US cagers hiding in luxury

The US Dream Team is playing it safe off the court at the Athens Olympics. The millionaire cagers aren’t quartered at the Olympic Village where some 16,000 athletes and officials are billeted. They’re living–or is it hiding?–in luxury aboard the 14-deck, $800 Million liner Queen Mary 2 docked in the Piraeus Harbor.

Security has been a problem for the US squad since the arrival of National Basketball Association (NBA) stars at the 1992 Barcelona Olympics. Traffic screeches to a halt whenever the NBA celebrities are out on the streets, no matter the country.

The Queen Mary 2 was launched last January and is the world’s largest, longest, widest, tallest and fastest ocean vessel. It has three 23-ton anchors, the ability to relocate at the speed of 28.5 knots, a 20,000 square foot spa club, 10 restaurants, five swimming pools, a planetarium, a miniature golf course and 1,310 staterooms. The Cunard Line ship has the capacity to handle 2,620 passengers.

Obviously, the 12 NBA stars and the coaching staff aren’t the only Queen Mary 2 residents during the 16-day Olympics. The women’s team is also billeted in the liner. And their families are sharing suites that measure anywhere from 381 to 2,249 square feet. Some US officials and dignitaries are bunking in, too, according to a press release from the International Basketball Federation (FIBA).

Although it’s widely known where the Dream Team is staying, the players aren’t confirming anything. They’re paranoid about security especially since the USS Cole was attacked by Al-Qaeda terrorists at sea four years ago.

Not even the 1,132-foot long Queen Mary 2 is absolutely secure.

Aside from security, what’s keeping the NBA stars awake at nights is the thought of returning home without the gold medal–no longer a remote possibility.

Although the US has posted a 24-0 record in Olympic basketball since the NBA invasion, the consensus is the rest of the world is fast catching up and it’s just a matter of time before the dynasty collapses.

At the 2000 Sydney Olympics, the US was a three-point shot away from losing to Lithuania in the semifinals and struggled in beating France for the gold. Two years later, the NBA stars were embarrassed at the World Championships on home soil and lost thrice in slipping to sixth place.

Enroute to Athens, coach Larry Brown’s charges figured in six exhibition games in 10 days in four different countries. The baptism of fire exposed the Americans’ ignorance of the international game where outside shooting, crisp passing, constant motion and a stifling zone defense are the trademarks.

The US lost to Olympic qualifier Italy by 17 points, barely beat Germany by three and had difficulty scuttling Turkey twice. The NBA stars crushed Puerto Rico by 25 and Serbia and Montenegro by 18 to post a 5-1 overall record.

In the NBA, defenders are not allowed to camp inside the lane for more than three seconds but there is no time limit under FIBA rules. That quirk and a spread-out zone defense take away the Americans’ vaunted power play at the post. Penetration is also kept to a minimum because of those factors. And with no reliable outside shooters, the US team is in a bind when its fastbreak attack is stymied.

Teamwork is the key to victory in Olympic basketball. If the Americans think they can steamroll back to the throne through sheer individual talent, they’re dreaming.

Because of the US team’s unfamiliarity with the international game, writer Bucky Gleason of the Buffalo News said the Americans are doomed to failure in Athens. "This is no Dream Team," he wrote. "This is a nightmare waiting to happen. The Americans are no longer dominant, just good. The Yanks might have the best athletes in the tournament but they’re kidding themselves if they believe they have the best team."

Several NBA stars turned down the invitation to play in Athens for a variety of reasons ranging from security to marriage to injuries. Among those who declined were Ray Allen, Kobe Bryant, Shaquille O’Neal, Jason Kidd, Karl Malone, Tracy McGrady, Mike Bibby, Vince Carter, Kenyon Martin, Elton Brand, Jermaine O’Neal, Rip Hamilton and Ben Wallace.

So Brown was left with a motley crew of veterans and newcomers. Tim Duncan of the Virgin Islands is the US team’s main force–to think that he’s an import. Others in the squad are Allen Iverson, LeBron James, Carmelo Anthony, Richard Jefferson, Stephon Marbury, Dwyane Wade, Shawn Marion, Amare Stoudemire, Lamar Odom, Carlos Boozer and Emeka Okafur.

Duncan, Iverson and Anthony were the only players who averaged in double figures in the six-game exhibitions.

Expected to crowd the US in the battle for gold are world champion Serbia and Montenegro (despite playing without Peja Stojakovic and Vlade Divac), Argentina starring Manu Ginobili, Lithuania led by Darius Songalia and Spain bannered by 7-footers Pau Gasol and Roberto Duenas.

Others in the 12-team tournament are Angola, Australia, China, Greece, Italy, New Zealand and Puerto Rico.

"I think the challenge is we want to play the right way and make people understand we have the best players," said Brown who is bidding to become the first ever to coach championship teams in the NCAA, NBA and the Olympics. "We want people to enjoy the way we play so we can continue what the ‘92 team did and promote our sport."