World Championship 2014

[CKR13]

I've been wondering that too and I think I made a post about this a few months ago but here goes anyways..........IF we win the Olympics this year I think we will see a mass exodus of our key guys no longer wanting to play for the National Team, we'll hear the same lines of "I think its time to give some of the younger guys a chance" and so on. I believe these coming Olympics are the last that Coach K, his staff and Jerry Colangelo were committed to as well so, assuming that they leave the program it will probably be time for a semi-reboot.

So that being said I think these Olympics would be the last international competition for Lebron (29 years old by 2014 WC), Kobe (35), Wade (32), Bosh (30), Deron Williams (30), Chris Paul (29), Dwight Howard (28) and Carmelo Anthony (30) if we win. I also see Durant, Rose and Love (if they all make the London Olympic team) taking a break from the national team and possibly coming back for 2016 Olympics, just a hunch as they already won a WC.

The good news is we have a number of young stars to fill in- Blake Griffin, John Wall, Kyrie Irving, Derrick Williams, Lamarcus Aldridge, Andrew Bynum, Rudy Gay, Eric Gordon, Russell Westbrook, Andre Igoudala, Paul Millsap, James Harden, Al Jefferson, Josh Smith, Kyle Lowry, Tyreke Evans, Stephen Curry, Brook Lopez, Roy Hibbert, Demarcus Cousins, Kendrick Perkins.............a lot of these guys will be in their primes around 2014 and maybe we'd even see a couple of the current college stars if they progress well in the NBA starting next year.............Anthony Davis, Harrison Barnes, Perry Jones, etc.

I saw it happen a lot of times. NBA Superstars moving their focus to their NBA Careers. I cannot really fault the generation of James, Wade, Howard, etc. For almost a decade, they suited for Team USA. Time for them to step aside and let the younger talents also take over. Beyond the 2012 Olympics, I can see the likes of Durant, Rose, Westbrook, Love and Aldridge in continued participation alongside young, upcoming scribes.

Looking ahead, Team USA has an upcoming generation in the class of 2012, 2013, etc. But the coaching staff will change. Most likely, Nate McMillan could find himself as a head coach in the near future.

[Franz]

I did not know FIBA changed the name to World Cup. Sorry but I haven't been keeping up with any international basketball since Eurobasket last year. I say it's a good step in the right direction for them to finally change the name. The "World Championship" title was not working for FIBA. All they need to do is promote the tournament, and they'll get people interested.

Kudos to FIBA

[PRSURF]

Good move to FIBA if they change the name of the tournament to FIBA WORLD CUP!

[sime0n]

i think another change that needs to be made is to turn the olympics into an u-23 event like soccer does. this way they the best players will focus on the world cup. top basketball players do not want to play every 2 years especially with euros in between for alot of the european folks.

[kalashnikov]

The solution is to get rid of the stupid 2-year Eurobasket.
Once every 4 years is excellent, and leaves the players with 1 free summer to rest. Now, those who want to support their national teams just have to forget about summer holidays for ever until they quit

[CKR13]

FIBA Europe execs rejected the proposal by FIBA to move Eurobasket into a four-year cycle.

Press Release:

"The Board of FIBA Europe decided that the part of the proposal eliminating the two-year cycle of the EuroBasket is against the interests of its member Federations," a FIBA Europe statement said.

"In 2010, FIBA Europe increased the number of the teams participating in the EuroBasket finals to 24, while as of 2015 the EuroBasket Women will also be played with 20 teams.

"The latest edition of the EuroBasket, in Lithuania last year, has been globally recognised as one of the best basketball tournaments of all time."

[CKR13]

With NBA Commissioner David Stern pushing for the Olympic basketball tournament to be a strictly an under 23 affair, the 2014 World Cup of Basketball has a remote possibility that Team USA will send the best players like Kevin Durant in a dream team fashion. More like testing the waters if the world championship has a potential to make more revenue for the NBA. Unlike the 2010 world championship where marquee stars of the 2008 Olympic team were absent. I don't know if USA Basketball is parallel with Stern's proposition.

[CKR13]

Also, the 2012 USA Select Team is a ground base for the players to be considered in 2013 and the 2014 World Cup of Basketball. The likes of Kyrie Irving, John Wall and Demarcus Cousins could be prospect in the said endeavor. We could have Jeremy Lin suit up too.