Not Quite As Dreamy Team

By Roy Pickering

I  fondly recall when the first US Dream team was put together to represent our country in the sport of basketball at the Olympic games. It was an incredible assembly of talent, a team consisting of NBA All Stars to the tenth degree.

Not every player was in the prime of his career. Larry Bird, for example, was finishing off his stellar playing days. Still, there was no doubt that a finer team of basketball players had never been assembled. Their opposition, for lack of a better word, pretty much just watched in awe on the court, and collected autographs off it, rather than making much attempt to actually compete against them. It would be several years down the road, though not as many as most would have thought, before the United States would send a basketball team to the Olympics that was vulnerable to defeat. When an American basketball team finally did lose in international play, it was a stunning surprise despite its inevitability. Each Dream Team subsequent to the first one has seemed a little more watered down than its predecessor. Meanwhile, the quality of basketball overseas has been improving by leaps and bounds. The number of European players selected with high picks in the NBA’s annual draft continues to increase. It was only a matter of time on Europe’s part, and increased nonchalance on the part of American players, before Team USA was knocked off its high horse. And after it happened so much sooner than expected, the legend of the original Dream Team shone brighter than ever, forever reminiscent of a time when we were kings of the hardcourt. If only I had hung on to the classic Wheaties box that featured them.

As proud as we all were of that team, the players appeared equally proud to be on it, to be representing their country on the world stage. Despite their individual successes and riches, they did not take the Olympic opportunity for granted. Up until that point, professional American basketball players had not been allowed to participate in the Olympics. Only college players represented the United States, since they still had amateur status. Once the rules were changed, we were able to send a basketball team to the Olympics that truly represented the best of our best. They were a sight to see.

Things have changed dramatically since then, and not exclusively because the gap between American basketball and the sport as played in other parts of the world has greatly diminished. If we were to send the best of our best to Athens, Greece for the upcoming Olympic games, the Americans would no doubt be the team to beat. Yet today’s crop of NBA talent is not nearly so eager to earn gold medals on behalf of their country as were old schoolers such as Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson, Charles Barkley, et al. Instead, the senior men’s committee for USA Basketball has practically had to beg players to be on the team, with an unimpressive degree of success. The list of players who have declined to play for one reason or another is long and growing. It consists of stars such as Kobe Bryant (who understandably has other matters to attend to in a Colorado courtroom, his teammate Shaquille O’Neal (who did play on a previous Olympic team, and right now is focused primarily on getting himself traded out of L.A.), Kevin Garnett (another previous Olympic participant), Jason Kidd, Jermaine O’Neal, Mike Bibby, Ray Allen, Vince Carter, and Tracy McGrady. This stream of rejections has left the Olympic committee scrambling to find replacements for their original list of invitees. For certain, they did not expect the job of putting together a team to be so difficult. It is supposed to be an honor for an athlete to be asked to represent his or her country in the Olympics, not an inconvenience or chore to be avoided. Of the initial nine players invited to play for the U.S., only Tim Duncan and Allen Iverson remain committed. How did this get so complicated?

The NBA is full of talent. Even if not a single one of the original choices ended up accepting a spot on the Olympic team, the substitutions would be skilled enough to still comprise a very strong squad. Since this Dream Team in the making, whoever it is eventually comprised of, needs to earn retribution for the failure of the previous unit that was embarrassed in international play, I expect to see inspired basketball from Team USA in Athens. Yet there’s something a little sad about the selection process currently underway. Although there were some legitimate reasons given for refusing to play, such as injuries that need healing or Tracy McGrady’s cited concerns about security, it is apparent that several players declined due in large part to financial motivation. Patriotism faces an uphill battle against capitalism. It is far more difficult than it used to be convincing millionaires to perform as a duty to their country rather than their wallets. Putting together the team that was once a dream to play for is now like an arduous telemarketing project, making one phone call after another, listening to excuses upon excuses, until the job finally gets completed at the very last minute.

Opportunities do not always present themselves repeatedly. Some of the NBA players who declined being on the Olympic team probably believe they will be invited again in the future, when it may be more convenient to fit participation into their schedules. But life offers no such guarantees. Sometimes the first chance is the only chance you get. At age 47, Martina Navratilova has been chosen to play doubles for the U.S. tennis team. It will be her first time participating in the Olympic games, having turned down opportunities to play in 1988 and 1992 in singles. She no doubt came to regret that she had never added Olympic champion to her resume, which is why this physical marvel put a plan in motion and asked to be considered this time around, even though she is nearing the half-century mark. Things worked out as Martina hoped, but the same may not be the case for some of these basketball stars with better things to do than play for their country. Sometimes we are lucky enough for our dreams to come true. Sometimes we thoughtlessly discard of them, and are then condemned to wait in vain for them to return.

About the Author:

Roy Pickering is a freelance writer residing in Maplewood, NJ. Having recently completed his debut novel, "Patches of Grey", he is now in search of an agent and publisher while hard at work on editing a novella and writing a second novel. Roy is in no particular order, an amateur photographer, a Jets and Knicks fanatic, a budding tennis phenom, a Playstation connoisseur, an aquarium enthusiast, and a fitness buff. Another of Roy's favorite leisure time activities is perfecting his technique on the tenor sax.

A showcase of his prose and photography is located at www.roypickering.net. Roy's fiction can be found in numerous magazines and ezines as well. He is a contributor to two short story anthologies, "Proverbs for the People" by Kensington Books, and "The Game...Short Stories About the Life" by Triple Crown Publications. To continue following his Sports Issues column, current and future articles will appear at Associated Content and also at Gather.com.