5 games in and USA Men’s Basketball have managed a win each time with 3 no less than 20+ margin. They have been dubbed the Avengers, they have been put to comparison with the Dream Team, and they have remained unstoppable. It is the ‘depth,’ that sets them apart, Dwyane Wade had noted earlier. However, he believes, despite all the factors, a gold might not be guaranteed, thanks to an experience that stays with him.

Away from the commentary booth, Dwyane Wade, alongside Noah Eagle via Zoom, joined Dan Patrick on his namesake show. The host asked him if there was a scenario where LeBron James and Co. could not win the gold medal. Wade replied, “Always, there is always a scenario.”

Expanding on that thought process, he gave an example of the 2006 FIBA World Championship. “We felt that we were the best team, we were rolling, and we had a bad start to the game against Greece,” the Chicago native said. “And we never quite got back into the game. They built their confidence. We could not stop their high pick and roll.”

Team USA had won every other game on the group stage and some more in the knockouts, leading to the semi-finals by 20 or + margin on all but two occasions. But as they faced Greece then, so close to the gold, they couldn’t build on the momentum by the 2nd quarter. It is one chance, unlike the NBA, and if you slip, you lose.

“It’s not a seven-game series where it’s the first of four. It is one game and you can have a bad moment, you can have a bad quarter, you can have a bad game and you do not find that rhythm.”

Wade asserts that the competition and the talent pool today have only increased. Teams that have won all 3 games in the group stage have been left behind and double-digit deficit has won games. Now, it has all narrowed to USA vs France in the finals, but only after the former suffered its closest call of the tournament against Serbia.

110-84 was the margin Team USA had won against Serbia in the group stage. The same team held them to a 95-91 in the semi-finals. But against Wade’s experience, the USA did not just cover a 17-point deficit but also kept on strong despite falling short for all 3 initial quarters. It was only over 2 minutes left on the clock when the USA grabbed a lead after trailing the whole game; thanks to LeBron James’ assist to Stephen Curry’s 3-pointer. But the same could not be said for the 2006 team.

Dwyane Wade on why the team failed in 2006

The 42-year-old spoke about how when the tournament rolls on, players and coaches know more about each other’s tendencies. “So it gets tighter and tighter as you get closer and closer to that goal.” But why wasn’t Team USA able to adapt in 2006? Dwyane Wade spoke about it on his podcast two months ago.

“We didn’t have enough habits, we didn’t have enough chemistry, we didn’t have enough to be in game and be able to make those adjustments right there on the fly,” Wade said on The Wine Down Podcast. In the semifinal against Greece at the World Championships, Team USA took the lead in the first quarter (20-14) but couldn’t keep the momentum as they lost the 2nd and the 3rd quarter and conceded 30+ points.

The team consisted of Dwyane Wade, Carmelo Anthony, and LeBron James amongst others. The trio before the World Championship were coming off a season where they averaged higher than 25 points. But in the FIBA, their combined scoring average stood at 50.1. While their lack of playing international zone defense was one obstacle, a lack of synergy was yet another.

“Stay tuned for more such updates and join us for the exciting second episode of the “Dual Threat Show” as our host BG12 sits down with Georgia Bulldogs star and Mountain West All-Freshman Team Selection, Asia Avinger.