Beijing Olympic Games

Dominant U.S. restore basketball’s “natural order”

By Alastair Himmer

BEIJING (Reuters) – Flashing smiles as ultra-bright as the gold medals hanging around their necks, the United States restored basketball’s “natural order” at the Beijing Olympics.

A 118-107 victory over world champions Spain in Sunday’s final erased eight years of hurt for an American team whose aura of invincibility had slipped since the 2000 Sydney Games.

It also completed a perfect Olympics for U.S. basketball after the women’s team won their fourth successive Olympic gold.

The U.S. had been hot favorites to win their 13th men’s Olympic title after adding Kobe Bryant, the NBA’s Most Valuable Player, and Jason Kidd to the team relegated to bronze in 2004.

“We were at our lowest point in ‘04,” said forward Carmelo Anthony. “We did a hell of a job putting American basketball back where it belongs—on top of the world.”

The U.S. obliterated their opponents by an average of 30 points until Spain, who had been shredded 119-82 by the Americans in the group stage, gave them a fright in the final.

A late blitz of three-pointers from Bryant and Dwyane Wade killed off Spain’s charge, exorcising the demons of Athens and a third-place finish at the 2006 world championships.

“It’s not only Kobe,” said Argentina’s Luis Scola, shaking his head at the embarrassment of riches in the U.S. team. “Kobe’s probably the best player in the world. He’s awesome.

“But you take Kobe out, you put Carmelo Anthony in, you put Dwyane Wade in, you put Jason Kidd in, you put in LeBron James — I can keep going if you want. I wish it was only Kobe.”

Argentina, gold medalists in Athens four years ago, took bronze despite losing leading scorer Manu Ginobili to an ankle injury in their semi-final loss to the U.S.

The Americans, however, were never seriously threatened.

“It’s going to be a tough blueprint to follow,” said Wade. “It will be tough to put a team like this back together.”

Lisa Leslie took home her fourth Olympic gold after the Americans trampled world champions Australia 92-65 in the women’s final to gain some redemption of their own.

Still smarting after a bronze medal finish at the world championships two years ago, the U.S. women were every bit as dominant as their male counterparts.

“That bronze drove me every day since ‘06,” said American coach Anne Donovan, before announcing she was stepping down. “I’m not coaching the team anymore—I can sleep at night now.”

(Additional reporting by Erik Kirschbaum and Gelu Sulugiuc)

(Editing by Jeremy Laurence)