, 2012? Yes, Kobe was the respected old head who had at that point been passed up by younger guys like Bron, KD, Melo and CP3. Before that? Nah.


I'm referring to 2012... and you gave an example of a old head in the earlier games.

My point is every USA team needs one, but this year it's lacking.

[WhiteKyrie]

I'm referring to 2012... and you gave an example of a old head in the earlier games.

My point is every USA team needs one, but this year it's lacking.

100% agree. KD is the old head, as is Draymond. Both ghetto, weed smoking emotional fem boys. And not leadership material. Followers.


it started in 1972 and has been shaky since, sometimes they have been too good to be beatable, but that's rare since 1972

Rare? We have 15x Gold Medals, 8 of them coming after 1972. WTF?!

[Shogon]

Brain dead take after brain dead take.

Anyone think a lineup of Steph, Klay, Booker, LeBron, AD, Zion, Durant, Irving, Harden etc... doesn't take gold with ease? Anyone think that? Shh.

Sometimes the USA has gotten gold with second rate lineups but it's not always been a lock. Nobody can compete with our stars. The rest of the world vs the USA's best and the USA's best still win... don't even mention any one single country.

[rawimpact]

Brain dead take after brain dead take.

When was the last time team USA dominated sending mostly second tier stars?

Anyone think a lineup of Steph, Klay, Booker, LeBron, AD, Zion, Durant, Irving, Harden etc... doesn't take gold with ease? Anyone think that? Shh.

2016...

No Lebron, Curry, AD, Harden etc...

[Spain_]

Brain dead take after brain dead take.

Anyone think a lineup of Steph, Klay, Booker, LeBron, AD, Zion, Durant, Irving, Harden etc... doesn't take gold with ease? Anyone think that? Shh.

Sometimes the USA has gotten gold with second rate lineups but it's not always been a lock. Nobody can compete with our stars. The rest of the world vs the USA's best and the USA's best still win... don't even mention any one single country.

The Kobe Lebron Melo team had to really fight for the gold against Spain.
The teams that lost in 04 and 05 were stacked as well, this premise you are presenting is simply inaccurate.

[Shogon]

2016...

No Lebron, Curry, AD, Harden etc...

Alright maybe but that 2016 roster was better than this one.

The overarching point is that we didn't send our best, and if we did, they could play pickup and it wouldn't matter. The result would be gold.

[ScottieQuitting]

Brain dead take after brain dead take.

Anyone think a lineup of Steph, Klay, Booker, LeBron, AD, Zion, Durant, Irving, Harden etc... doesn't take gold with ease? Anyone think that? Shh.

Sometimes the USA has gotten gold with second rate lineups but it's not always been a lock. Nobody can compete with our stars. The rest of the world vs the USA's best and the USA's best still win... don't even mention any one single country.
I mean, that’s besides the point.

Curry / Kyrie / Dame / Lamelo (CP3)
Harden / Klay (Beal) / Booker
Kawhi / PG13 / Butler
KD / LeBron
AD / Zion

Easily molly whop anyone. Particularly defensively.

The lack of C and true PF is staggering though. And those are still needed in the more physical, slower, half court international game. Which harkens back to pre 2016 3 point spamming basketball.

LaMelo Ball and Zion need to be on these new teams developing chemistry. Zion would be terrifying and his a beast in the paint.

[Xiao Yao You]

Losing to batum and fornier:roll:

USA needs more smart, skilled white players. They have too many iso, hood soft betas on the current roster

losing to ISH favorite stiff Gobert! :roll:

[Spain_]

I knew it was over when mediocre euroleague role player Pero Antic became a starter on a 60 game playoff team the moment he set foot on North America.

[insight]

The Soviets were the first to really push America yeah.
They had some good teams, those guys would definitely do fine on the NBA level.
If it wasn't for communism the international boom would have happened earlier because the Soviets and Yugoslavs had some absolute killers in the 70s.

