Olympics 2012: Tunisians impressed by Team USA, but looking to take step up ... - SportingNews.com

Published Tuesday, Jul 31, 2012 at 10:05 pm EDT Last updated 1 hour and 22 minutes ago

LONDON â€" Tunisian forward Makram Ben Romdhane can admit itâ€"that was pretty cool. Stepping onto the floor Tuesday night, shaking hands with LeBron James and Kobe Bryant, that is not something many basketball players get to do.

“Oh, it is very special to me, of course,” Ben Romdhane said after posting 22 points, 11 rebounds and four assists in Tunisia’s 110-63 loss to Team USA here at Olympic Park. “If you get to play against Team USA and those guys, it is something you remember. They just play so great, they are fast and strong, and they play without fouling.”

But Ben Romdhane pointed out that he’s already had the experience of going up against NBA players. He was on the team that faced the U.S. in the 2010 World Championshipâ€"in fact, Tunisia faced NBA players in all five of its games (they finished 0-5, ranked 24th of 24 teams in that tournament).

“We should be used to this be now,” Ben Romdhane said.

Maybe not, actually. Teams are not bowing down to Team USA the way they did to the Dream Team in the 1992 Olympics, but there was a certain amount of giddiness with the Tunisians following the game. Cameras caught one player, Mohamed Hadidane, taking off his shoe and asking Bryant to autograph it. In the tunnel on the way to the locker room, Tunisian coaches stopped players like Kevin Durant and Carmelo Anthony to ask for photos. The Americans obliged.

Still, for Ben Romdhane, clearly Tunisia’s best player, playing against NBA competition offers more than a chance for souvenirs. It is an opportunity for Africa, the one continent that has lagged behind South America, Europe, Asia and Australia in basketball development, to push its hoops growth.

“The difference between us and the other teams in the Olympic Games is bigâ€"the level of basketball in Africa and basketball in the NBA and Europe,” Ben Romdhane said. “I think it can be used to show everybody on our team how to play basketball. I don’t think we can play against these teams now. But maybe we play these games and we can build something for the future.”

The Trickling After-Effects of LeBron James' "Decision" - Bleacher Report

We're years away from seeing the fullest effects of LeBron James' televised free-agent spectacular, but it's already safe to say that "The Decision" was one of the most important moments to date in the business of sports.

The event itself may always be more strongly associated with its implicit self-congratulation, but at its core, "The Decision" was a willing exercise of an uncommon agency; few players in any sport have been able to command the attention and investments that gravitate toward James, and none had taken control of their free-agent process in the same way.

Yet considering how desperately every other superstar player has avoided free agency since James' PR debacle, it's hard not to wonder if "The Decision"â€"if only as a megaphone of sortsâ€"may have played a role in triggering the prevalent movement of top-tier players.

James' arrival in Miami undoubtedly started a league-wide arms race, but we shouldn't overlook the fact that exercising free agency as a coveted star made him the most hated man in sports. Frankly, it's beyond doubtful that the vilification of James has eluded those who find themselves in potentially similar situations.

Perhaps Carmelo Anthony and Chris Paul weren't quite so concerned with how free agency might impact their individual brands, but in the case of Dwight Howardâ€"a man forever concerned with being the good guyâ€"can we at all rule out James' binding precedent?

Howard clearly wants out of Orlando, and yet he remains disgustingly preoccupied with keeping up appearances; he threw an arm around Stan Van Gundy, claimed that he had every intention to stay, and confusingly committed to the Magic through the 2012-2013 seasonâ€"all as report after report linked Howard to Brooklyn or L.A. or any of the teams on his highly specific list.

Howard should have known that the length of his trade saga alone would rub people the wrong way, and yet he still approaches the entire process with a smug lack of awareness.

It's one thing to have a preference to be traded, and another to express that preference, follow through until a coach and general manager are both fired, deny the entire ordeal publicly, and then waffle in your commitment to said decision ad nauseum.

Howard is a case study in trade demand failure, in no small part due to the fact that he doubled back on his demands in an attempt to cater to a certain image.

Howard has seen what switching teams in celebration can do to a player's reputation, and though James temporarily embraced his black hat, Howard could never follow that lead. Every possible indication thus far suggests that Howard is a player who needs to be loved, making his bumbles through this entire process all the more glaring and unfortunate.

No one is getting what they want here; Magic fans are understandably bitter, general NBA fans are irritated (to put it lightly), Howard's lack of practical knowledge of the salary cap and deadline flip have kept him in Orlando far too long, and the Magicâ€"who would assuredly love to move on from all of thisâ€"are stuck sorting through their trade options.

Chris Trotman/Getty Images

That's all a shame, and perhaps some of it can indeed be traced back to the fallout from James' spectacleâ€"if not in Howard's perception, then certainly in the nature of the media's coverage.

James provided the truest model for obsessive, rumor-ridden coverage in the NBA sphere, as people the world over empowered vaguely sourced reports with their click-throughs. Any slightly suggestive tea leaf was made into a full-blown prophecy, and soon enough there were claims that James was headed to Chicago, New York and Miami, not to mention plenty that had him staying in Cleveland.

James' free agency was the first event big enough to make rumored intent a truly viable media option, and in the void of that coverage came Anthony's tale, then Paul's, and then Howard's.

Did the coverage of LeBron James' free agency set a media precedent for the coverage of Dwight Howard's trade saga?

Did the coverage of LeBron James' free agency set a media precedent for the coverage of Dwight Howard's trade saga?

• Yes

• No

• Total votes: 0

Even if Howard was never individually influenced by the backlash against James, the coverage of Howard's demand was shaped by the strategy used to cover James' decision. And it's that coverage that's gone on to mold the Howard narrative; if not for the established appetite for obsessive, up-to-the-minute, wish-washing coverage, Howard would be far more well regarded than he currently is, and his journey to Brooklyn or Los Angeles or wherever would have been a bit less sour.

The sports media complex has a way of drawing out every bit of life from certain storylines, and Dwightâ€"who should have accounted for the nature of the times when piecing together his miserably short-sighted planâ€"fell victim to his own media ignorance in the plotting of his own narrative.

Those on this side of the wall surely aren't without blame in the bloated coverage of James, Howard and their most prominent contemporaries, but the die has been cast. This is the sporting world we live in, and Jamesâ€"for better, worse and every degree in betweenâ€"helped to make it.

Woulda, Coulda, and the Real Story Behind the Redeem Team - Huffington Post (blog)

The post originally appeared on Freakonomics.com

ESPN.com recently offered a somewhat confusing article comparing the 2012 U.S. Men's Olympic basketball team to the 1992 Dream Team. The headline of the article -- "LeBron: We Would Beat Dream Team" -- makes it clear that LeBron James believes the 2012 team would defeat the 1992 Dream Team.

The first line of the story, though, makes a somewhat different claim: "LeBron James has joined Kobe Bryant in saying that he believes this year's Team USA Olympic men's basketball team could beat the 1992 Dream Team."

And then further in the article, we see...

James's comments echoed those of Bryant, who two weeks ago made a similar proclamation.

