On Sunday August 24, 2008, at the close of the Olympic Games basketball tournament, the United States and Spain will offer 11,083 lucky people in a hall in Beijing and millions of viewers around the world an unforgettable spectacle.
How ? By offering 40 minutes of very high level basketball. An idea of perfection even since similar meetings, there are few in the history of sport.
“For me, it’s the best basketball game of all time”assured us George Eddy, commentator of the final for Canal+. “NBA, international basketball and university basketball combined. I had the chance to comment on it, in the front row, with David Cozette. At halftime, I told my colleague that we were watching the biggest match in the history of this sport. The level of skill and the collective level were immense. All the parameters for a great game were there. It was a perfect alignment of the planets. »
Indeed, the first half was fantastic. Taking advantage of the injury of José Calderon, who gave way to the lead to Ricky Rubio, 17, the Americans want to control the tempo and impose their defense. After only ten minutes, the score is already impressive: 38-31!
If Team USA will take up to twelve points in advance in the second quarter, at halftime, the scoreboard could be that of the end of a group match: 69-61.
“In the first half, the two teams exceeded 60 points scored, with more than 60% success! »recalls George Eddy. “In a match in 40 minutes, it’s huge! You never see that, let alone between the two best teams in the world and in an Olympic final. The stake did not kill the game.”
A boxing fight
We then think that the break will break the fabulous rhythm and that the money-time approaching, the address will fall and the defenses will take over. Admittedly, the percentages are falling – Spain will finish at 50%, Team USA at 60% – but the level remains at the top.
“I had in mind the boxing fight between Marvin Hagler and Thomas Hearns, broadcast by Canal+, in the 1980s. The fight of the century. From the first seconds, the two looked for the KO. The series of blows were incredible and it remains a reference in this environment. This match between Team USA and Spain is in that vein. »
Rudy Fernandez offers us the dunk of the tournament, on the head of Dwight Howard, but it is indeed Kobe Bryant who switches the meeting. With three minutes and thirteen seconds left, Mike Krzyzewski’s men lead 104-99.
Dwyane Wade attacks the Spanish zone defense and passes to Kobe Bryant. The rear of the Lakers fakes Rudy Fernandez and triggers his 3-pts. It goes, with the fault! The Iberian rear takes his fifth fault, and Kobe Bryant, index finger on the mouth, immortalizes the image of the tournament.
Team USA finally won 117-108 after a legendary match where the loser was magnificent and deserves eternal respect.
“This Spanish team is probably, with one of the great Yugoslav teams at the time of Toni Kukoc, Vlade Divac and Drazen Petrovic in the early 1990s, one of the strongest of all time”believes George Eddy. “So Team USA’s victory is even more beautiful, this match even more grandiose. It was therefore stronger than the “Dream Team” of 1992 since a surprise was possible. »
The victory of a model and basketball
After the failures of 2002, 2004 and 2006, Team USA, which had begun to rebuild its model by composing a more coherent and balanced formation, finally returned to the roof of the world. From Olympus.
“Everyone talks about NBA players being selfish, arrogant and individualistic”, explained Kobe Bryant. “What you saw today was a close-knit team, which faced adversity to finally achieve a huge victory. »
In the mind, there is truly a very big winner, besides the Americans of course, at the end of these sublime minutes: basketball.
“It will elevate the image of this sport in the world”said USA Basketball boss Jerry Colangelo. “It was one of the greatest matches in the history of the Olympic Games. The quality and caliber of the players were extraordinary. We set the bar very high and it will be even better next time. »
Indeed, the 2012 final in London, still between Team USA and Spain, was another monument. But it doesn’t have the flavor, the perfection of the first.