America was sending all amatuers in the 70s, college players to compete against grown men and still winning.

[r0drig0lac]

The Soviets were the first to really push America yeah.
They had some good teams, those guys would definitely do fine on the NBA level.
If it wasn't for communism the international boom would have happened earlier because the Soviets and Yugoslavs had some absolute killers in the 70s.
agree

[And1AllDay]

2008: gold
2012: gold
2016: gold
2020:

dat decline

[Mauzah]

You know things are bad when the "toughness" of today's players make Reggie Miller look like Charles Oakley

[ralph_i_el]

The 2016 US team was better, and still had 2-3 close games. Any team weaker than that is very beatable.

[ShawkFactory]

America was sending all amatuers in the 70s, college players to compete against grown men and still winning.

International teams didn't play even close to the level they do now in the 70s. Magic/Bird/Jordan put the sport on the map to the rest of the world.

The amount of people who play basketball in most of these other countries has gone up exponentially since then.

[j3lademaster]

I honestly don't get why more players don't play in Europe for a stint. Especially the 1 year they spend in college, why not just play overseas and make 7 figures right out of high school?

I think if you had a 14-16 year old who looks nba bound it's worth it to move to europe for a few years to develop him. The fundamentals on euro players vs our gaudy aau lot is night and day.

[Ainosterhaspie]

International teams didn't play even close to the level they do now in the 70s. Magic/Bird/Jordan put the sport on the map to the rest of the world.

The amount of people who play basketball in most of these other countries has gone up exponentially since then.

This. Is there any sport that we flat out dominate uncontested? Basketball was that, but it was never going to last once other countries started playing seriously.

On top of that, our best players don't really take the Olympics too seriously meaning we aren't necessarily sending our best and even when we are they aren't prepping seriously enough to reach full potential as a team. It's a no win exhibition game for us, and a major point of pride for anyone who can beat us.

[3ba11]

Here's MJ destroying petrovic, sabonis and kukoc:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PKkU0__uEcs]


meanwhile, KD gets destroyed by fournier and lebron gets dusted by arroyo.... this proves kd, lebron and today's era is nowhere near Jordan.

[insight]

International teams didn't play even close to the level they do now in the 70s. Magic/Bird/Jordan put the sport on the map to the rest of the world.

The amount of people who play basketball in most of these other countries has gone up exponentially since then.

The international teams have improved but USA basketball does not focus on being competive in the olympics or on the collegiate level. In the 70's 80's 90s most NBA players had 3 or 4 years of college experience before they entered the NBA.
College players are now drafted after 1 year of college or now they can go diretly to the G-League, so they are never exposed to team basketball outside of AAU which is really not team basketball.

[ShawkFactory]

Here's MJ destroying petrovic, sabonis and kukoc:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PKkU0__uEcs]


meanwhile, KD gets destroyed by fournier and lebron gets dusted by arroyo.... this proves kd, lebron and today's era is nowhere near Jordan.

Durant had 30 against the Gasol brothers in the 2012 gold game if I'm not mistaken.

[ShawkFactory]

The international teams have improved but USA basketball does not focus on being competive in the olympics or on the collegiate level. In the 70's 80's 90s most NBA players had 3 or 4 years of college experience before they entered the NBA.
College players are now drafted after 1 year of college or now they can go diretly to the G-League, so they are never exposed to team basketball outside of AAU which is really not team basketball.

You're definitely not wrong. Both points converge on each other from opposite ends.

[Gudo]

When Lebron retires, they should have him be in charge of forming the USA basketball teams. He's good at recruitment. Only downside is that he has penchant for bronze or team USA might end up with only 40% chance of winning gold.

[3ba11]

This proves that the current era is only good at 1-on-1 or threes and aren't good at BASKETBALL - so previous eras would destroy today's era.. This confirms it.. What more proof do we need?