"It would be a tough one, but I think we would pull it out," Bryant said at a news conference. "People who think we can't beat that team for one game, they are crazy. To sit there and say we can't, it's ludicrous. We can beat them one time."

Bryant appeared to soften those comments a bit Friday, telling reporters, "I didn't say we were a better team. But if you think we can't beat that team one time? Like I'm going to say no, that we'd never beat them.

"They are a better team. The question was 'Can we beat them?' Yes we can. Of course we can."

So are LeBron and Kobe saying the current team would win, as the title of the article suggests? Or are they saying the current team could win, which seems to be the argument made within the article?

At Wired.com, Jason Turbow has written an article that helps answer these questions. Quick preview: The numbers don't suggest the word should be would. But if you want to saycould... well, we know from the NCAA Tournament that upsets in a single game of basketball definitely happen. So the 2012 team could -- as Kobe argues -- win a game against the original Dream Team.

In the process of comparing the latest Olympic team with the Dream Team of 20 years ago, Turbow touches upon a team that many U.S. fans would like to forget. The story of how the team from 2004 only won the bronze -- and the Redeem Team from 2008 -- seems to be somewhat misunderstood. But I think the very same analysis used in the Wired.com article can help shed some light on why the 2004 team failed so miserably and the 2008 team was so successful.

Before I get to this analysis, though, let's discuss another point of view. In The Gold Standard,the coach of the 2008 team, Mike Krzyzewski, had this to say about the 2004 team's problems:

"I, too, had watched as the United States had lost its competitive edge in international basketball. This is not to place blame on those involved with the 2004 Olympic basketball team, a team that was comprised of some of the most talented players and some of the most knowledgeable coaches in the game. In my perspective, the system failed them. The team was sent into competition ill-prepared. It was not a lack of talent or basketball know-how; it was simply a lack of proper time and competition."

Coach K. went on to note...

"It was easy to point fingers and blame this guy or that guy for the way he acted or didn't act in 2004, but Jerry (Colangelo) and I both believed that it was our current system that was flawed, not the players. This system was no longer conducive to winning."

Coach K. appears to make a compelling argument. After all, the 2004 team employed such "stars" as Allen Iverson, Stephon Marbury, and Carmelo Anthony. Surely such "stars" couldn't have been the problem.

Then again, maybe every "star" in the NBA isn't equally productive. As noted at Wired.com, players who score in abundance tend to be considered "stars." But wins in the NBA -- again, as noted at Wired.com -- are primarily about shooting efficiency, gaining possession of the ball (i.e. grabbing defensive rebounds and steals), and keeping possession of the ball (i.e. grabbing offensive rebounds and avoiding turnovers). Just chucking the ball at the basket might help a player increase his scoring totals (and consequently his salary and fan base); but if the shooting isn't very efficient, then that scoring doesn't really help a team win.

We can see this point when we use all the box score statistics the NBA tracks to measure how many wins each player produces. When we take that step, we can develop a very simple model to explain the failure in 2004 and the success observed in 1992, 1996, 2000, and 2008.

Let's start with the 2004 team. Before we look at the performance of the players on this team, we must remember that an average NBA player will produce 0.100 wins per 48 minutes. And as one can see, the 2004 had a few above average players. But it also employed four NBA veteran players -- LeBron James, Amare Stoudemire, Carmelo Anthony, and Allen Iverson -- who were below average in 2003-04. LeBron and Melo were just rookies that season. And Stoudemire was only in his second season. Iverson, though, was an NBA veteran who had already demonstrated an inability to hit shots efficiently (a trait that carried over to the Olympics).

The article at Wired.com repeats the same analysis for the 1992 and 2012 teams. And we can repeat this analysis for the 1996, 2000, and 2008 teams. When we take this step, an interesting pattern emerges.

From 1992 to 2004, the average productivity of players employed -- as measured by the average WP48 on the team -- declined. And the average margin of victory in the Olympic games also declined. Then in 2008, the quality of players sent to the games improved. And suddenly, Team USA was once again trouncing their opponents.

The correlation between Average WP48 and Margin of Victory in Games is 0.96. That seems to suggest a very simple model to explain what we see in the Olympics. The key issue is the quality of players that Team USA is sending to the Olympics. This doesn't mean that the effort made to change the system used to prepare the players didn't have any impact. And it doesn't mean that changes in the level of competition didn't matter. But it suggests that the 2004 outcome is primarily about the quality of players the U.S. sent to these games. In other words, contrary to the argument offered by Coach K, I think we can blame the players for what we saw in 2004 (and yes, I am aware that a number of productive players chose not to go in 2004 -- so it is not simply the case that people in 2004 chose the wrong players).

Furthermore, rather than attempt to credit the coaching, or system, or team chemistry, I think the evidence strongly suggests the success of the 2008 Redeem Team was mostly about the players who played four years ago.

Given all this, what can we expect in 2012? As noted, an upset could definitely happen. So there are no guarantees. Still, it seems likely -- given the players the U.S. has sent to London -- that the U.S. would be expected to win the gold medal. And given what we have seen so far, the margin of victory should be similar to what we saw in 2008. In other words, the U.S. winning by 27 points on Sunday doesn't seem far from this team's expected margin of victory in this Olympics.

LeBron James snaps pictures with London fans in the Nike Flyknit Trainer - Examiner.com

LeBron James might be preparing to defend Team USA Basketball's gold medal during the London Olympics, but that does not mean he should not take some time out to enjoy the sights and sounds of the host city. Still basking in the glory of his first NBA championship, James has really undergone a transformation during the summer. Now that the pressure is off him winning a title, he can go back to the happy go-lucky personality that permeated during his early playing days that endeared him to people.

What this also means is that he has gone back to being a professional goofball. From taking pictures with newlyweds to a pair of fans in the streets of London, LeBron has definitely become a more gracious star. What is interesting to note about his encounter with the London fans was what was on his feet.

While rocking a throwback Raider snapback cap and a black and volt Nike training gear, James was pictured in the recently released Nike Flyknit Trainer in the volt colorway. The super comfortable shoes have been getting plenty of positive reviews for their great fit and breathability, not to mention their environmentally responsible construction.

Assuming the US does make it to the medal stand (if they don't, it would be the upset of the century), they will do so in special colorways of Nike shoes, one of which is the volt colorway of the Nike Flyknit Trainer. So not only did LeBron get the Flyknit some free publicity, but he also got a feel for them before he got up to the podium.

Source: Counterkicks

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USA vs. Tunisia: Why Every Game Matters for LeBron James and Kevin Durant - Bleacher Report

Going into the Team USA basketball team's matchup against lowly Tunisia, many are viewing the contest as nothing but an inconvenience for the world's No. 1 ranked team.

There is no question about whether the United States will win. The only question is by how many points. The Tunisian squad is the only team in Group A to not have an NBA player on its roster and is playing in their first Olympic Games.

They will undoubtedly be overmatched by Team USA from tip-off and a 30-point blowout would serve as a disappointment for the Americans.

The overarching goal for coach Mike Krzyzewski will simply be keeping vital players healthy while keeping the team in sync for their eventual medal round run.

