Bernucca: We need an NBA Hall of Fame

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The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame has undergone two major overhauls. Basketball Hall of Fame Springfield

It’s time for another one.

Not the dramatic architectural changes of 1985 and 2002, in which new buildings were constructed to accommodate the growth of the greatest sport in the world. No, this overhaul will ensure that sort of renovation won’t be needed again for quite some time.

It’s time for an NBA Hall of Fame.

Tonight’s ceremonies in Springfield will induct 12 new members to the Hall. And as has often been the case in recent years, there will be more head-scratchers than no-brainers.

Here’s some of the folks who have entered the Hall in just the last five years: Mirko Novosel, Pedro Ferrandiz, Cathy Rush, Maciel Pereira and Herb Magee. I’ll take Obscure Basketball Immortals for $200, Alex.

Also inducted in that time span were Van Chancellor, Vivian Stringer, Bob Hurley, Cynthia Cooper, Goose Tatum, Tara VanDerveer and Teresa Edwards. Those are certainly much more recognizable names – whose combined connection to the NBA totals zero games.

Meanwhile, truly legitimate candidates such as JoJo White, Sidney Moncrief and Maurice Cheeks remain on the wrong side of the velvet rope, wondering if their significant achievements at the unquestioned highest level of the game will ever be acknowledged.

Alongside the no-brainers of Reggie Miller, Don Nelson, Chet Walker and Mel Daniels, here is this year’s class of head-scratchers:

  • Ralph Sampson and Jamaal Wilkes. Great college players. Above average NBA players. Not Hall of Famers.
  • Hank Nichols. A long-time referee – in the NCAA.
  • Nike chairman Phil Knight. Hunh?
  • Katrina McClain. A truly great player – in the women’s college and international game.
  • Lidia Alexeeva. Who?
  • And the All-American Redheads, a team that does not include Matt Bonner, Robert Swift or or Brian Scalabrine.

Although it may appear otherwise, this is not an attempt to discredit the bodies of work of these folks on one of the greatest days of their lives. I’m sure there are people much older, smarter and more worldly than me who can effectively argue on behalf of each of them.

And you don’t even have to bother making a case for Don Barksdale, another of this year’s inductees. He was the first black player to be named an All-American, Olympian and All-Star, the sort of pioneer that mandates a historical wing in every Hall of Fame.

But when Miller and Nelson are enshrined alongside the likes of Sampson and Alexeeva, it can also be effectively argued that true basketball immortality has been devalued.

Years ago, I asked former longtime NBA coach and broadcaster Kevin Loughery about the Hall of Fame merits of Mark Jackson, who had ascended to second on the all-time assists list but had played in just one All-Star Game. Loughery spent several minutes pointing out the arguments for and against Jackson, then ended our chat with this gem.

“It doesn’t matter. Everybody gets in now.”

It sure seems that way.

Ralph Sampson candid shot not playingSampson and Wilkes played a combined 1,284 games, or two less than Sam Perkins. They have one All-NBA selection between them. They never led the league in any category. They never finished higher than 10th in any MVP balloting.

Their ability to perform at a truly great level ended when they left college, where Sampson was a three-time Player of the Year and Wilkes was a two-time All-American and NCAA champion. If both had chosen grad school over the NBA, they would still be worthy of the Hall of Fame — the National College Basketball Hall of Fame, which opened in 2006 in Kansas City.

If Sampson and Wilkes can ride their college resumes into Springfield, who else is under consideration? Tyler Hansbrough? Joakim Noah? Kevin Houston? Should we really be reserving immortality for players whose level of greatness was obviously diminished by the level of competition?

McClain also is worthy of the Hall of Fame – the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame, which opened in 1999 in Knoxville, Tennessee. A two-time All-American, Olympic gold medalist and world champion, she was inducted in 2006.

And Alexeeva is Hall of Fame material – the FIBA Hall of Fame, which opened in 1991 in Madrid, Spain. Having never lost a major international competition in 22 years as coach of the Russian women’s team, she was inducted in 2007. She also was an inaugural inductee to the Women’s Hall.

