WHO'S AFRAID OF THE BIG, BAD AMERICANS?: USA BASKETBALL HAS LOST FEAR FACTOR.

Byline: VINCENT BONSIGNORE NBA 

The World Baseball Classic last month showed just how perilous America's hold on America's pastime really is. It's one thing that Team USA didn't win the championship, quite another to not even reach the final four.

American basketball knows baseball's pain. Or maybe it's just the numbing hangover of its own embarrassment at recent international events.

Team USA was Team El Foldo at the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens, earning the dreaded bronze medal, while Argentina and Italy danced away with gold and silver, respectively.

The Athens performance was actually a step up from Team USA's shameful showing at the 2002 World Championships in Indianapolis, when it didn't even reach the medal round after getting slapped around by Yugoslavia, Argentina and Spain.

That prompted USA Basketball to take a hard look at how seriously it has been taking these competitions. So much so that it is sending an A Team to both the World Championships in Japan next August and the Beijing Olympic Games in 2008.

That means Kobe Bryant, LeBron James and Carmelo Anthony will play instead of Stephon Marbury, Carlos Boozer and Raef LaFrentz, who attended the last two international competitions.

To that, San Antonio Spurs guard Manu Ginobili just shrugs his shoulders.

Ginobili is the dynamic leader of Team Argentina, which took gold at the 2004 Athens Games and second place at the 2002 World Championships. No disrespect to his good friends from Team USA, but Ginobili's reaction to America finally wising up and sending its best to these competitions is part `What took you so long?' and part `Who cares?'

And therein lies a secret the rest of the world's been holding out onus: They aren't scared of Team USA anymore.

``At one time, yes, of course,'' Ginobili said this week before the Spurs played the Lakers. ``But no more.''

Why should they be afraid? Most of the world's best players share the same stage as America's finest through the course of the NBA season. The All-Star game in Houston two months ago is proof of that, as Dirk Nowitzki (Germany), Pau Gasol (Spain), Tony Parker (France), Yao Ming (China) and Steve Nash (Canada) all made the West team.

In fact, 82 foreign players representing 38 different countries are currently on NBA rosters, including Nash, the reigning league MVP.

No one drives this point home better than the defending World Champion - er, NBA Champion - Spurs. Besides Ginobili, the Spurs have international stars like Fabricio Oberto (Argentina), Beno Udrih and Rasho Nesterovic (Slovenia) and Parker, the greatest French import since the French fry.

The effect of so many international players winning roster spots in the NBA is obvious. When it comes to being scared of the U.S., the rest of the basketball world is just saying: No mas.

``We respect them, certainly,'' Oberto said. ``But we don't fear them.''

In the past, America could count on the opponent's awe factor winning games before the opening tip. Never mind it was just better than everyone else, it also helped that opponents acted star struck upon laying eyes on players they grew up watching on TV.

Ironically, it was the popularity of NBA stars like Michael Jordan and Magic Johnson that spurred an unprecedented growth spurt in the sport worldwide.

Prior to our 2002 World Championship meltdown, Team USA was 58-0 while using NBA players in international competition. Since then, the team has sported an 11-6 record in the 2002 World Championship and the 2006 Summer Olympics.

Many of the top teams throughout the world also have played together for years, enabling them to develop chemistry and cohesiveness the Americans have lacked.

The core of Team Argentina is a remarkable blend of NBA and European professional players, including Ginobili, Oberto, Andres Nocioni (Chicago), Pepe Sanchez (played with Golden State and graduated from Temple in 1999), Carlos Delfino (Orlando) and Ruben Wolkowyski. It's a group that's played together since they were teenagers.

``We've all been through so much together,'' Oberto said. ``It's a big reason for our success.''

France, an up-and-coming world power, has also benefited from developing a young, talented core over the past few years. Parker, Mickael Pietrus (Golden State), Boris Diaw (Phoenix), Johan Petro (Seattle) and Ronny Turiaf of the Lakers have been together since they were young teens, winning championships at every level.

Combine that international experience with their exposure to NBA basketball, and it's no wonder so many teams no longer look at Team USA in awe.

The team didn't help itself by getting lulled into a false sense of security by the original Dream Team's crushing performance at the 1992 Barcelona Games, when the gap between the United States and the rest of the world seemed wider than the Atlantic Ocean.

After winning gold in Atlanta in 1996 and Sydney in 2000 - albeit by slimmer and slimmer point margins - USA Basketball mistakenly thought it could comfortably send any group of NBA players to win these competitions.

But the flawed, selfish squad that failed miserably at the 2002 World Championships and the poorly planned team that went to Athens two years later proved how presumptuous that thinking really was.

``There is too much good basketball being played around the world now,'' Ginobili said. ``The players are better. The coaching is better now. It's not like it was.''

USA Basketball is taking notice, not to mention action. It's spent the past two years carefully selecting 23 NBA players to attend a week-long Team USA tryout camp this summer in Las Vegas. From that group, a team of 12 to 15 players will play in the World Championships in Japan, then reconvene for the 2008 Olympics.

Ginobili thinks USA Basketball is making a wise decision in urging top players to participate, then getting the finalists to commit on a two-year basis.

Just don't expect him to be intimidated.

``From a fan's standpoint, of course you want to see the best of the best competing,'' Ginobili said. ``And from a competitive standpoint, I definitely want to play against the best.''

Come August it will be Team Argentina, not USA, who the rest of the world hopes to knock off.

``People will be coming after us pretty hard after winning the gold,'' Oberto said. ``That's a challenge we have to accept.''

--Concern in Phoenix: The Suns should easily win the Pacific Division title, but playoff success is no guarantee.

They've lost six of their last 12 games and play eight of their final 12 on the road. The problem is they're getting crushed on the boards, and with Amare Stoudemire's status uncertain after reinjuring his knee again, there doesn't appear any easy solutions.

Phoenix got a big victory against Indiana on Thursday by re-committing to running the floor for quick, easy baskets. Any success in the playoffs will depend on the Suns' transition game operating in high gear.

``We are not a very good team without the running game,'' Steve Nash said. ``After losing the last two games, we did not want to err on the side of caution. We were determined to come out here tonight and run.''

--Call the cable guy: Toronto coach Sam Mitchell watched in astonishment as his Raptors allowed Miami's Dwyane Wade to score 16 of his game-high 37 points in the fourth quarter Thursday. Wade's performance enabled the Heat to comeback from a 13-point deficit with Shaquille O'Neal watching in street clothes on the bench.

Mitchell wasn't happy.

``I think some of our guys need to understand who Dwyane Wade is and what he can do,'' Mitchell said. ``I got cable. Even before I got to the NBA, I knew what Magic Johnson could do; I watched TV. Even if you got three channels, they're on TV.''

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