But for Team USA stars LeBron James and Kevin Durant, their goal cannot be the same.

It's widely known that NBA commissioner David Stern and his ownership group are pushing to make the Olympics an under-23 endeavor, with their ultimate goal being a World Cup of Basketball (via Yahoo! Sports).

The NBA looks at FIFA's cash cow World Cup and the MLB's burgeoning World Baseball Classic (started after the Summer Games cut baseball) and rightfully becomes bitter that the IOC rakes in millions every four years largely because of NBA players.

So regardless of how "stupid" (via ESPN) NBA players feel an Olympic age restriction would be, it's coming before the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro.

That means we're likely seeing James and Durant for the final time on the biggest of international stages.

We'll see LeBron and Durant plenty of times over the coming years as opponents, but never again as teammates.
Ronald Martinez/Getty Images

That means every single game, no matter its insignificance to the gold medal cause, matters for James and Durant's international legacy.

For James, a three-time Olympian, this is finally an opportunity to be the best player on Team USA. In Athens, James was simply a wide-eyed 19-year-old on a bad team. In Beijing, he was a second banana to Kobe Bryant's brilliant run.

But London is his Olympiad. LeBron has won three NBA MVPs, an NBA championship and a NBA Finals MVP in the four years since Beijing. All that is missing from James' basketball legacy is an Olympic performance for the ages.

For Durant, this will be his only chance at Olympic glory. The 23-year-old star has already proven his international acumen by becoming Team USA's leading and most reliable scorer thus far.

But barring something unforeseen, there is almost no chance that we remember the London Games as Durant's. LeBron is playing better than ever and is putting together an all-around performance on par with anything we've ever seen in international play.

However, the Olympics could be a legacy altering experience for Durant in another wayâ€" marketing dollars.

As we have seen with Kobe's undoubted reign as the king of international marketing, foreign audiences value one trait over everything: winning.

Who does the London Olympics matter more for?

Who does the London Olympics matter more for?

• LeBron James

• Kevin Durant

• Total votes: 0

London marks Durant's formal introduction to that untapped market. If he can continue his scoring barrage in these Summer Games and the Oklahoma City Thunder ascend further up the stratosphere next season, Durant will take his place next to James and Bryant as the NBA's three most marketable faces.

That's what these Summer Games mean to the world's top two players.

For James, basketball immortality.

For Durant, a Brinks truck full of marketing dollars and his only shot at a gold medal.

Every minute of every game, those two things are hanging in the balance as the world watchesâ€"probably for the last time.

Federer, Pacquiao, Lebron, Tiger among Esquire's top 50 - USA TODAY (blog)

If you do the math, and Esquire has, Roger Federer is the top athlete in the world.

The magazine has a formula that includes performance (MVP and championships); social media (YouTube and Google hits), money (Google hits for "charity" and listing on Forbes) as well as negatives (Google hits on "scandal") for a list of Who's Who and for some of us a Who's That?

The top 10 on the top 50 list: Federer (tennis), Manny Pacquiao (boxing), LeBron James (basketball), Rafael Nadal (tennis), Tiger Woods (golf), Floyd Mayweather (boxing), Conrad Anker (climbing), Chrissie Wellington (triathlete), Sidney Crosby (hockey) and Trevor Brazile (rodeo).

OLYMPICS:  USA men's team is 55-point favorite vs. Tunisia

Heat fan John Salley lauds 'kid' LeBron James, rips critics - Detroit Free Press

John Salley, 48, was a Piston for six seasons. He spoke with the Free Press recently to promote a line of natural supplements and the benefits of a vegan lifestyle.

The NBA was a dominant part of the conversation, and he shared his thoughts on many topics. Here's the first part.

• Salley, on LeBron James: "I'm a fan of the Heat. I played for them as well. When I left Detroit, I went there. I'm a huge LeBron fan. It's funny how people are so set into 'I hate him,' and don't know why. ... The kid on his own showed me something I haven't seen. He took (Cleveland) to the championship (game). That year he didn't have anybody worthwhile that we can mention, but he took a team that no one paid attention to. ... You don't win championships with just one player. Oscar Robinson needed Kareem (Abdul Jabbar). Jerry West needed Wilt Chamberlain. Michael Jordan had to have Scottie Pippen. ... That's just the way it works."

• Salley, on James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh joining forces: "This is the one time ballplayers knew about their money, knew about taxes, knew about salary caps and deferred money. They go, 'Man, they shouldn't do that. They should just play ball.' And then when they just play ball and at the end of the career they lose their money, then the same critic says, 'Man, how they lose their money? You should have been paying attention.' "

• Salley, on critics: "Critics are people who watch the battle and then go down and kill the survivor. They have nothing to do with it. They just talk about (stuff) they have nothing to do with. So I'm happy that LeBron won the championship."

Free Press writer Vince Ellis will chat live with readers about the Pistons at 11 a.m. Thursday. Submit your questions early here.

US drains 3s to pull away - ESPN

Updated: July 30, 2012, 2:30 PM ET

Associated Press

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LONDON -- Hardly dreamy, still dominant.

Kevin Durant scored 22 points, LeBron James added eight assists and the U.S. Olympic men's basketball team opened tournament play with a rough-and-ragged 98-71 win over France on Sunday.

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Seeking a second straight gold medal to match the one they won in Beijing four years ago, the Americans expected a tough test from a French team featuring San Antonio guard Tony Parker and five other NBA players.

The U.S. was never in real trouble, and after overcoming some major foul issues and sloppy play, the superstar-laden squad finally put France away in the second half.

"It wasn't perfect," James said. "We've still got room for improvement. We had too many turnovers, too many fouls and we had a couple of defensive rebounds we could have come up with. But overall, we played a pretty good game for as close to 40 minutes as possible."

Kobe Bryant had said this team could beat the 1992 Dream Team that changed international hoops forever at the Barcelona Games. That matchup is mythical, but the London Games aren't and this U.S. team will have to play much better in upcoming Games if it plans to maintain American dominance.

Parker didn't want to concede anything, but when asked if the Americans can be beat, he took a contemplative pause before responding.

"They're going to be very, very tough to beat," Parker said.

U.S. point guard Chris Paul wasn't concerned about the sluggish offensive performance to start the game.

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"We got off to a slow start, probably a little too anxious," he said. "Like we've been saying all along, our defense is what makes us so good. As long as we do that, we'll have a chance."

With First Lady Michelle Obama on hand to cheer on the U.S., Durant, Carmelo Anthony and Tyson Chandler added nine rebounds apiece and Kevin Love finished with 14 points for the Americans. The U.S. will next play Tuesday against Tunisia, beaten 60-56 by Nigeria in the tournament opener.

As they left the floor, the U.S. players stopped to hug the first lady.

Parker, playing with goggles to protect a surgically repaired left eye, scored 10 points but France, which trailed by just one point after the first quarter, fell to 0-5 in Olympic competition against the USA. Ali Traore led the French with 12 points.

With the U.S. leading 52-36 at halftime, Durant opened the second half with a 3-pointer, Bryant dropped one from long range and after James dunked an alley-oop pass from Deron Williams, the Americans led 64-43.