Knight built Nike into an omnipresent international brand. However, his company also makes footwear, apparel and equipment for football, baseball, track and just about every other sport. Does that make him eligible for those Halls as well? Perhaps he belongs in the American National Business Hall of Fame, which opened in 1972 and boasts Ray Kroc, Walt Disney and Sam Walton as members.

The mere fact that the college, women’s and international games each have opened a Hall of Fame in the last generation illustrates the need to honor those whose greatness, while undeniable, does not transcend the sport at its highest level.

That is the NBA, whose players and coaches continue to be evaluated alongside these inductees, rather than above them.

Is that elitist? If it isn’t, it should be. Today more than ever, the NBA towers above all other levels of the game in both skill and scope. Its players have never been better and its global reach has never been greater. It is folly to compare any achievement in any other level of basketball to the accomplishments of NBA players, coaches, executives and administrators.

Instead of implementing a hard salary cap or lowering the age limit on the Olympics, this should be David Stern’s coda as commissioner. Forget the money pits of the NBA Store, WNBA and international offices and instead smartly fund, plan and construct a shrine whose exclusivity befits basketball’s sole stratosphere.

A place that doesn’t value a sneaker salesman above Sidney Moncrief.

Chris Bernucca is a regular contributor to SheridanHoops.com. His columns appear Wednesday and Sunday during the season. You can follow him on Twitter.

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Hubbard: What we learned about the NBA this summer

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Moments after the Los Angeles Lakers were ejected from the 2012 playoffs by the Oklahoma City Thunder, Kobe Bryant talked calmly with reporters. No doubt the competitive anger within Bryant was hissing and steaming, but he was suppressing it because he was confident history would repeat itself.

“I’m sure we’ll figure it out,” he said of the Lakers’ second consecutive ouster in the second round of the playoffs. “We always have and I’m sure we will again.”

Yes, the Lakers always figure it out.

What is amazing about their superiority is how willingly other teams help them. Everyone knows Lakers history, but it seems opponents are more than happy to add to Lakers tradition.

It’s happened consistently, and it even started a few years before Dr. Jerry Buss purchased the team in 1979. By that time, the Lakers had traded four very good but not great players for Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and already had been involved in a deal that would bring them Magic Johnson.

With Kareem and Magic, they won two titles in three years. After the second one in 1982, because of a deal under the Buss administration, they also had the No. 1 pick in the draft — and that’s how they got James Worthy.

How many teams win a title and get the No. 1 pick?

Throughout Buss’s tenure, players would get old and be replaced. Kareem and Magic would leave, but Bryant would be acquired by a trade and Shaquille O’Neal would sign as a free agent.

When Shaq wore out his welcome, he left, the Lakers stumbled, but then they were presented Pau Gasol on a platter.

And when they had what seemed to be an abundantly talented roster but still couldn’t make it to the conference finals, they did little more than snap their fingers and acquired the best center in the league in Dwight Howard.

The victim in the latest Lakers annihilation was 30-year-old first-time general manager Rob Hennigan. Admittedly, he was making a deal from a position of extraordinary weakness because of the unpredictable Howard, whose act is more suited for the “Real Housewives of Orange County” than professional basketball.

Howard’s indecisiveness and sophomoric behavior took all leverage away from Hennigan, but it still seems that he could have gotten a better deal. In return for the best center in the league, the Magic got players taken in their respective drafts at 15, 16, 25, 27, 30 and 37. They also got five draft picks – but all were from teams that made the playoffs.

Good luck with that.

(RELATED: Winners and losers in the Dwight Howard trade)

If Howard demonstrates the maturity of, say, Metta World Peace – which in some cases would be a step up for him – the Lakers will pass Oklahoma City in the West. And with the addition of Steve Nash, they will also be on par, if not better, than the Heat.

We learned this summer what we have known since Jerry Buss purchased the Lakers in 1979. Maybe they aren’t one step ahead of the rest of the league all of the time, but they are for most of the time. In the 32 years Buss has owned the team, the Lakers have had losing records only three times. During that stretch, in contrast, the Celtics have had losing records 11 times.

That record is simply staggering.

Again this offseason, the Lakers figured it out.

As Kobe said, they always have.

The Lakers’ fleecing of Howard ranks No. 1 this summer. Here are five more issues that dominated the off-season.

