USA Basketball Disappoints

No one cares about International basketball here in the United States.  Basketball fans only care about the NCAA tournament or the NBA Finals, probably in that order.  With the FIBA World Championship underway on the other side of the world, broadcasted in the very early mornings, the American public is not exactly rallying around the existing US National Team.  The expectations are so high that they are doomed by their own talent.  They are in a no win situation.  Anything shy of a gold medal in International competition is perceived as a failure. 

Maintaining interest in International competition turned difficult with the lack of recent success.  The US Team does not have the best track record.  They tend to get beaten by more experienced, more traditional teams.  In response to the US not winning Internationally since 1994, the US Basketball system was revamped with Jerry Colangelo heading up the system.  Jerry attempted to get committments from the best young NBA talent.  He did that.  LeBron James, Dwayne Wade and Carmelo Anthony head up the talented roster, but they still do not have the experience.  I bring this up because I believe that the NBA does not play basketball.  I don't know what to call it, but "basketball" should not be used to describe it.  FIBA rules cultivate a more traditional team basketball game as opposed to the individualism showcase that
the NBA has become.  The NBA has created a culture where their players believe that they are the best players in the world.  They might be the best in the NBA, but we are quickly learning that the best players might not be in the US.  As talented as the US Team is individually, their team ethic leaves a lot to be desired.  Until Americans play a team game for a living in the NBA, they will continue to get beaten Internationally by teams with a stronger team concept.  Throwing together these All-Star teams is not the answer.