Au revoir, France.

"We're trying to figure out how to play with the rhythm of the game," Anthony said. "Once we figured that out, we were good."

The U.S. team's lead ballooned to 78-51 after three quarters, allowing coach Mike Krzyzewski to rest Bryant, James and Durant for most of the fourth quarter. With the game well in hand, Krzyzewski even gave 19-year-old Anthony Davis, the top pick in June's NBA draft, his first taste of Olympic play.

Unlike his peers, Krzyzewski has the luxury of a deep bench and he was forced to go to it early and often in the first half, when the Americans racked up fouls.

[+] Enlarge

Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE/Getty ImagesKevin Durant led Team USA with 22 points Sunday during a rough-and-ragged win over France.

After the U.S. started the game by missing its first six three-point attempts, Bryant, James and Durant started finding the range from beyond the arc. The trio finished the game a combined 6 for 12 from three-point range while the rest of the U.S. went 2 for 13.

Parker nearly missed these Olympics. The 30-year-old recently underwent surgery after he was hit with broken glass during a nightclub fight in New York. Parker was not involved in the bottle-throwing melee between R&B singer Chris Brown and members of rapper Drake's entourage.

He was able to break down the U.S. defense early on, but once the Americans forced the ball from his hands, the French had no one else to turn to.

American's multimillion dollar conglomerate of hoop talent came out of the locker room singing on the way to the floor for pregame warmups. Their chants caught the attention of several Brazilian players still doing interviews following a tight opening win over Australia.

As Bryant, James and Durant filed onto the hardwood, some of France's players turned to take a look.

The U.S. players weren't nearly so jovial at halftime following a sloppy, foul-filled first half in which the Americans were whistled for 18 personals and complained about some calls. Anthony and Russell Westbrook spent the final six minutes of the second quarter on the bench after picking up their third fouls.

SportsNation: Grading Team USA

What grade would you give Team USA for their win over France. Do they even deserve a grade? Comment and vote!

A few days ago, France's Ronny Turiaf likened the U.S. team's ability to play big or small to a two-faced beast.

"That team is like a Gemini," said Turiaf, who will play with Paul and the Clippers next season. "They have two faces, a nightmare-nightmare."

But the U.S. team was its own worst enemy in the first quarter. Too often, the American settled for jump shots rather than driving to the basket. The Americans missed all six 3-pointers in the opening period, and when France's Yannick Bokolo drained a 3 in the final second, France was within 22-21.

France's Nicolas Batum, who plays for the Portland Trail Blazers, said he thought after being up by only one point after the first quarter that the U.S. would "panic."

The "second quarter, it was 0-0 new game for them," Batum said. "They started to defend us, make some big shots."

James opened the second quarter with a 3 and the U.S. quickly went on an 11-0 run before it was slowed down by a rash of fouls -- several of them needless.

Fortunately for the Americans, the French made only 1 of 11 3-pointers and missed seven free throws, allowing the U.S. to take a 52-36 halftime lead.

Copyright 2012 by The Associated Press

The big three - FOXSports.com

Updated Jul 30, 2012 9:40 PM ET

LONDON (AP)

LeBron James, Carmelo Anthony and David Robinson are part of an exclusive Olympic club that may never have another member.

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They're the only U.S. men's basketball players to compete in three Olympics â€" and with a potential age-limit rule change looming, maybe the last ones.

''We're very humbled from the simple fact that we've been selected once again, but we don't take it for granted,'' said James, who said he wasn't aware of the rare threepeat until someone told him. ''This is a very select group of guys who get this opportunity every four years and for us to be a part of it for three consecutive teams is an unbelievable feat.''

A feat that seemed unlikely after James' and Anthony's first experience.

The Olympics couldn't end quickly enough for them in Athens.

James can hardly hide his disgust with his role, or lack thereof, whenever he is asked about 2004, a time when USA Basketball was, as Anthony says, ''just trash.''

Now they refuse to let the Olympic experience stop.

The NBA All-Stars have gone from Olympic outcasts to longtime leaders whose commitment has helped get the Americans back on top and favorites to stay there.

KEEPING TRACK?

Luckily for you, we are. Updated medal count.

Robinson, a Hall of Famer, followed up a bronze medal finish in 1988 by winning in 1992 with the Dream Team and again in 1996.

James and Anthony can follow the same pattern, a remarkable finish â€" if they are done â€" to an ugly start.

''I'd have come full circle,'' Anthony said. ''Just the feeling of having that experience of being at the bottom of it all as far as USA Basketball goes in 2004 and then coming back to redeem ourselves in 2008, I had to come back. LeBron had to come back. We had to do it once again.

''Even right now, in London, that gold medal in '08 was sweet, but this one would be even better.''

James and Anthony were NBA rookies in 2004, playing for a coach in Larry Brown who favors veterans. They still needed to grow as players and grow up as people, and they really didn't belong in Athens in the first place.

But such was the state of USA Basketball that when numerous players pulled out and the Americans had no plan in a place to fill out the roster, they picked a pair of familiar names who didn't yet have the games to match their popularity. James had been the NBA rookie of the year but was just 19. Anthony was 20, a year after leading Syracuse to the NCAA championship as a freshman.

The Americans lost three times in Athens while James and Anthony mostly sat and watched. Anthony in particular was viewed as the poster child for a team that was hated at home and abroad.

U.S. VS. THE WORLD

The Americans have dreams of Olympic hoops gold. These guys are the USA's biggest nightmares.

''That experience I've kind of forgotten about, honestly,'' James said. ''I was thrown in as an afterthought after my rookie year and I didn't play much and we wasn't a team. ... Ever since then, being a part of this and part of Team USA has been great for myself â€" and I know Melo feels the same.''

James has become a leader for the Americans, perhaps caring more about that role because leadership was so lacking on that '04 disaster. Anthony has become a potent scorer and an even better teammate, willingly taking a sixth man role this year after starting every game he played from 2006 to '08.

''It's great to see and, yeah, we owe them such a debt of gratitude for committing themselves to be part of this,'' USA Basketball chairman Jerry Colangelo said. ''And that's the thing that touches me so, so much, that players have ... really committed to it because they liked it, felt comfortable, wanted to be a part of it. And those guys were right at the forefront, Carmelo, LeBron.''

The opportunity to play for the U.S. multiple times wasn't available until NBA players were allowed to compete in the Olympics starting in 1992. Even so, most players either never considered or were considered for a second try, certainly not even giving thought to the idea of sacrificing a third summer.

Robinson, a Naval Academy graduate who had great appreciation for representing his country, was an obvious exception. Now with the experience James and Anthony have had, players such as Chris Paul may welcome the chance to keep competing.

''It still has a great feel to it,'' Robinson said while watching a U.S. practice in Barcelona. ''I grew up with the Olympics, so I always thought this was the best, there was no way I would not play in the Olympics. But I think these guys enjoy coming together. This is a tremendous experience for all of them. Looks like everybody's having a lot of fun.

''I would guess, yeah, guys would want to do it as many times as they could.''