1. Kobe vs. Dream Team.

The Lakers figured it out, but at least in one area, Kobe Bryant did not. During training camp in Las Vegas to prepare for the Olympics, Bryant said the current team could defeat the celebrated 1992 team that not only included 11 members of the Hall of Fame, but also is in the Hall of Fame as a team. That produced a large number of disdainful responses.

Michael Jordan:  ”I absolutely laughed. [There is] no comparison. For him to compare those two teams is not one of the smarter things he ever could have done.”

Charles Barkley: “Other than Kobe, LeBron [James] and Kevin Durant, I don’t think anybody else on that team makes our team.”

Patrick Ewing: “Best out of 10, I’d say we’d have beaten them 10 out of 10.”

The public agreed. There were a number of Web sites that conducted polls and the 2012 team did not win even one. On the Huffington Post, the Dream Team got 83 percent of the vote with the 2012 team getting 17 percent.

What Bryant learned is that you don’t – even innocently and casually – diminish a legend. It’s like saying “my daddy can beat up your daddy.”

It never ends well.

FIBA Secretary General Patrick Baumann

2. David Stern vs. FIBA.

In the months leading up to the Olympics and the 20-year anniversary of the Dream Team, a number of web sites and publications had major features or retrospectives of NBA participation in the Olympics. Amazingly, several of those still made the mistake of writing that the NBA forced its way into the Olympics because U.S. collegians lost to the Soviet Union in the 1988 Olympics in Seoul.

The suggestion was that Stern bullied his way into the Olympics, but that simply was not the case. Plus it was an insult to Boris Stankovic, the Serbian-born basketball visionary who was responsible for open play in international basketball.

While the basketball world was looking so forward to the Olympic tournament, Stern surprisingly diverted attention by suggesting that international rules be changed to make the Olympics a 23-and-under tournament.

Instead, the world championship of basketball would become the World Cup of Basketball with all NBA players. And suddenly – presumably by proclamation or decree – the World Cup would have instant credibility and prestige and be more important than the Olympics.

Stern had to be surprised by the reaction.

“It’s a stupid idea,” Kobe Bryant said.

And FIBA head Patrick Baumann, who replaced Stankovic, simply said “no.”

“It would be premature to make changes in the quality of basketball at the Olympics,” Baumann said.

(RELATED: FIBA tells Stern: No changes to Olympics)

There are many in the NBA who are unhappy that most of the money generated by NBA players in the Olympics does not go to the NBA. There is no doubt that a World Cup run by the NBA would produce more profits for the NBA.

But Stern underestimated the power and tradition of the Olympics. Players like James and Bryant spoke often of how important it was to them to play for the United States. They acquitted themselves impressively and sent a great message to the entire world about the quality of NBA players not only on the floor, but in the role of representing their countries. Players from other countries concurred — unanimously.

NBA executives and owners may want a change in Olympics basketball – but players and the rest of the world do not.

3. The Nets vs. Their Image.

While it is true that Deron Williams got an additional year and $23 million to move to Brooklyn with the Nets instead of returning to his native Dallas and playing for the Mavericks, he said money was secondary.

Players always say that, but Williams pointed out that he not only pays city and state taxes in New York, but the cost of housing and education is also higher. And he has four kids. He still would have gotten more in Brooklyn, but the difference was more like $9 million over five years.

Williams, said, however, that he stayed with the Nets because under Mikhail Prokhorov, the Nets have been more aggressive than the Mavericks under Mark Cuban.

“I just felt like Brooklyn – the way they were going and willing to spend under this new CBA – was a better situation,” Williams said. “It was just more of a basketball decision.”

So let’s get this straight: The Nets are more aggressive than the Mavericks, who won the 2011 championship? Someone is willing to spend more money than Mark Cuban? And someone stays with the Nets – who are in the same conference with the Heat, Bulls and Celtics – for basketball reasons?

In the NBA, the times – they are a-changin.

(RELATED: WHERE do the Nets sit in our September offseason Power Rankings?)

4. Dallas Mavericks vs. conventional wisdom.

Is it possible for a Pot Luck Team to compete for any NBA title? Mark Cuban is going to find out.

The rowdy Dallas owner has tried to manage new salary cap rules in future years by not committing to long term deals unless the player is a premium player. That led him to not re-signing key players from the 2011 championship team in hopes the Mavericks might be able to sign Williams and Howard.

