There is no denying that the competition outside of Team USA has never been this strong, yet the Americans are still the hands down alpha.
But before they reached this point, they were forced to look themselves in the mirror. After years of dominating opponents with a snap of a finger, the Americans faced a rude awakening that started in 2000 and reached its worst in 2004.
The disarray in the program was real, and it was very bad.
Things took a sharp turn for the better when the minds behind USA basketball got a chance to regroup and take a more holistic approach on the situation, and the burden of reviving the Americans’ lost basketball glory fell on the shoulders of Jerry Colangelo.
In a recent article by Bill Leopold and Ben Teitelbaum for NBCOlympics.com, some of Colangelo’s contemporaries could not help but sing praises for the “Godfather of USA Basketball”.
Former NBA commissioner David Stern:
Jerry is a person that commands respect across the spectrum of the basketball community.
Former USA Men’s Basketball chairman Stu Jackson:
Jerry is an iconic NBA figure – a very, very good leader, very smart, innovative and passionate about United States basketball.
Dallas Mavericks General Manager Donnie Nelson:
I had the pleasure of working with Jerry for three years in Phoenix and I can tell you he’s the standard in terms of sports executives. When he ended up taking the reins, it was, I think, a relief to a lot of people.
Nowadays, Team USA is enjoying the benefits of having a well-thought of structure or program in place. The Select Team, though they’re not playing in the big tournaments, are still being primed very effectively as they are made to have a deeper appreciation towards the honor of playing for flag.
But Colangelo isn’t alone in all these, someone who’s been on his side all these years is Duke University coach Mike Krzyzewski. With these two individuals leading the way, USA Basketball is in great shape, not only for now, but also in the coming years.
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