Who are the "World" Champions of basketball right now?

[OfficeLinebacker]

Miami Heat?

Or is it fair to say that since the U.S. cant do poop in World Tournaments right now that the NBA no longer represents the Basketball World Champions?

[SoCalwarrior]

Last year's Heat team would have beaten any Euro league team.  The problems come when we build an all-star team of dunkers and pair them against a Euro all-star team of shooters.  We should just send over a team like the Spurs. 

[larrym]

Last year's Heat team would have beaten any Euro league team.  The problems come when we build an all-star team of dunkers and pair them against a Euro all-star team of shooters.  We should just send over a team like the Spurs. 

Unfortunately most of the good Spurs are playing for their own national teams.

[Big Papi]

That would be the team that won at the World Championships.  Dont know who that is off hand.  The Heat are NBA Champions.

[Mayor McCheese]

Argentina... is that who won it????? I don't know, all I know is I like watching the US lose in basketball.. because the next day on PTI and ATH its great, because we think we are invincible, and we aren't, and then you get Woody Paige sticking up for the Lithuania basketball team and pronouncing their names, call it cheap humor and un-patriotic, but it cracks me up

[Big Papi]

While our current system is better than it has been in the past we still don't have a system that provides us with the best chance to win.  We really need to create a national team instead of a 3 day all-star atmosphere type of team.   

[dwaderoy2004]

greece won the last world championships...

[WashDCWarrior]

It's easy to say that we just put together dunkers, so what would a good roster look like?  Here's the team members right now.  * by those who played on the Japan team.  Aside from maybe replacing Brad Miller and Joe Johnson with Kobe and Arenas, I thought it was a pretty well put together team.  Besides being slashers and dunkers, Kobe and Arenas are both good outside shooters.

NAME POS HGT WGT DOB CURRENT TEAM / COLLEGE or HIGH SCHOOL
*Carmelo Anthony F 6-8 230 5/29/84 Denver Nuggets / Syracuse
Gilbert Arenas G 6-4 210 1/06/82 Washington Wizards / Arizona
*Shane Battier F 6-8 220 9/09/78 Houston Rockets / Duke
Chauncey Billups G 6-3 202 9/25/76 Detroit Pistons / Colorado
*Chris Bosh F 6-10 230 3/24/84 Toronto Raptors / Georgia Tech
Bruce Bowen F 6-7 200 6/14/71 San Antonio Spurs / Cal State Fullerton
*Elton Brand F 6-8 254 3/11/79 Los Angeles Clippers / Duke
Kobe Bryant G 6-6 220 8/23/78 Los Angeles Lakers / Lower Merion High School (PA)
*Kirk Hinrich G 6-3 190 1/02/81 Chicago Bulls / Kansas
*Dwight Howard F/C 6-11 265 12/08/85 Orlando Magic / Southwest Atlanta Christian Academy
*LeBron James F 6-8 240 12/30/84 Cleveland Cavaliers / St. Vincent-St. Mary High School(OH)
Antawn Jamison F 6-9 235 6/12/76 Washington Wizards / North Carolina
*Joe Johnson G/F 6-7 230 6/29/81 Atlanta Hawks / Arkansas
*Shawn Marion F 6-7 228 5/07/78 Phoenix Suns / UNLV
*Brad Miller C 7-0 261 4/12/76 Sacramento Kings / Purdue
Adam Morrison F 6-8 205 7/19/84 Charlotte Bobcats / Gonzaga
Lamar Odom F 6-10 230 11/06/79 Los Angeles Lakers / Rhode Island
*Chris Paul G 6-0 170 5/06/85 New Orleans/Oklhoma City Hornets / Wake Forest
Paul Pierce F/G 6-6 230 10/13/77 Boston Celtics / Kansas
J.J. Redick G 6-4 190 6/24/84 Orlando Magic / Duke
Michael Redd G 6-6 215 8/24/79 Milwaukee Bucks / Ohio State
Luke Ridnour G 6-1 167 2/13/81 Seattle SuperSonics / Oregon
Amare Stoudemire C 6-10 240 11/16/82 Phoenix Suns / Cypress Creek High School (FL)
*Dwyane Wade G 6-4 212 1/17/82 Miami Heat / Marquette

[Big Papi]

The problem with the Japan team was that we did not have one consistent outside shooter on that team.  My memory might be hazy but I thought our 3 point shooting was too much hit and miss and when we were off we played poorly and lost.  That team needed a Redd type player and maybe a designated type 3 point shooter like Reddick or Novak for that matter.  Also Bowen would have been a nice addition to that team.

[WashDCWarrior]

Battier played to role of garbage man/3-pt shooter pretty well from what I remember, but yes, I think Reddick or Novak could help out the US team.  God, that sounds weird.

[SoCalwarrior]

Having five players who routinely score 30 to 40 points a night in the NBA does not constitute a team in my opinion.  Now add Kobe and Arenas, two of the biggest Egos and ball hogs in the league to an already "me first" team and you have another disaster waiting to happen.