That didn’t happened and as a result, the Mavericks now have only Dirk Nowitzki and Shawn Marion left from their championship team.

But Cuban has been aggressive, acquiring Elton Brand, Chris Kaman, O.J. Mayo and Darren Collison.

The Mavericks will again have salary cap flexibility next season, and there is no doubt they have acquired very good players.

But how good will they be?

One thing is certain – they have an excellent coach in Rick Carlisle . . . and we’ll see exactly how good he is this year.

Orlando Magic GM Rob Hennigan

5. The GM factory.

During the summer, three executives with roots in San Antonio were hired as GMs – Danny Ferry in Atlanta, Dennis Lindsey in Utah and Rob Hennigan in Orlando. They join Dell Demps of the Hornets, Sam Presti of Oklahoma City and Kevin Pritchard of Indiana as general managers in the league who either began or spent portions of their careers with the Spurs.

The tandem of Gregg Popovich and R.C. Buford also have played roles in the careers of a number of head coaches – Mike Brown of the Lakers, Avery Johnson of the Nets, Monty Williams of the Hornets and Jacque Vaughn of the Magic. And Phoenix’s Alvin Gentry also began his coaching career as an assistant in San Antonio.

It seems clear that if you want to be a general manager or head coach, you should do everything possible to get an apprenticeship with the San Antonio Spurs.

Jan Hubbard has written about basketball since 1976 and worked in the NBA league office for eight years in between media stints. Follow him on Twitter at @whyhub. For Hubbard’s archive from SheridanHoops.com, click here.

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FIBA to Stern: No changes to the Olympics

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FIBA Secretary General Patrick Baumann

FIBA has spoken.

And their message to NBA Commissioner David Stern is this: We’re not changing the Olympics, bub.

In an in-house interview with FIBA.com, secretary general Patrick Baumann took a strong stance against changing to a 23-and-under rule, which Stern and NBA owners are pushing for.

Baumann said such a change would actually give the United States an unfair advantage because of the advanced developmental system in the U.S. compared to other countries.

“There is also a more general issue of what the Olympic Games represent. The NBA, the IOC and FIBA, we have all earned a lot – not just in financial terms – from professional athletes being at the Olympics since 1992. This is the case with regards to the way basketball has grown, from where we were then to where we are now,” Baumann said. “So it would be premature to make changes in the quality of basketball at the Olympics, especially before having maximised the potential of the World Cup. So it’s too early to make any changes in the Olympic programme.

Baumann is proposing moving the World Cup (formerly known as the World Championship) to one year prior to the Olympics, and making it the main Olympic qualification tournament. Baumann also said FIBA would again petition the ICO to increase the number of teams in the Olympic tournament from 12 to 16. The IOC has twice rejected this proposal.

FIBA also is petitioning the IOC to add 3-on-3 basketball to the game in Rio de Janeiro in 2016.

Changes to the World Cup would not be instituted until 2019.

Interview excerpts:

  • “From a rules perspective, tanking and flopping always remain issues we need to monitor and improve, but I am extremely happy about the strong officiating we had in London, with referees from all continents participating efficiently at each level of the tournament. The three-point line has been extended only recently but there is already a debate whether we should not have immediately moved to the NBA three-point distance.”
  • “There are heated discussions about which is the prime event between the FIBA Basketball World Cup and the Olympic Basketball Tournament. It’s not about comparing the two. They have different values and we benefit from both. Certainly in terms of the sport aspect, the FIBA Basketball World Cup is more intense because the best teams are really there. But the Olympics represent something much bigger with its values and the fact that winning an Olympic medal is probably the dream of a lifetime for every athlete. We can’t refuse that.”
  • The NBA and FIBA absolutely need to keep working together. There is no other solution for basketball to grow from where it is now to where it can go next. I’m sure the IOC wants the NBA’s best athletes to keep on playing in the Olympics, we want that too as well as, of course, at the World Cup. And we’ve heard that the players want to come to the Olympics. Also, the NBA wants to continue to progress globally, to benefit from basketball’s popularity and growth. We need to find the right way to define the structure of our competitions in general – it’s about the World Cup, how you qualify for it, how many games the players have to play in the four-year cycle. It’s not just about the two weeks of the Olympics. So it’s a whole package that we’ve been working on for a year now. Within that package, the Olympic Games are an important piece. As I said, we will make some tough decisions at the end of the year about how we strengthen the World Cup, how new countries can climb the ranking and how we ensure the NBA stays within the FIBA basketball family so that have 20 more years of growth coming up at the same speed if not better, because we feel we can do better.

