That was the scene on Saturday our time when the US men’s basketball team faced off against Yao Ming and the Chinese national squad. The game was almost overshadowed by the tremendous fanfare lavished on not only the home team, but the visitors as well.
Kobe Bryant was among the NBA stars present to be blanketed by fans as he attempted to reach the court. Apparently basketball is at the height of its popularity in China and several NBA stars are as recognized there as they are here. This wasn’t the case in Athens where the Americans played the part of the hated outsiders and took home the bronze medal.
This year is supposed to be different and while stronger competition awaits team USA, this showing was a signal to the rest of the world that team USA was back and was finally taking international play seriously. For the Chinese this was a chance to prove that they could play with the world’s elite players. Both teams came out hot with quick scoring and rousing dunks.
In the first half team China lived by the shortened three point shot, managing to keep the score close. Yao Ming being the low post presence that he is forced a lot of early double teams in the paint which left their three point shooters open beyond the arc.
This style of play kept the game pretty close for the first half but turnovers began to hurt China as team USA surged in the second half. NBA naysayers might be surprised to learn that defense on team USA’s part was the difference maker in Saturdays game, with Kobe Bryant and crew forcing several turnovers and getting out into the open court where their transition game took over.
The best thing about the game was how hard both sides played even when the game was out of reach. Yao Ming never stopped encouraging and cheering on his teammates no matter how bad the score got for his team. Overall the whole game was very inspirational and a sign of not only a return to US dominance but a sign of the positive aspects of these Olympic Games and their effect on the world at large.
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