Quest For Gold Begins Tonight

The FIBA Americas Championship games began today and the USA Men’s Basketball team tips off tonight against Venezuela. The game will be broadcast live on ESPN Classic at 10 p.m. and, according to ESPN’s listings, replayed on ESPN2 at 11.

At stake for the boys in Vegas this week is an Olympic birth in next summer’s games in Beijing, China.

Here’s the roster: Carmelo Anthony, Chauncey Billups, Kobe Bryant , Tyson Chandler, Dwight Howard, LeBron James, Jason Kidd, Mike Miller, Tayshaun Prince, Michael Redd, Amare Stoudemire and Deron Williams.

Not bad.

Can’t really complain about the roster. I would like to have seen Shaq instead of Chandler, Ray Allen instead of Mike Miller and Allen Iverson instead of Deron Williams. But that’s my dream as a fan. My wishes don’t make much sense if you’re trying to build a solid tradition for now and the future. Shaq is 35, Chandler is 24. Allen is 32, Miller is 27. Iverson is 32, Williams is 23.

The guys they chose not only fit better in desired roles (i.e. Chandler’s shot-blocking ability and Williams’ distributing. Ray Allen isn’t that much better of a shooter than Miller), but they’re just so much younger than the guys I would like to have seen as a fan. That means they’ll be around for longer and can play in the next two Olympic Games, barring injury of course.