Click here to read Baumann’s entire interview.

(RELATED CONTENT: Sheridan: An Open Letter to Commissioner David Stern)

(RELATED CONTENT: David Stern Wants to Ruin The Olympics, Part I)

(RELATED CONTENT: David Stern Wants to Ruin the Olympics, Part II)

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Mitnick: Olympic Qualifying Tournament Preview

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Kostas Papanikolau of Greece, the 2nd-round draft pick of the New York Knicks in 2012

Olympic basketball begins today … sort of.

And all those New York Knicks fans who are wondering about their new draft pick, Kostas Papanikolau, will likely get a chance to see him later this summer against Team USA.

Greece is one of the favorites in the FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament that begins today in Venezuela, and there are more familiar faces for NBA fans than one might imagine.

Andrei Kirilenko and Timofey Mozgov are representing Russia. J.J. Barea, Carlos Arroyo and Renaldo Balkman are representing Puerto Rico.

Al Horford is playing for the Dominican Republic, which will be coached by John Calipari (who cut Charlie Villanueva from the team). Al-Farouq Aminu and Ike Diogu are playing for Nigeria.

Sarunas Jasikevicius and Jonas Valanciunas are competing for Lithuania.

Bo McCalebb of Macedonia

Bo McCallebb, the pride of both New Orleans and Skopje, will be playing for Macedonia

The top three teams from the 12-team field will earn berths in the London Olympics, and the top two finishers will be in Team USA’s preliminary round group, which already includes France and Argentina.

My picks to win the three Olympic berths are Russia, Greece and Lithuania.

Here is a preview of the tournament and a rundown of the participants. The tournament runs through July 8, and we will be bringing you daily updates on SheridanHoops.com.

The teams are split into four groups of three who will compete in a round-robin format. The top two teams in each group will make it to the quarterfinals, which will be a one-and-done tournament, in which the winners of the semifinal games qualify for the London Olympics and losers battle in a death match of a bronze medal game.

The field:

Group A

Greece – The Greeks have long been known as a tough challenger in international competitions, especially after their smackdown of Team USA in the 2006 World Championships. The Greek team doesn’t feature any current NBA players, but has several players who have been NBA draft picks and several of the best players Europe has to offer. Led by All-Euroleague first teamer, Vassilis Spanoulis, Greece has a very balanced attack behind European vets Ioannis Bourousis, Nikolas Zisis, Antonis Fotsis and Kostas Kaimakoglou, as well as three NBA rights owned players, Nick Calathes (Florida/Dallas Mavericks) and the Knicks’ pair, Kostas Papanikolaou and Georgis Printezis.

It will be a bit of an adjustment for Greece to move forward without three of Europe’s best players and former national team stalwarts Theo Papaloukas, Sofoklis Schortsanitis and Dimitris Diamantidis, but the opportunity will be there for their talented youngsters to make a jump. Look for the Knicks duo of Papanikolaou and Printezis to make a big impact with their overall toughness and clutch play. Papanikolaou can really get to the rack and is a streaky 3-point shooter who can occasionally carry his team by making consecutive momentum 3-point shots. Papanikolaou knows that until he proves himself in the NBA, Knicks fans will be questioning him, and he undoubtedly is the type of personality who will look to get the fans excited with spectacular play. Look for him to be the breakout player in international competition this summer.

Puerto Rico – Puerto Rico has been a staple in the World Championships and beat the United States by 19 in the first game of the 2004 Athens Olympics. Led by Carlos Arroyo, who just led Besiktas (Deron Williams’ old team) to a championship in the Turkish League and the Euro Challenge, and 2011 NBA Champion, J.J. Barea, the Puerto Rican team will need another guy to step up big for them if they are to have a chance to qualify. While Renaldo Balkman may provide some defense, look for D-League rookie of the year, Edwin Ubiles, to have an outstanding tournament if Puerto Rico is to be in the mix to advance.

