Dwyane Wade picked up right where he left off in exhibition play, leading Team USA to their first Olympic basketball win with 19 points. The 101-70 victory was reminiscent of *gasp* the Dream Team with a myriad of spectacular dunks and finishes. Kobe Bryant tomahawk dunked his way to 13 points.
“Look, I had five dunks in one game. That’s because of the crowd. Last time I had five dunks in a game I was like 17. So that’s all because of the energy in this crowd. I think they knew that history was being made tonight and obviously it was a proud moment for their country as it was for ours. You could feel the electricity.”
Like Wade, Lebron James picked up where he left off with his defensive intensity and was the recipent of a great alley-oop pass from Wade.
At times it was hard to tell if the Chinese were cheering for their team, or for the next Team USA highlight.
An easy victory over China isn't reason enough to feel confident in a gold medal, but I would admit it was a refreshing display of basketball. Energy we didn't see four years ago, passion we definitely didn't see four years ago, and an unquestionable desire to impress that was even hinted at four years.
Good start towards redemption.
more
