Stephen Buttigieg's - Take it to the hole!

My friend Cikku has a soft spot for anything to do with the samba! Last night he was adoringly ironing his Brazilian flag, while he donned a cap with the same motif.

I couldn't believe that he was still celebrating Brazil's World Cup victory and told him so. Cikku's answer was that he was preparing for the World Cup in Indiana, which left me rather perplexed.

Finally he explained that he was preparing for the 2002 World Basketball Championship and would be supporting Brazil even though the United States are obvious candidates for the gold medal.

The Global Game

For a long time the United States made the gold medal in both the World Championships and Olympics their own, but as the level of basketball in Europe, and especially the eastern part of it, improved they were beginning to find it tougher to win the major tournaments.

College players, who were the true amateurs of the game, had to face state sponsored 'amateurs' who were really professional players in their own right. Finally the USA succumbed to the Soviet Union (as Russia was then known) and it became obvious that if the USA was going to challenge for honours then it would have to draw on players from the ranks of NBA teams.

In 1992 the original Dream Team blasted its way to gold showing that perhaps European basketball still had to learn a lot from the American game.

The influx of European players into the NBA began some years back but has reached a peak in recent years. Players from other continents have not been left out as the NBA becomes an increasingly international league.

What this has meant is that teams like Germany can now count on all-star Dirk Nowitski to lead their challenge, Spain will be looking for Rookie of the Year, Pau Gasol to make his mark, and countless other teams will be fielding NBA players in their ranks.

In Asia, Chinese fans will be expecting Batere Menk, and Wang Zhizhi to show off their new NBA skills while Yao Ming should be able to demonstrate why he was the first pick of the 2002 NBA Draft.

What this means is that teams from around the world are no longer overawed when they face the United States and while they might not be defeated in the forthcoming tournament a loss in the future would not be so much of a surprise.

Soothsayer

One of the most outspoken players to grace the hardcourts of the NBA was Charles Barkley, alias Sir Charles, alias the Round Mound of Rebound.

Barkley was the player most sought after by the press when they needed controversial quotes about basketball, the weather in Phoenix or just anything under the sun.

In a recent interview (yes journalists still want to interview him even though he has retired!) Barkley, a winner of two Olympic Gold medals, stated that it was 'just a matter of time' before an all-professional USA team would be defeated.

Perhaps this is actually one of his least controversial comments as other teams sharpen their claws prior to the 2002 World Championships.

While the gap is closing it would still be a shock if the USA did lose since they are playing on home ground.

Such a loss would really make the sporting public in the States to sit up and realise that elsewhere kids are playing the game day in day out on playgrounds thousands of kilometres away from Harlem.

The USA team are well aware of the threat and are taking their opposition much more seriously than in previous tournaments. A loss at home would just not be accepted!