 

Jordan – Featuring no players with any experience in any major leagues in America, Europe or Asia, Jordan will have a tough time competing with two experienced teams. Don’t expect them to come within 30 in the two games they will play.

 

 

Group B

Lithuania – Despite finishing fifth on their home soil last summer’s Eurobasket, Lithuania has typically been a very strong international team, winning a bronze medal at the last World Championship, and coming in fourth place in the last Olympic tournament. Linas Kleiza appears set to become a leader on this squad, with his athleticism and energy level very difficult to match in this tournament. He is more of a role player and energy guy in the NBA, but on the national team, he will be expected to be one of the pieces that makes Lithuania go.

The Raptors’ 2011 first-round draft pick, Jonas Valanciunas, (a favorite of Miami rapper O’Grime) looks to emerge from being up-and-coming contributor to a leader on the national team. His production on both sides of the ball and his tremendous length will prove as a major weapon that this veteran squad will need if it wants to not only qualify for the Olympics, but also make some noise.

The regulars, such as Sarunas Jasicevicius (known to Israelis as Sharas), Robertas Javtokas, Paulius Jankunas, Ramantas Kaukenas and Darius Songaila, give Lithuania a deep squad with a veteran presence. Add former Duke guard, Martynas Pocius, who emerged last summer as the team’s starting point guard, and Lithuania appears to have a very likely chance of locking up one of the Olympic spots.

Nigeria – While Nigeria is by no means a favorite to make it out of this tournament, they will surprise some people over the next few days. Aside from former lottery picks Al-Farouq Aminu and Ike Diogu, Nigeria has several players who are strong contributors in Europe.

Their main x-factor for this tournament is former George Mason point guard, Tony Skinn, who was the major push behind George Mason’s miraculous 2006 Final Four run. Skinn spent this past season playing for Ironi Ashkelon in Israel, where he made a habit of hitting momentum baskets. Skinn plays with a lot of moxie, and his 3-point shooting percentage has been a major factor in his team’s win/loss percentage throughout his career.

Venezuela – Coached by Eric Musselman, Venezuela has a chance to compete with Nigeria for the quarterfinal slot, and they will be relying heavily on New Orleans Hornets guard Greivis Vasquez. Vasquez can lead a team, as he showed last summer and during his time at the University of Maryland, but to get this team an Olympic berth, Vasquez  may need to average a triple-double for the tournament.

 

 

Group C

Russia – Led by Andrei Kirilenko, this team should have little trouble making it back to the Olympics, where they won the bronze medal in 2008.

Kirilenko is coming off of a Euroleague MVP season for CSKA Moscow, and he has a perfect game for European competition as he is an incredible defender and finds a way to make a strong contribution offensively through the flow of the game.

Look for former CSKA guard, Alexy Shved, to have a monster tournament as he tries to play himself onto an NBA roster for next year. Shved has an amazing first step, can get to the rack at an excellent rate, and should prove to be a solid backup as a scoring point guard in the NBA.

Rounding out coach David Blatt’s roster will be former NBA first-round picks, Victor Khryapa and Sergey Monya, as well as big men Timofey Mozgov (Nuggets) and former Kansas Jayhawk, Sasha Kaun.

The Russians have a lot of experience and are coming in with a very serious attitude, and it is hard to imagine any scenario in which they are not competing in London.

(From our archives: Kirilenko played like a “wild horse” in Eurobasket ’11).

 

Dominican Republic – Coach Calipari may be able to recruit the best talent to bring championships in college, but it appears he will not have such luck with the Dominican Republic national team. While they will be led by NBA All-Star Al Horford, he is coming off an injury and may not be his dominant self.

Charlie Villanueva was cut by Calipari for reporting to camp out of shape. Without the depth of some of the top teams, Horford will need former Louisville guards, Francisco Garcia (Kings) and Edgar Sosa, to step up big time. Garcia has excellent leadership ability and will need to play very well in crunch time for this team to pick up some W’s. This squad may have very little depth, but with Horford and Calipari, they have an outside shot at sneaking into London.