LONDON TWEETING

Track all of the athletes' juicy Twitter messages at our Olympics social media hub.

They may not have the chance.

NBA Commissioner David Stern has discussed limiting Olympic participation to players 23 and younger, a proposal that would have to be approved by FIBA, basketball's governing body. Beyond preventing future threepeats, it would have blocked Anthony and James from making up for their Athens misery had it been in place, since they had already turned 24 before the Beijing Games.

Players oppose the idea, with James saying he's against it ''because I'm 27.''

He and Anthony know better than anyone that playing in the Olympics isn't always for the young. They appreciated it more as they became more experienced, and now Anthony, criticized for some immature behavior eight years ago, is lauded by coach Mike Krzyzewski for being as committed as anyone to playing for his country.

''For me to get that call and be one of the 12 guys to represent the USA,'' Anthony said, ''you can't ask for anything better than that.''

LeBron James Playing Power Forward Will Lead to Miami Heat Dynasty - Bleacher Report

In nine years' worth of Hall-of-Fame worthy play, it wasn't until the ninth season where LeBron James would truly come into his own.

He began to find out what type of player he's capable of becoming. Straying out of the comfort zones of isolation settings and hot-and-cold jump shooting, James began to use his physical and mental attributes more than he had in his career until that point. On both ends of the floor, James was putting his body to the test and coming up victorious time and time again.

Outside of finding a post-game and limiting his long-distance jumpers, James also showcased versatility we haven't seen from an NBA player in decades.

He's a small forward, but it's also well-known that James is capable of playing the point guard, and actually did start at the point in his rookie season. At his size, James becomes nearly unstoppable when he's controlling the ball on one end and defending a much smaller opponent on the other. He utilizes his athleticism and versatility too much for any opposing small forward or point guard to handle.

James had been switched out as a small forward and point guard for years with Cleveland and even in his first year with Miami. However, being on the Heat has completely changed the mindset of James as he's continuing to further how versatile of a player he's capable of being. He's continuing the trend of making sacrifices by playing out of his comfort zone and attempting to play his size.

As athletic and physically-gifted as James is, he hasn't always utilized those traits as much as he possibly could have.

It wasn't until this past season with the Heat where James was experimented with at playing even more positions than just the 1 and 3. With his newfound ability to post-up, James was capable of playing the 4 or 5 on the offensive end and would even defend those two positions on the other side of the court. In instances such as his defense against 7' Pau Gasol, James knew exactly how to defend his opponent.

James doesn't allow his man to get to the ball when he's playing at the 4. When he is guarding Gasol, he is fronting him and denying position. Because he's so quick and is able to use his strength to stay low, the passer can't get a clear look at Gasol and Gasol can't find a way to front the much stronger LeBron.

Even against bigger power forwards, James is able to thrive because of his speed. He also creates huge mismatches on offense with that speed against any type of power forward, since there isn't anyone who can play the 4 and defend LeBron. Because he's too quick against bigger 4s and is too strong against lanky 4s, James causes mismatches and forces the opposition to change their rotation.

The Heat recognized this and continued to play James against opposing 4s. Throughout the postseason, James spent time defending Amar'e Stoudemire, David West, Kevin Garnett and even Serge Ibaka and Kendrick Perkins. While the length of someâ€"particularly Garnettâ€"prevails, it still causes a great deal of stress to the opposition when having someone as aggressive as LeBron defending them.

Power forwards aren't used to that type of pressure. They're not used to a player as strong and as quick as James fronting them and denying entry passes nor are they accustomed to defending the same player on offense. When James is playing at the 4, the opposition either needs to make a decision on whether to also play small-ball or to continue playing with two bigs.

It's a tough decision either way. If you play small-ball against the Heat, you're playing the game they want to play and helping to clear out space under the rim because you substituted one of your big men for a small forward to defend James. If you leave the pure power forward in the game, you run the risk of James attacking the rim at will, with the defender being pulled out to the perimeter.

Playing small-ball also results in a disadvantage on the rebounds. The Heat would still have Chris Bosh or one of their big men in the game, as well as James who is an excellent rebounder as proven by several key performances on the glass in the postseason, including a 15-rebound effort in Game 1 against Indiana and an 18-rebound performance in Game 4.

James is capable of grabbing at least 10 boards per game; he's just never had that required of him. If he's going to play more at power forward, however, then it may be expected to see him rack up nine rebounds per or more like he did this past season.

Of course, this doesn't mean he is going to stray away from handling the ball. James will still be one of the primary ball-handlers on this team because he is the best facilitator. Mario Chalmers and Norris Cole don't have impressive court vision, as opposed to James who stands at 6'8" and has been a facilitator in this league since 2003.

While James did have a great deal of success at playing the 4, it also took a toll on his body. It turns out that defending players with up to four inches of a height advantage on you could take up a lot of energy. That's not a surprise, even for a player like LeBron who isn't entirely used to defending players that size.

Obviously, LeBron playing at the 4 isn't going to be something we see for a large majority of each game. He'll still play at the 3 or the 1, and will occasionally play at the 4 or 5 whenever his team requires it. Mostly we'll see it when the team implements small-ball, where James will most likely be matched up with an opposing small forward or an undersized power.

Moving LeBron to the 4 and having him play at that position obviously makes this Miami Heat team better, and not just because of how effective he is at playing the 4, either. Having James at the 4 means more versatility and more dimensions to this team, which only creates problems for the opposing team.

Needless to say, the Heat aren't like any other team. Outside of having more talent than any other team, they are also a team composed of players who are "positionless," meaning that they have a roster of rotation players who can play multiple positions and aren't reduced to playing only one position on the floor. Basically, specialty players aren't utilized.

Because the Heat have so many weapons and so many different rotations, the defense needs too much time to make adjustments. They have to constantly adjust to LeBron playing just about every position on the floor, as well as Chris Bosh playing at the 4 or 5 and even Dwyane Wade playing at the 1 or 2.

Even the role players get in on the actionâ€"specifically Shane Battier, who actually started at the 4 throughout the Heat's series' against Indiana, Boston and Oklahoma City in the midst of Chris Bosh's absence. Once Bosh came back, Battier still continued to start at the 4, which was key as his three-point shooting would prove to be deadly against the Thunder.

That's one of the greatest benefits of this Heat teamâ€"their overall versatility.

Mostly, however, it's LeBron James' versatility that leads this team and has them set for back-to-back championships. While the Heat know above anything else that they have to protect their MVP, they also want to win and they know that LeBron James wants to win another title as well. The Heat certainly won't stress James defending other 4s, but it will occur under the right circumstances.

If you expect to see longer stretches of James at the 4, expect it to come during the postseason when the Heat are adamant about pushing the tempo and keeping the game at their pace. They'll use James at the 4 to eliminate the need for one of their centers and will instead use Chris Bosh or Joel Anthony at the 5.

It would be in the regular season where you see more playing time for the likes of Anthony or Dexter Pittman playing at the 5 for extended stretches.

The Heat have proven that they can win without a pure center, which has helped lead to this new idea of playing without a position and James at the 4 and even at the 5. 

