MARCH TO THE SEA: Olympics Squad Not My Dream Team

Every four years, I get a treat: The Summer Olympics. Another chance to root against the American basketball team.

Call me a traitor if you’d like. My freshman year roommate, senior Will Levine, used to call me a “Commie” because of my anti-American allegiance. But I just cannot root for a collection of NBA superstars against the world, especially when there seems to be little or no interest—even among the American players themselves.

When the Olympics begin this August, the Americans will field Dream Team No. 3, a cast of B-minus professionals. Kobe’s out. Kevin Garnett is expected to turn down the Olympics invitation. Karl Malone wants out, and Shaq is non-committal. Vince Carter has said no, the New Jersey Nets tandem of Kenyon Martin and Jason Kidd both want to rest injuries, and Ray Allen is staying home because his first child is due in September. Jermaine O’Neal’s status is in doubt, Tracy McGrady and Mike Bibby have both expressed hesitance, and I have a sneaking suspicion that Allen Iverson may decide that negotiating a new contract and resting his body are more pressing issues than representing the country.

To further cement the sorry state of the U.S. Olympic basketball team, Amare Stoudamire was just added to the roster. Twelve years ago, it was Jordan, Bird, Magic. This year? Shawn Marion, Stoudamire and Richard Jefferson. Who are these guys?!

Of course, even with this rag-tag team, the Americans are still the huge favorites. They are far and away the most athletic, skilled team in the world. Other countries may have one or two star players, but the Americans have a roster full of the world’s best.

As a sports fan, you’re taught to root for the underdog. Unless you’re from New York, you hate the Yankees. It’s natural. Well, the Americans are the biggest favorite of them all. Thus, there’s no team I’d rather see lose.

I went to an Olympic basketball game in Atlanta eight years ago. It was Argentina against South Korea. Argentina won the game something like 80-20. Neither team had an NBA player on its roster.

The thing that struck me about the game was the passion of the South Korean fans. Their team only scored 10 baskets in 60 minutes, but when the Koreans scored, the crowd went nuts. I mean, bananas. The horns went off. A huge South Korean flag that was being held by five rows of people would shake furiously. Streamers, pennants and towels waved. An entire section of the crowd partied like it was 1996. And the Koreans lost by 60.

American fans respond to a basket by yawning. We just score so often—nobody cares. We won by 40 over Papua New Guinea? Great. We beat Slovakia by 13? Why so few? And where’s Slovakia?

The Olympics represent the grandest of stages. Wouldn’t it be fantastic for a little country to upset the U.S. on the court? For a bunch of 6’2 or 6’3 guards to run rampant over the NBA All-Stars? It would be like Harvard defeating North Carolina in college basketball. Only instead of a small school basking in five-minutes of glory, an entire nation would rejoice. It’d be fantastic to see, particularly for a war-torn country like Croatia.

And unlike Dream Team I or Dream Team II, this year’s squad is not totally invincible. As most of our best players seemingly don’t really care about the Olympics, a team like Croatia or Spain might have enough power to knock off Goliath. It would still be a stunning defeat, but one that would send a wake up call to an American basketball system that is, frankly, easy to root against. Let’s just say superstar NBA players tend not to be model citizens.

So, this summer, I’ll be donning the colors of Cameroon or the Czech Republic or any team that faces the nearly impossible task of knocking off the Americans.

If it’s Us against the World, I say, “Go World.”

—Staff writer Alex M. Sherman can be reached at sherman@fas.harvard.edu. His column normally appears on alternate Wednesdays.