This morning (Spanish local time), USA and Spain played for Gold Medal in the Basketball competition for men in the Olympic Games taking place in Beijing. Spain forced USA to play at their highest level but they finally lost.
Spain confirms as the only nation being able to 107-118. The final score does not show how even the match was, as two technical fouls in the last seconds allowed USA Team to increase the difference. Those fouls were due to the Spanish players and technical staff being tired of the performance of the referees.
I wish I could have the time to review the match and list all the personal fouls (that would be PF too in the tougher NBA competition), 3-second violations (Howard lived in the paint!) and travellings made by USA Team not being signalled by the referees or the amount of inexisting personal fouls signalled to the Spanish guys. And I am talking about plays completeley clear to the spectactors and with no hesitation or posible subjective interpration of them.
I am not saying that Spain lost because of the referees. With a proper work of the referees, it would have been a better game (close until the end, so more thrills for the public!) and it is very likely that in the last plays, the USA Team would have prevailed as they are faster, stronger, technically-gifted and proving a long range shot accuracy never seen before in the NBA Team performance in FIBA competitions since the Dream Team I.
It is just that the referees stopped us from enjoying that close score until the very end of the game. Dwayne Wade has said it is the best game ever in basketball. I do not agree with him as there are some NBA finals that have been really great, but it is true that it may have been the best one in FIBA competition.
Congratulation to the best USA Team after the eternal Dream Team I and I hope that Brazauskas and Co. get back proving their knowledge about basketball rules and its appliance. You cannot act in a different way in Euroleague and in competitions where USA play. The rules are the same for everyone and it is USA who have to adapt their basketball to the FIBA rules, not the referees adapting to the ways that benefit the USA Team. They do not need any additional help.
Oh, by the way, Mr. Bryant. You have fallen in my top list of sportsmen radically and you were among the best. You are no one to gesture suggesting the public to shut up. It is the same public that was cheering you up all the competition and part of the public that helps you earning all the money that you earn. Bad thing that proves you are a kid in the body of an athlete.
I wish this generation of Spanish basketball players was eternal! Thanks a million times for your basketball!
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