James playing at power forward isn't the only key to a Heat dynasty. He'll need significant help from his two superstar teammates, as well as the unsung heroes in the role players who quietly played tremendous roles in the Heat's NBA Finals victory.

No player can do it on his own, but having one as skilled as James certainly makes this winning thing a whole lot easier.

James, Anthony members of exclusive Olympic club - San Francisco Chronicle

LONDON (AP) â€" LeBron James, Carmelo Anthony and David Robinson are part of an exclusive Olympic club that may never have another member.

They're the only U.S. men's basketball players to compete in three Olympics â€" and with a potential age-limit rule change looming, maybe the last ones.

"We're very humbled from the simple fact that we've been selected once again, but we don't take it for granted," said James, who said he wasn't aware of the rare threepeat until someone told him. "This is a very select group of guys who get this opportunity every four years and for us to be a part of it for three consecutive teams is an unbelievable feat."

A feat that seemed unlikely after James' and Anthony's first experience.

The Olympics couldn't end quickly enough for them in Athens.

James can hardly hide his disgust with his role, or lack thereof, whenever he is asked about 2004, a time when USA Basketball was, as Anthony says, "just trash."

Now they refuse to let the Olympic experience stop.

The NBA All-Stars have gone from Olympic outcasts to longtime leaders whose commitment has helped get the Americans back on top and favorites to stay there.

Robinson, a Hall of Famer, followed up a bronze medal finish in 1988 by winning in 1992 with the Dream Team and again in 1996.

James and Anthony can follow the same pattern, a remarkable finish â€" if they are done â€" to an ugly start.

"I'd have come full circle," Anthony said. "Just the feeling of having that experience of being at the bottom of it all as far as USA Basketball goes in 2004 and then coming back to redeem ourselves in 2008, I had to come back. LeBron had to come back. We had to do it once again.

"Even right now, in London, that gold medal in '08 was sweet, but this one would be even better."

James and Anthony were NBA rookies in 2004, playing for a coach in Larry Brown who favors veterans. They still needed to grow as players and grow up as people, and they really didn't belong in Athens in the first place.

But such was the state of USA Basketball that when numerous players pulled out and the Americans had no plan in a place to fill out the roster, they picked a pair of familiar names who didn't yet have the games to match their popularity. James had been the NBA rookie of the year but was just 19. Anthony was 20, a year after leading Syracuse to the NCAA championship as a freshman.

The Americans lost three times in Athens while James and Anthony mostly sat and watched. Anthony in particular was viewed as the poster child for a team that was hated at home and abroad.

"That experience I've kind of forgotten about, honestly," James said. "I was thrown in as an afterthought after my rookie year and I didn't play much and we wasn't a team. ... Ever since then, being a part of this and part of Team USA has been great for myself â€" and I know Melo feels the same."

James has become a leader for the Americans, perhaps caring more about that role because leadership was so lacking on that '04 disaster. Anthony has become a potent scorer and an even better teammate, willingly taking a sixth man role this year after starting every game he played from 2006-08.

"It's great to see and, yeah, we owe them such a debt of gratitude for committing themselves to be part of this," USA Basketball chairman Jerry Colangelo said. "And that's the thing that touches me so, so much, that players have ... really committed to it because they liked it, felt comfortable, wanted to be a part of it. And those guys were right at the forefront, Carmelo, LeBron."

The opportunity to play for the U.S. multiple times wasn't available until NBA players were allowed to compete in the Olympics starting in 1992. Even so, most players either never considered or were considered for a second try, certainly not even giving thought to the idea of sacrificing a third summer.

Robinson, a Naval Academy graduate who had great appreciation for representing his country, was an obvious exception. Now with the experience James and Anthony have had, players such as Chris Paul may welcome the chance to keep competing.

"I think it still has a great feel to it," Robinson said while watching a U.S. practice in Barcelona. "I grew up with the Olympics, so I always thought this was the best, there was no way I would not play in the Olympics. But I think these guys enjoy coming together. This is a tremendous experience for all of them. Looks like everybody's having a lot of fun.

"I would guess, yeah, guys would want to do it as many times as they could."

They may not have the chance.

NBA Commissioner David Stern has discussed limiting Olympic participation to players 23 and younger, a proposal that would have to be approved by FIBA, basketball's governing body. Beyond preventing future threepeats, it would have blocked Anthony and James from making up for their Athens misery had it been in place, since they had already turned 24 before the Beijing Games.

Players oppose the idea, with James saying he's against it "because I'm 27."

He and Anthony know better than anyone that playing in the Olympics isn't always for the young. They appreciated it more as they became more experienced, and now Anthony, criticized for some immature behavior eight years ago, is lauded by coach Mike Krzyzewski for being as committed as anyone to playing for his country.

"For me to get that call and be one of the 12 guys to represent the USA," Anthony said, "you can't ask for anything better than that."

___

AP Sports Writer Tom Withers contributed to this report.

___

Follow Brian Mahoney on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/Briancmahoney

Ten Things to Know About the 2012 US Men's Basketball Dream Team - E! Online

usabasketball.com

They're not the hoop legends from Dream Team '92, but many of the members of the U.S. Men's National Basketball Team are among today's biggest NBA stars.

And with Team U.S.A.'s 98-71 trouncing of France in their London Olympics debut, no doubt LeBron James, Kobe Bryant and company are off to a magnificent start in living up to the lauded reputation of their predecessors as they go for the gold.

In honor of their first victory at the games, E! News has rounded up 10 amazing facts about the new squad. Take a look!

Live from E!: Bruce Jenner and Guiliana Rancic chat with Hilary Phelps

1. Young Guns: The men's basketball team once again draws on some of the NBA's best and most versatile talent, most of whom are in the prime of their careers. They are:

• Tyson Chandler, 29, New York Knicks
• Kevin Durant, 23, Oklahoma City Thunder
• LeBron James, 27, Miami Heat
• Russell Westbrook, 23, Oklahoma City Thunder
• Deron Williams, 27, Brooklyn Nets
• Andre Iguodala, 28, Philadelphia 76ers
• Kobe Bryant, 33, Los Angeles Lakers
• Kevin Love, 23, Minnesota Timberwolves
• James Harden, 22, Oklahoma City Thunder
• Chris Paul, 27, Los Angeles Clippers
• Anthony Davis, 19, New Orleans Hornets
• Carmelo Anthony, 28, New York Knicks

AFP PHOTO / MARK RALSTON/Getty Images

2. Coach K: Behind every great team is a great teacher, and Duke's Mike Kryzyzewski, otherwise known as Coach K, is one of the best. A fabled figure at the college level, Kryzyzewski is now charged with guiding Team U.S.A. to the Olympic podium.

Five reasons why the 2012 London Olympics is a hit

Jamie Squire/Getty Images

3. First Lady's Seal of Approval: The men have a huge fan in first lady Michelle Obama, who not only took in their triumphant victory over France from the front row, but also gave each and every one of the players a hug afterward.