[RogueBorg]

Here's MJ destroying petrovic, sabonis and kukoc:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PKkU0__uEcs]


meanwhile, KD gets destroyed by fournier and lebron gets dusted by arroyo.... this proves kd, lebron and today's era is nowhere near Jordan.

Wade and Kobe saved Team USA and Lebron from getting another non-gold in 2008. LePassive was at it again in the gold medal game.

[90sgoat]

Here's MJ destroying petrovic, sabonis and kukoc:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PKkU0__uEcs]


meanwhile, KD gets destroyed by fournier and lebron gets dusted by arroyo.... this proves kd, lebron and today's era is nowhere near Jordan.

Drazen Petrovic looks amazing in that clip, very strong and athletic.

Reminds me of a tougher, stronger Devin Booker.

I think Drazen would have been a huge star in the NBA, in pretty much every era, except the early 90s.

00s, 10s, 20s, Drazen would have been a 25ppg scorer.

[Xiao Yao You]

Wade and Kobe saved Team USA and Lebron from getting another non-gold in 2008. LePassive was at it again in the gold medal game.

Wade and Lebron were the best players on that team

[ScottieQuitting]

Wade and Lebron were the best players on that team
Statistically? Maybe. But not by much. Kobe was carrying the defense on the perimeter. Always taking the opposing teams best perimeter players. So if you only watch one side of the ball. And even then?

Wade 16 ppg
LeBron 15.5 ppg
Kobe 15 ppg

Kobe with the most difficult defensive assignments, and the one they all turned to (with the exception of D-Wade) when things got tight.

LeBron beyond foul trouble to start was borderline nonexistent in the gold medal game. So good stats in tournament play, then disappears when it mattered.

[bison]

Team USA losing to French construction workers and Serbian meat vendors :facepalm:

[HALLandOATES]

I like the way Max Kell put it....Spain,Argentina,France are like your average nba team ,they have so many nba guys already or guys close to talent wise

So they’re essentially the Grizzles/Magic ect ,been together forever

Take that with really only 2 real superstars and a couple all stars and the rest token nba guys, it’s like a really good nba team that was just put together and like the nba can lose to anyone on any given night

[3ba11]

I like the way Max Kell put it....Spain,Argentina,France are like your average nba team ,they have so many nba guys already or guys close to talent wise

So they’re essentially the Grizzles/Magic ect ,been together forever

Take that with really only 2 real superstars and a couple all stars and the rest token nba guys, it’s like a really good nba team that was just put together and like the nba can lose to anyone on any given night


The USA simply can't play when there's a bunch of bodies in the paint, which is what the international rules have

This confirms that today's player would be lost in the packed paints of previous eras - they're being babied by the "defensive 3 seconds" - it's literally a mandate to keep the paint clear...

Yes - defensive 3 seconds is the reason Americans are no longer good at basketball.. They can shoot threes and dribble, but they can't enter the paint with a bunch of bodies in there - they're completely lost and have no clue what to do without the wide open, spaced-out beginner format that the NBA has.

[Phoenix]

Its amazing the NBA even sends players nowadays. You got a league of load managers and then you want them to play in the Olympics too?

All the reasons have been stated. Basketball globally has gotten better. US stars are coddled from young to showcase a more individualistic game( this attracts the scouts) and the NBA rules favor perimeter scoring, ticky tack fouls, loose ball handling and travelling rules, in order to present a free flowing and aesthetically pleasing game. They want a product of flashy dunks, showboaters who dribble the air out for 20 seconds, PnR/drive and kick spamming with guys standing out at the 3 point line. International players base their skill sets and IQ on the team game and rules not built to harvest and showcase individual talent. Once countries invested actual time and energy into programs and not treat the sport as a novelty, the days of 50 point blowouts were going to end. In 1992, the other teams were more enamoured with being in the same building with MJ/Magic/Bird. These were cult-like, mythic figures. Todays int'l teams are trying to beat USA, not merely compete.

I should start watching euro league so I can watch some real basketball again. Can't wait for my avatar to do team USA raw.