The turning point in Team USA’s history was back in 2004. Led by veterans along with young stars like LeBron James, Carmelo Anthony, and others, the national team got a taste of bronze instead of gold. Of course, they redeemed themselves in Beijing and kept dominating moving forward, but this came after accepting an unpopular fact. The NBA champions are also referred to as world champions, mainly because the Association is the highest level of competition in basketball. But what about the other regions of the world where basketball is also famous?

Well, the idea that suggests that the World is catching up to the game is indeed real. The Europeans are getting much better at the sport than they were decades ago. Had Team USA accepted this back in Athens, the outcome may have been different. Nevertheless, as James and company prepare to take on the Sudanese following their dominant victory over Serbia, Tony Parker has a lot of confidence in the squad. And no, it’s not because LeBron and KD putting up spectacular numbers.

“Because before you can say, ‘Oh maybe, they don’t respect the game’, or they have a big head. And that’s why they lost in the ’04. But now, those guys, they’re so respectful. And you can see they are all friends and then so I don’t see nothing to… I think they’re going to get the gold medal”, said Parker. There has been a huge amount of respect between international players and the Americans for a long while. In fact, this year’s All-NBA First Team includes four international players. Of course, there has been mutual respect between them, with the veterans also terming their quest for gold ‘not an easy one’.

Teams like Canada, France, South Sudan, and others are seen as quite the challenge for Team USA. Nevertheless, this Olympic tour will be worth watching, given the number of NBA players participating and the highly competitive groups. But what has exactly changed since the infamous tour in Athens? For starters, the NBA players have taken international competition more seriously. Over the years, Team USA has been ruling the FIBA World Championship and the Olympics. But with dominance, comes unwavering confidence, which may have been an issue recently.

Team USA has been stumbling for the past few years

It all started in 2019 when Team USA stood 7th in the FIBA World Championship. The notable names among the squad were Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown, Donovan Mitchell, Khris Middleton, and others. At this point, the Americans had to answer back in the Olympics. And, they did, however, not without a scare. Team USA lost their first game in the Preliminary round against France, but got back at them in the Finals. It is safe to say that the gold medal didn’t come easy.

Come the 2022 FIBA World Championship, Team USA was on business. Almost all the games were blowout games and it seemed as if the Americans were back on track competing with the world. However, things took a drastic turn last year. Team USA came home without a medal. Not to mention, the squad included some of the best talent in the Association. But the disappointing performance lighted the fuel to assemble one of the greatest national teams in history.

Team USA will look forward to setting a statement moving forward, but even if they manage to win gold, the competition doesn’t end there. Moving forward, international competition will bring out some of the best basketball talent, which will be tough to go up against. Team USA can learn from these tours that the upcoming national teams will have to be chosen precisely. It will be interesting to see the veterans make a run for the fifth consecutive gold medal. What are your thoughts on Team USA’s struggles in the international competition? Do you think they need a star-studded roster every year to compete? Let us know in the comments.

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