4. Taking His Talents to Twitter: With 5.5 million Twitter followers in his domain, LeBron James has the fourth largest Twitter following for an athlete, not far behind fellow hoops legend Shaquille O'Neal. If and when he and his mates win a medal, expect King James to wax poetically the way he did after becoming an NBA champion.

Christopher Polk/WireImage; David Becker/Getty Images

5. Good Vibrations Indeed: If you didn't know it already, Kevin Love has a pretty surprising connection to the music world: He's the nephew of Mike Love from the Beach Boys!

Check out our ultimate coverage of the 2012 London Olympics

6. When He Was 17: Speaking of musical connections, a lot of Kobe fans are likely unaware that Bryant took R&B star Brandy to his prom when he was the No. 1 high school basketball player in the country, as she recounted to MTV.

7. Survey Says! Aside from his hoop dreams, Chris Paul apparently fulfilled a longtime wish to mix it up with comedian and game show host Steve Harvey when he and the Paul clan appeared on the latter's Family Feud not too long ago.

8. The Richest Olympians: Aside from tennis champs Roger Federer and Maria Sharapova, several of Team U.S.A.'s starters, led by LeBron, are among the highest-paid athletes in the world. James earned $53 million last year alone, according to Forbes, while Durant netted $25.5 million, Anthony $22.9 million and Paul $19.2 million.

Olympic training does a body good!

9. Top Chef All-Star: When he's not running up and down the court, Sixers star Andre Iguodala is getting a workout in the kitchen. Per Food Republic, the big man's a big foodie whose favorite show is Chopped, and he loves to cook up a storm, especially grilling barbecue chicken.

10. In Good Company: Both Anthony and Durant attended Oak Hill Academy in Mouth of Wilson, Va., a boarding school most famous for turning out legions of NBA stars including Rajon Rondo, Josh Smith and Jerry Stackhouse, to name just a few.

Bonusâ€"pranksters unite! After Kevin Love tweeted a pic of his teammates passed out on the flight to London, two days later Deron Williams got some payback of his own with an instagram pic of the former looking like sleeping beauty. Good to know the guys are keeping a sense of humor!

Check out these big moments so far from the London Olympics

Magic Johnson Says Lebron, Kobe Would Make Dream Team: Who Would ... - Bleacher Report

Magic Johnson, according to the Los Angeles Times, acknowledges that LeBron James and Kobe Bryant would have made the ’92 Dream Team, even though he added a backdoor comment as to why the 2012 version of Team USA would have no chance to beat them.

"You have to say Kobe would definitely make it," Johnson said. "He's unbelievable. We're so lucky and so fortunate we get a chance to watch Kobe play every single night here in L.A. LeBron is the best all-around player in the game so he would definitely make our team. Kevin Durant would have a shot as well. You have two definitely in with Kobe and LeBron."

Johnson goes on to acknowledge that James and Bryant would likely replace Christian Laettner, the only college player selected to the ’92 team, but that is all. Realizing that Bryant would have had to battle the likes of Michael Jordan for playing time on the team, the question stands, “Who else could James eliminate?”

With a wide array of Team USA’s frontcourt diminished due to injury, James has stepped up in ways that his earlier moments in the league could not have predicted. So much size was lost when it was announced that Dwight Howard, Chris Bosh and Blake Griffin would not be partaking in the Olympic festivities that the question was posed as to how dominant this roster could be.

Thanks to James, a lot of the disparity that came along with those announced absences has been elapsed.

Surely he could do the same had he been a topic in 1992.

Lisa Blumenfeld/Getty Images

Karl Malone

For a while, it seemed as if LeBron would be joining the conversation of one of the greatest players in the NBA to have never won a ring right along with Karl Malone. Thankfully for the Miami Heat, James crossed the broadest threshold of his career, something Malone was never successful at.

James also has been triumphant in being a better person than Malone altogether, in my opinion. Sticking to the individual talent and leadership that each player would bring to the table, James wins that war as well. Don’t stone me just yet.

Malone may be one of the best power forwards to play the game, but think about the advantageous skill set James brings with him. He and Karl Malone have similar strength and build. However, while Malone would demolish power forwards and centers, as designated by his true position, James annihilates everyone on every spot on the floor.

Finishing second behind Tyson Chandler for Defensive Player of the Year, even Doc Rivers recognized that James had the masterful capabilities of guarding everyone except for him during a Boston Celtics game.

Malone has the innate sense of athleticism, passing ability, strength and health that made him so attractive to the Dream Team, but where are any of those avenues missing with LeBron?

Malone had John Stockton to be the ying to his yang. James is a combination of Malone and Magic Johnson’s skills. That would be far more appeasing than Malone, alone.

Rick Stewart/Getty Images

Chris Mullin

Chris Mullin had a sweet stroke from primarily playing the shooting guard position until Don Nelson became the head coach of the Golden State Warriors and rotated Mullin to the small forward position.

As much of a scoring threat as Mullin was, James is a better package. Not only is James a scorer, but he is also one of the league’s most supreme defenders. We are also talking about a Mullins that was not an above-the-rim player, and was really good at one thingâ€"scoring. Mullin’s fingertips never lied and Tim Hardaway could attest to that.

The problem with keeping him on the ’92 Dream Team roster over LeBron is that James is an above-the-rim-player with an eye for scoring and facilitating.

James is not great at one thingâ€"James is great at everything.

Scottie Pippen

A little over a year ago, Scottie Pippen voiced his opinion that LeBron James could one day be better than Michael Jordan while his former teammate, Steve Kerr, stepped in to edit the comparison.

Who would LeBron James replace on the '92 Dream Team?

Who would LeBron James replace on the '92 Dream Team?

• Christian Laettner

• Karl Malone

• Chris Mullins

• Scottie Pippen

• No one.

• Total votes: 2

"Phil Jackson used to call Scottie a 'sometimes shooter.' Sometimes they would go in, sometimes they wouldn't. That's how it is with LeBron. He's a great talent and a great player but you can see his flaws as a basketball player. He doesn't have an offensive game that he can rely on: no low-post game, no mid-range jump shot so when the game really gets tough he has a hard time finding easy baskets and getting himself going.”

A lot has changed over a year and James is not that ‘sometimes shooter’ that Coach Jackson once described Pippen to be. Over the last season, James has proven that he has an offensive game waiting in the wings after he pummels teams defensively and barrels down to the other side of the court.

Especially in the 2012 NBA Playoffs, James showcased an increased use of his post game and a mid-range jumper that earned him 45 points in Game 6 against the Boston Celtics in the Eastern Conference Finals.

When the game gets tough, James has no problem getting himself or his teammates going, with exception to Game 4 of the second-round playoff series against the Indiana Pacers.

Other than that stale display of gamesmanship, LeBron is his team’s unmatched facilitator.

Pippen had length and athleticism working in his favor, but James’ build and strength coupled with Pippen’s most noticeable elements make him a better candidate for a spot on the roster.

LeBron James has cascaded into a very unique realm of his career. It’s a realm that has created one of the most infallible perceptions of talent the league has ever seen. Fans have to be honest.

If this had been ’92, James would easily dethrone some of the Hall of Fame roster.

