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Is Great Not Good Enough?
Published: 8/10/2008 11:47 AM
Last Modified: 8/10/2008 11:47 AM

I would like to watch more of the United States Olympic basketball team in the Olympics, but I don't think I will.
Too painful.
Painful? Didn't the USA just blow China out of the water?
Sure. But, because NBA players are allegedly the best in the world, I expect -- and this is wrong to do so -- perfection every time they step on the court.
I get mad when a player from an opposing team gets a wide open shot, no matter whether he misses or not. "That's going to come back and haunt the USA in a close game," I say to myself.
I get mad when a player from the U.S. plays lazy defense and, instead of staying in front of a player, tries to reach around and swipe at the ball from behind as the opponent drives to the basket. Stay in front!
I get mad when someone doesn't block out, allowing an opponent to get an offensive rebound. Give me something to throw at the television -- ideally, something that won't shatter the screen.
I'm not an NBA basher. I'm not one of those fools who believes NBA players walk every time they get the ball or refuse to play defense or try hard only when the playoffs arrive. I think the main reason those theories exist is because NBA players are so talented that they make the game look easy. Why else do so many great college players never even get a sniff of the NBA?
The U.S. will likely win a gold medal and, personal guess, the reasons why will be LeBron James and Chris Paul. But until I lower expectations of perfection for the guys in red, white and blue, the games could be too aggravating for me to watch.


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Tulsa World sports writer Jimmie Tramel is a former class president at Locust Grove High School. He graduated magna cum laude from Northeastern State University with a journalism degree and, while attending college, was sports editor of the Pryor Daily Times. He joined the Tulsa World on Oct. 17, 1989, the same day an earthquake struck the World Series. He is the OSU basketball beat writer and a columnist and feature writer during football season. In 2007, he wrote a book about Oklahoma State football with former Cowboy coach Pat Jones.

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