Have you had enough of the politics?
Yeah, me too.
Oh no, sorry, not Donald Trump, Joe Biden and “democracy” debates. I’m talking USA Basketball.
While both the men and women are waging “controversial” roster wars, each a little different, I’ll focus here on the USA men.
Either select the teams to promote the game worldwide, thus providing more cash in the NBA coffers … or select them to win.
Sometimes, I understand, you can do both. And, I get it, promoting the game isn’t necessarily a “bad” model.
As far as the men go, winning isn’t as easy as it used to be.
The world has caught up.
Just see the All-NBA first team – Joe Embiid, Giannis Antetokounmpa, Luka Donic, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Jayson Tatum.
The first four were born outside of the USA.
And the last six NBA MVPs were Nikola Jokic (2021, 2022, 2024), Embiid (2023) and Antetokounmpo (2018, 2019).
The USA men have won four straight Olympics since settling for a bronze medal in 2004.
The fly in the ointment here is the FIBA World Championships. The USA men have won “only” two of the last seven (2014, 2010), which is not as big of a deal … apparently.
The 1992 Dream Team changed a lot about the USA’s process, as top players are opting in to be part of the Olympics’ experience — playing for their country and, well, the fringe benefits.
How can you criticize the best of the best when they want to play for good old US-of-A?
I’ll criticize.
The Jaylen Brown controversy is something that isn’t going to go away. Because of an injury to Kawhi Leonard, who has been a poster boy for injuries for most of his 13-year Hall of Fame career – playing more than 70 games only twice – there was a late opening.
USA Basketball chose to replace him with a Celtic, but not the NBA Finals MVP. Instead it was Derrick White.
How can you criticize adding a player like White, who not only can play both sides of the court as well as anybody, but also will be low maintenance in terms of playing time with all of those superstars?
White is the ultimate team guy, as we’ve seen up close and personal around here the past 2.5 years he’s been a Celtic.
But Brown, who was among the 28 final candidates for the USA Olympic roster, deserves to be in Paris after what he accomplished from Day 1 until, especially, Day 236 when the Celtics won their 18th NBA championship.
Instead of “White vs. Brown,” maybe it should have been “White and Brown.” Of course, a national team at the Olympics with four Celtics — including Jrue Holiday and Jayson Tatum — would be termed heresy. Now we’re hearing Kevin Durant’s calf muscle is an issue, forcing him to miss some time before the Olympics in Paris.
Is USA Basketball focused on winning, first and foremost, or promoting the game world-wide?
Brown deserves to be on the USA team. On both accounts.
While the USA team was announced in mid-April, before Brown’s incredible game-tying 3-pointer in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals against the Pacers and ensuing ECF and NBA Finals MVP trophies, why not leave a spot or two open until mid-June?
Brown can play defense with the best in the world – ask Luka! – and he can play offense with that same best-of-the-best group, too.
These teams are tough to pick. Knicks guard Jalen Brunson and Mavericks’ lightning rod Kyrie Irving have legitimate beefs, too.
I would argue that Brown deserves to be on this team, even pre-2024 playoffs, before Tryese Haliburton and Devin Booker. The Celtics did win the NBA regular season in a big way, too, as the only team with 60+ wins, and seven more than the No. 2 team.
We have come a long way from the 1980s USA men’s hockey team, which was not the best collection of talent, but as Herb Brooks said was a “team.”
But those days are long gone. The big names want to be included. Unfortunately, those big names aren’t always the best players, and they aren’t now on the 2024 USA men’s Olympic basketball team.
Brown is obviously upset. I would be, too. Politics, though, appears to have won in sports. Again.
You can email Bill Burt at bburt@eagletribune.com.