London Olympics: Ettore Messina likes Kobe Bryant's Team USA role - Los Angeles Times

Below is a Q&A with former Lakers assistant coach Ettore Messina. He's serving as an on-air analyst for Sky TV for the 2012 Olympic Games. Messina worked as a consultant with the Lakers last season before returning to CSKA Moscow for a second stint as the Russian club's head coach.

On Team USA's roster: Talent-wise, they have the depth. They have the perimeter players. And they have bigger small forwards. That all helps them overcome the fact that they don't have too much size. Size is not a factor so long as you can compensate it with athleticism and stability. That's exactly what happened against a team like France. They're supposed to be a more than decent team, even if Tony Parker is not at his best or in his best shape. The U.S. plays the game seriously. They always have a very high number of assists and they share the ball.

On the rest of the field: Spain is a good team. They have the size in the Gasol brothers and Ibaka. But with as far as players on the perimeter,  athleticism and quickness, there is a big gap in favor of the United States. Spain can really try to post the ball hard, and that's what they will do. But in the long run, you'll have Pau needing to defend Carmelo Anthony or Kevin Durant. It's not going to be easy for them.

On Kobe Bryant's performance against France (scored 10 points on two-of-six shooting, seven-of-seven from the free throw line in 12 minutes): In the opening of the third quarter against France, they really needed to stretch the score. That's where LeBron James and Kobe Bryant came to work. Kobe brought a lot to this game. He made his jump shot. He was consistent defensively. He didn't force many situations (though he shot two-of-six from the field). He shot a couple of threes that were very important to increase the lead. They came at the right moment when they really needed it. He didn't need to play big minutes.

On Bryant's role with Team USA: It's different than with the Lakers. There he's obviously a more pivotal person. Here he has to share the minutes and the possessions with LeBron James, Chris Paul, Carmelo Anthony and Kevin Durant. Here, he knows his scoring is important, but what's even more important is his leadership and the moment when he scores. It's not necessary for the U.S. team to have Kobe score 30 points so they can win. Many times with the Lakers, we needed him to score 30 points to have a chance to win the game.

On Pau Gasol's role with Spain: Obviously with Spain, he's the No. 1 option. With the Lakers, he was the No. 2 and No. 3. That's a little different. But I see him playing with the same poise and same talent.

On Team USA adjusting to the FIBA rules: I think they are adjusting pretty well. I haven't seen too many travel violations. They need to understand the weak-side help comes quicker here than in the NBA. But they're finding the right man at the right moment. The referees are interpreting the game the right way. The referees here in the tournament are trying to establish criteria not to slip away from their hands.  But I saw the Americans pretty confident in playing the game. I remember all the noise they made in Beijing about the traveling violations and the fouls. But here, they handled themselves pretty well. I didn't have any problem with any call that the referees called.

RELATED:

Ettore Messina seeks new challenge as Lakers' assistant coach

London Olympics: Five things to take from Team USA's win vs. France

London Olympics: Magic says Kobe, LeBron would make '92 Dream Team

Email the Lakers blog at mgmedin@gmail.com. Follow the Lakers blog on Twitter.

Big news out of US win: LeBron is likable - Chicago Tribune

July 29, 2012|David Haugh's In the Wake of the News

• 

LeBron James and teammates celebrate after scoring against France. (AFP PHOTO…)

LONDON â€" Go ahead, admit it. You like this LeBron James.

You like our country's best basketball ambassador at the Olympics, the greatest all-around player in the world already proving it at these Games.

You like how James defers to elder statesman Kobe Bryant out of respect and connects with Coach K well enough to talk to Mike Krzyzewski about everything from leadership styles to tattoo designs.

You like how James facilitates Team USA's offense to involve everybody on a team full of stars, as he did selflessly in Sunday's 98-71 rout of France in the Olympic opener.

You like the newfound maturity James showed afterward when remembering this trip across the Atlantic offered more than an opportunity to sell more shoes and expand his brand globally.

"You're representing more than just your state or your city. You're representing all of America and you've got to understand that every time you touch the floor," James said. "We try to do that and show respect for why we're here."

Over the next two weeks, if these become the Olympics of Lochte and LeBron, you will like James so much that America will face the decision: Is it time to love sports' most vilified man again?

Sure, if the U.S. somehow finds a way to blow it, I expect James to get blamed and to start hearing LeBron jokes that haven't been funny since before the Heat won the NBA title in June. What time does LeBron James go to sleep? A quarter after 3.

But if he adds a gold medal to an NBA ring this summer, these Games could be as good for King James' image as they are for Queen Elizabeth's. Even in Ohio, where James is practically an honorary Modell, Gov. John Kasich softened. Kasich tweeted: "24 Ohioans are in the Olympics. Best of luck to them all. Even LeBron."

Even LeBron, who did little in the opener but provide glimpses that reminded everybody why Krzyzewski refers to him as, "our best player." Kevin Durant led the U.S. in scoring with 22 points in nearly 28 minutes but it was James whose versatile effort made the deepest first impression.

It started immediately. On Team USA's first defensive possession, James made a steal. On his first offensive touch, he lobbed an alley-oop dunk to Tyson Chandler. But the most memorable of James' team-high eight assists came in transition when he threw a 60-foot bounce pass to Durant, who punctuated the play with a dunk on the way to being fouled.

"I threw it because I felt like I could get it there," James said.

When asked to play center defensively, as James will do throughout the Olympics on an undersized team, he felt just as confident in his ability to guard. James showed why Heat coach Erik Spoelstra nicknamed him, "One Through Five," when he grabbed a rebound as the defensive center and dribbled all the way downcourt before dishing to Kevin Love for a 3. In case anybody wondered, James later showed he still could score on demand with a patented turnaround baseline jumper for 2 of his 9 points.

The French team's defense didn't pass through customs. Without injured Bulls center Joakim Noah, France surrendered inside presence and offered little resistance to waves of American dribblers. Not that James sounded satisfied with a 27-point rout.

"We didn't play a perfect game," James said.

That was Coach K talking as much as his team leader but â€" and as a critic of LeBron's antics since he joined the Heat I come to this conclusion grudgingly â€" the more James speaks, the more sense he makes.

Like so many, I doubted the 6-foot-8-inch basketball Adonis blessed with all the physical gifts imaginable possessed any leadership qualities. Perhaps finally winning the elusive NBA title relieved the pressure enough that those traits surfaced naturally â€" because clearly they exist.

Take the way James reached out to Durant, his NBA Finals rival, after the Thunder star struggled to find a niche during Team USA exhibitions.

"I just told KD to be himself," James said. "KD's one of the best players the world has. We don't want the KD that defers. We want the KD we see in Oklahoma City."

I want the new, improved LeBron James to make the return trip to the States.

To show his playful side still exists, James toyed with a final question about NBA commissioner David Stern's bad idea of limiting the Olympics to players 23 and younger.

"I don't agree with it," James said.

Why?

"I'm 27," he said before walking away with an impish grin.

Like it or not, James isn't just getting older. He's getting better.

But go ahead, admit it. You like it.

dhaugh@tribune.com

Twitter @DavidHaugh