Gregg Popovich: Bronze effort worthy of praise
San Antonio Express-News
At the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens, Greece, the U.S. men's basketball team earned a bronze medal for its efforts. For many fans and media across the country, reactions varied widely from utter disbelief that a gold medal was not captured to hardy congratulations for a job well done.
My personal opinion is this team faced a formidable challenge and should be lauded for its achievement. These individuals should be credited for the sacrifice made in terms of the time they gave to represent our country when many others chose not to.
In only 22 days, these players improved consistently and progressed to a point where a real team was beginning to form. This was not fun and games but a serious quest to prepare for teams that were very talented, experienced and committed. As our young group matured and became more familiar with the circumstances, it did itself proud.
Further substantial credit must be given to teams and coaches across the globe. One has only to observe the many first-round picks in the NBA Draft over the last three years (more than a third of the NBA Draft has been comprised of foreign-born players) to realize how many talented basketball players inhabit the planet. The sharing of information through clinics and workshops over the years has certainly paid off. Many coaches and teams in foreign countries have taken their place among the best.
It is only fair and important to the game that we all recognize this impressive growth and not be victims of hubris about a sport whose roots we correctly claim. Rather, we should celebrate the work done and camaraderie established across the world in the name of basketball. The following facts may help many understand just how competitive our American team was:
The same Lithuanian team that the United States defeated for the bronze medal this summer missed a last-second shot in the 2000 Olympics in Sydney which would have kept Team USA — a team that featured NBA All-Stars Jason Kidd, Gary Payton, Antonio McDyess, Kevin Garnett, Alonzo Mourning and Vince Carter — out of the gold-medal game.
This year's team (the youngest in the field) competed admirably to defeat such an experienced and talented opponent. This accomplishment is more impressive when one considers how difficult it is to adapt to a different set of rules and interpretations by officials.
The defeat of Spain on the first night of the medal round was a quality victory against one of only two undefeated teams in the tournament. This is the same Spanish team that in the 2002 world championships defeated our American team and set it in sixth place.
These international teams are not composed of third-rate players who are incapable of competing at the highest levels. Argentina, the eventual gold-medal winner, boasts a group that includes players who have, had or will play for NBA teams like the Chicago Bulls, Spurs, Philadelphia 76ers, Detroit Pistons and Seattle SuperSonics.
Teams such as Germany (led by Dirk Nowitzki), France (led by Tony Parker) and Turkey (led by Hedo Turkoglu and Mehmet Okur) did not even qualify to participate in the Olympics. There were as many as 15 to 20 other players in the tournament whom NBA teams would love to have but have been unable to negotiate appropriate contracts.
The team from Serbia and Montenegro, the winner of the 2002 world championships in Indianapolis, was not able to even qualify for the medal round at the Olympics. This is a good indicator of how tough and even the competition has become.
The steady progress in basketball around the world is certainly a tribute to the game and a wonderful challenge for American basketball. This competitiveness should make future contests something to look forward to for all of us.
These facts are not given to make excuses for anyone involved with this effort but rather to help inform those who choose to criticize instead of congratulate this squad. Criticism of the coaches or the selection committee will exist and, to some degree, can always be justified depending on one's perspective — but leave the players alone. The common denominator is all three entities did their best under difficult circumstances and the team improved steadily to a point where it became the best it could be by any standard.
We coaches will always feel good about this team's accomplishment. We can only hope that people will understand what a fine job the players did and what class and competitiveness they displayed in winning a bronze medal in a game that held little meaning for those who expected a gold medal automatically.
Are there tweaks that can be made at various points in the system? Were there situations that can be avoided in the future to make the probability of success higher? Yes on both counts. Players, coaches, and USA Basketball and NBA personnel will share those ideas with each other in the hope that a more perfect beginning will help to ensure an even more successful ending.
I suggest we applaud this team for its efforts and accomplishments and respect and enjoy the rise of basketball around the world. We can all anticipate and plan for future contests that will hold a new meaning for all who participate.
This notion is truly one that makes the Olympic Games special.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Gregg Popovich is the Spurs' executive vice president of basketball operations and coach. He has served as an assistant coach for the U.S. men's basketball team since 2002.
