After steamrolling to five straight wins, the Americans were booted out of medal contention in losing back-to-back decisions to Argentina and Yugoslavia. They played with just enough intensity to beat Puerto Rico, 84-74, in the consolations but showed no desire to win in yielding an 81-75 verdict to Spain in the playoff for fifth last Saturday.
It was the worst finish ever for a US squad since the start of the quadrennial event in 1950. No US team had placed worse than fifth before coach George Karl’s squad came along to gain the dubious distinction of being the most humiliated American contingent ever.
The Athletes In Action pick-up team that wore the US colors at the 1978 World Championships in Manila wound up fifth. And when the National Basketball Association (NBA) players were locked out in a contractual dispute in 1978, a wild bunch of globetrotting imports and second-level minor league pros got together to lead the US to third spot. Both nondescript teams did better than Karl’s scrub boys.
Fans mocked the US for its listless performance. The posters they held up in the stands delivered a strong message. "Next time, send complete team" was written in red and blue on a big cartolina raised by a Yugoslavian fan. "NBA–keep on practicing" read another poster.
No doubt, the NBA’s cloak of invincibility has been torn to shreds. The US took it on the chin not once, not twice, but thrice in this 10-day, 16-nation meet that is basketball’s version of soccer’s World Cup.
The Americans could’ve salvaged some pride and finished fifth. But they weren’t up to it last Saturday. The playoff against Spain was scheduled at an ungodly hour–9:45 p.m., the last in a six-game schedule. Less than 5,000 fans stayed awake for what turned out to be a nightmarish performance from the so-called "Dream Team." Obviously, the NBA stars had other things on their mind. Playing hard wasn’t one of them.
Several hours before the game, I saw U.S. player Antonio Davis checking out of the Westin Hotel with his wife and their two kids. They packed their bags in a Hummer and talked about driving back toToronto where Davis plays for the Raptors. It didn’t seem like Davis was in the mood to play that night.
Davis showed up anyway in uniform. He started at power forward, saw action for 29 minutes–the most of any US player, and shot 1-of-5 from the floor for a grand total of four points. His stats were forgettable.
Raef LaFrentz was the US team’s highest scorer with 13 points. Karl didn’t play the former Kansas center in the losses to Argentina and Yugoslavia–that’s how much confidence the coach had in the 6-11 Dallas Maverick. Yet, LaFrentz played 23 minutes against Spain, meaning it wasn’t Karl’s intention to win. What a shame. The US played without pride in bowing out of the tournament like a whining, tailless dog.
The teams that played their guts out came through with flying colors. Yugoslavia came from behind to beat Argentina, 84-77, in overtime for the gold. That took some doing. New Zealand defied the odds in barging into the semis at Puerto Rico’s expense. But the Americans gave up when the going got tough, showing lack of desire in putting life and limb on the line for flag and country.
;Clearly, the NBA players backtracked when they realized the opposition was too tough and they hadn’t prepared hard enough for the grind. Their egos were bruised. They were supposed to be the world’s best players, the high-salaried pros from the NBA, but in the international game of constant motion, they were like novices taken to school by their elders.
Who should be blamed for the US debacle? The players who didn’t feel like playing. The players who should’ve played but didn’t because they wanted to enjoy their vacation in the NBA offseason–in other words, they couldn’t be bothered playing for the country. The coaching staff that couldn’t figure out how to defend the weaving five-man motion offense. The players who refused to play as a team. The US Selection Committee whose job was to pick the best players available for the squad. Maybe, all of the above.