Sorry to say it guys, but face up to the facts. Marbury has looked like a jv player out there among the men. Here's a guy that can score 20 in the NBA, the premier league (Now becoming a myth) and he can't get a basket against the weak Olympic teams. What a slap in the face for the NBA. Should reconsider calling the NBA champs the World champs. I bet any of the final 4 teams would take the Pistons. Maybe it was Nike and the rest of the sneaker companies that really kept McGrady and O'Neal and Brynat and CArter out of the games. Can't have all these no-name loser Lithuanians dropping 26 points on their 10 million dollar endorsers. R.I.P NBA

Here's a guy that can score 20 in the NBA, the premier league (Now becoming a myth) and he can't get a basket against the weak Olympic teams.

Sure, today he missed some open jumpers, but he isn't playing his game out there. He's a guy who drives to the basket to get himself going. He's being asked to give that up to help set his team mates up.
Either way, 4 games of INTERNATIONAL style of play is not enough time to go out and say he sucks after he played so well for months before.

Other countries are just getting better.

Yeah right, all these teams would get demolished with NBA rules.

A bigger ball, crummy zone rules, crappy refs contribue more than poor play.

Well that seems to be your excuse, different rules and blah blah blah. They are still playign basketball where the object of the game is to get the ball in the basket. It seems that not having the benfit of the NBA refs to not call the traveling violations is whats killing them. Or it's the refs fault that they can't hit OPEN Jumpers. What a bunch of bull that is. BUt you are correct is saying the lack of NBA rules is hurting them. AFter all, the NBA rules were put in place to make the game more exciting to the fans. Funny thing, team USA has always played under the rules since the inception of the games, I didn't see them complaing about international rules when were were undefeated all through 1972.
Bottom line is yes, LeBron can return to Denver and Cleveland and be stars again, but that equates to going back and being the best on YOUR BLOCK, isn't it. SO LeBron is going to be the next Jordan and the greatest player in the NBA, just as long he doesn't show up on any European court cause he'll be taken to school once again.
I'd love to see the NBA champ take on the FIBA champ each spring to see who the real world champ is.

The court is smaller, the key is wider, the ball is bigger, and the 3 point line and is shorter. The rules are made to hurt America's athleticism

Are you on drugs? The rules are made to hurt the US? These are the same rules they have been playing international ball since the 40's. The only change was to add the 'American' or old ABA 3 pointer. The squads are losing cause the NBA players are not as good as the FIBA players anymore. Just like the old WWF, it's all a show. And lets not forget the NBA refs, biased by Stern to make non-calls and let SHaq run over people but get no calls. It's finally caught up with the NBA and biting them in the butt right now.

Get some real jump-shooters on the squad, an Alan Houston types and some real point guards and then we'd win these games.

And another thing. The whole planet plays by these set of rules. Its the NBA that has to use these 'different' rules, not the Olympics or World Championships.

So rant all you want about the NBA being the greatest and players only being concerned about an NBA championship. Bottom line, team USA finsihed 6th in the Worlds, and will lose against either SPain, Argentina, or Serbia and not make the top 8.

[Edited by - flyingvee on 08/21/2004 18:24:16]

"I bet any of the final 4 teams would take the Pistons"

I bet a team of Kidd, Bibby, Bryant, McGrady, Garnett, Rip Hamilton instead of the subs they had to call in would take all of these teams. Unfortunately, players withdraw and this happens (Serbia is 1-3, I bet they'd love Peja).

I didn't mean to imply the rules were made to hurt the Americans, but the rules FIBA has in place directly hurt what Americans do best. They can't fast break well b/c of the shorter court, international teams can hide their hideous individual defenders in gimmicky zones, and the US players, who are superior in breaking down defenses and athleticism, can't do this because they dribble into the zone. Not too mention Tim Duncan can't establish a post presence becuase of this hexagon. Maybe they should adapt the rules since the world is getting better and it's time they stop playing on a watered-down rules system where inferior players are on par as more talented players.

Posted by gunsnewing:

Marbury sucks

Ok...good enough for me....

Posted by gunsnewing:

Marbury sucks

Ya!!!! Bring back Eisley!!!

I'd say Marbury is over rated and the NBA sucks

Only half kidding.

Posted by tkf:

by no means do I feel that these clowns like lithunia is catching up.... I just don't think the US players really care... at least not enough...

all true... if the americans cared more, we'd have a system and not choose the entire team at the last minute but get a 2 summer commitment at least to team USA - the players could get a tax write-off or something as an incentive

Posted by OldFan:

I'd say Marbury is over rated and the NBA sucks

Only half kidding.

full serious