It?s not hard to find people praising the U.S. men?s basketball team after their 92-69 blowout victory over Greece on Thursday morning. Fans from all over the country couldn?t wait to tell anyone that would listen how great The Redeem Team is and how they?re going to put USA basketball back on top. Several writers submitted stories that focused on the growth and new maturity of this collection of All-Stars.

Although I share the fans? enthusiasm and respect the writers? opinions, I can?t say I totally agree with either of them. The thoughts that were going through my head were totally different as I watched Team USA smack Greece ? allow me to share a few.

Thursday?s win wasn?t an example of how much this team has grown.  Sure, there has been individual growth among the 12 players, but as we?ve been told for the last four years, individual talent doesn?t win gold medals.

It also wasn?t an example of some new, improved, unselfish attitude the players have developed. Both the 2004 and 2006 teams played together as hard as they could. Their failures didn?t come because of selfish play.

The 2004 team was plagued by Larry Brown?s ego.  The job he did at the ?04 games in Athens, not the terrible job he did with the Knicks, was the worst coaching of his career. I?ll admit that the team wasn?t anywhere close to the best the U.S. had to offer, but it was more than good enough to win gold.
Brown doesn?t get nearly enough blame for costing Team USA the gold ? and there?s no doubt that he did.

In 2004, Team USA simply didn?t have the best team. It may have been the most talented team but not the best. The responsibility of restoring the mystique of USA basketball was put on the young shoulders of LeBron James, Carmelo Anthony, and Dwyane Wade.  At that point of their careers, they were still learning to lead and weren?t ready for that type of responsibility.

For some reason these factors have been overlooked, and we?ve been drawn into calling the best team in the Olympic field the Redeem Team.

It?s a cute, catchy name for a team ? I?m guilty of using it a few times myself. But if we take a step back and honestly look at the overall success of USA basketball, it?s clear that those guys don?t need to redeem themselves or the program. Team USA has won the gold medal in 12 of the last 15 Olympics; that?s more than impressive.

It?s understandable that the core group of players wants to get the bad taste of 2004 and 2006 out of their mouths, but the recent failures haven?t created a situation where redemption is necessary.

Of course, the gold medal needs to come back to the USA where it belongs. We are the best and should always win the gold, but it?s going to take much more than a few third place finishes to unseat USA Basketball as the world?s best.

No matter what their record may be, other countries will always consider a victory over Team USA just as good as a gold medal. That can?t be said about any of the other teams in the field; most of them are still considered long shots to finish ahead of the U.S.

That?s not because of the Dream Team of 1992, although most would give them credit. It?s because of a history of basketball excellence that forced other countries to change their preparations, strategies, and focus in order to be able to compete with us.

Some people may call that statement arrogant; I think of it more as honesty.

Great players from overseas come to the U.S. to play in the NBA ? with more failing than succeeding ? while below average American players that aren?t good enough to play in the NBA, generally have success on foreign soil.

Times have changed a little, and basketball across the world has improved. There are many great players who can play in the NBA, but I?m pretty confident that our best will always beat their best.

So don?t be surprised when Team USA beats on Spain on Saturday. We?re going to beat them, Argentina, Lithuania, and anyone else that might get in the way of a gold medal.

There I go again being arrogant, but I?m pretty sure I?m right, and I think you know I am.