South Korea – Korea is in a little bit over its head in this tournament, but this experience will be very important for this emerging basketball market. Former Cal big man Rod Benson spent last season playing (more like dominating) in Korea, and spoke very highly about the competition level and the up-and-coming play of the domestic players. They will probably get whacked in both of their games, but this experience could be a stepping stone for the future for this squad.

Group D

FYR Macedonia – The big surprise in last summer’s Eurobasket, Macedonia will need a miracle run from Bo McCalebb to have the slightest chance to play in London. McCalebb is an unbelievable scorer who seems content passing up a chance to be a strong third guard in the NBA in favor of being arguably Europe’s best scorer.

McCalebb will need help from rebounding forward, Pero Antic (Olympiacos), and point guard, Vlado Ilievski. They should make it out of Group D, since they are in unquestionably the weakest group, but they will struggle to get wins after the group stage. (From our archives: Chris Sheridan’s profile of McCalebb from his coverage of Eurobasket ’11). 

Angola – They won’t wow you with any recognizable names, but they are a squad that plays with energy and effort. No matter who their opponent is, they play hard on both ends for 40 minutes, and their combination of effort and athleticism should be too much for New Zealand to overcome in the group stage.

 

New Zealand – New Zealand is only here because FIBA lets in the second-place finisher from the weak Oceania region. They have had their moments in international competitions, and were the toast of the town in Indianapolis at the 2002 World Championship, regularly quenching their thirsts at one of America’s great music bars, the Slippery Noodle. Their best player, Kirk Penney, is not on the roster, nor is former national team stalwart Pero Cameron.

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David Stern wants to ruin the Olympics

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NEW YORK — Our best vs. your best, and let’s see who can win the gold medal in men’s basketball at the Olympics.

That was the idea that spawned the Dream Team, and now NBA commissioner David Stern sounds as though he wants to change it.

Stern on Wednesday endorsed a discussion of limiting the Olympics and the World Cup of Basketball (formerly called the World Championship) to players 23 and under, bowing to pressure from NBA owners who have complained that their prized assets are loaned out for free each summer to international federations.

“In some ways, because of a certain tradition that’s out there, the players that have it the most difficult and the pressure is the greatest on is the non-American players; that there’s an expectation. And if we change the rules so that they can only be expected to play in two Olympics, I think that would relieve them more than they will say publicly, and their teams,” Stern said at his news conference prior to the NBA draft lottery. “And that’s an idea, and as (deputy commissioner) Adam (Silver) said, that’s good to discuss with the (competition) committee. We’ll see where that goes.”

Until 1992, American professional players were barred from the Olympics under the arcane “amateur” rules that allowed professional players from Communist-bloc nations to field older teams, while the United States played with teams comprised of college players.

After the United States lost in the 1988 Seoul Olympics, the International Basketball Federation (FIBA) opened the competition to professionals, and the greatest team ever assembled, the original Dream Team, made a such a splash at the Barcelona Olympics that it led to the global growth of the game.

The Americans won gold in 1992, 1996, 2000 and 2008, with the 2004 team losing three times and finishing with the bronze medal.

Team USA is heading to London this summer with a team that may rival the original Dream Team in terms of talent.

But will it be the last time we see America’s very best take on the very best from other countries?

From listening to Stern and Silver, it seems quite possible.

“We think international soccer has an excellent model and in the case of soccer, of course, there’s the World Cup of football, which is the biggest sporting event in the world every four years, and then in the off-years, for the World Cup, they play, in essence, with some exceptions, a 23-and-under competition at the Olympics,” Silver said. “And there’s a recognition, certainly Mark Cuban, other owners have raised repeatedly the issue of our players playing in essence year round when you add the Olympics to our newly-renamed World Championship of Basketball to our World Cup of Basketball.

“So when you have the Olympics, the World Cup of basketball, we are taking a very close look at whether it makes sense from an NBA standpoint and a global basketball standpoint for the top players to be playing at that level on a year round basis,” Silver said. “So what we have told FIBA, and what David has announced several times, is that we are all in through the London Olympics, and then post-London Olympics, we want to step back together with USA Basketball, led by Jerry Colangelo and Patrick Baumann in FIBA and … we need to take a long-term view of what makes sense both for the NBA and for the game.”

 

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