1. How will both teams approach this game? This may be just an exhibition game, but it should seem to be much more. It's a rematch of the gold medal game in the 2008 Olympics. Both teams are considered the favorites to win gold in the 2012 Olympics. There's a notable Lakers connection with Kobe Bryant and Pau Gasol squaring off.
Yet various reports are suggesting Team USA values this game while Spain is viewing this with a shrug. Gasol suggested his team may lose on purpose since it values rest over expending too much energy for a friendly game. Jose Calderon mentioned the team won't run many of its sets. And Marc Gasol predicted that not many players on the team will try.
Bryant didn't buy any of that, telling reporters "there's not a chance" Spain doesn't care about winning. After all, Spain is playing in front of a home crowd on the 20th anniversary of the 1992 Olympics in Barcelona. Meanwhile, the USA basketball staff reportedly analyzed game film from midnight to 4:30 on Tuesday morning.
Of course, all this pre-game talk could be nothing more than semantics. But it could reveal the fine line between how each team addresses the importance in using this exhibition as a measuring-stick game.
Established in 1995,
Hot Forum Topics
