It seems unlikely that a country with a smaller population than Connecticut could challenge the United States on basketball’s international stage. But that is exactly what Lithuania plans on doing. Runner-up in the 2013 European Championship and Jerry Garcia’s favorite national team, Lithuania will be a medal contender in the inaugural 2014 Basketball World Cup and could pose as Team USA’s lone threat on the road to the championship game. “The Other Dream Team” will be playing without its leader Linas Kleiza,
Olympics: Team USA Tested By Lithuania, Russia Lurking
Team USA has been a spectacle in the Olympics’ first week, the conversation surrounding them filled with more oohs and aahs than X’s and O’s. We’ve dissected the records they’ve set more than the teams that they’ve beaten and gotten our compression shorts in a bunch over some hypothetical match up between 11 young NBA players (and Kobe Bryant) and 11 graying Hall of Famers (and Christian Laettner). Can this team beat the Dream Team? Who cares. Tell me about Russia. Up until now, Team
Olympics: Russia and Spain Fight For First Place
With Brazil up 74-72 and six seconds remaining, it seemed as though Russia wouldn’t waltz into their meeting with Spain undefeated after all. Then Vitaly Fridzon took a pass from Alexey Shved in the corner and heaved up a prayer. Russia: still perfect. All Spain had to was dispose of the fledgling hosts and our heavyweights would meet in the ring as planned. But threes from Dan Clark, Nate Reinking and Luol Deng in the final 28 seconds cut the Spanish lead