E-Mail This Article to a Friend Women are smarter — at basketball BY SCOTT KATHAN

As a huge basketball fan, I’m very excited to watch as much Olympic hoops as possible over the next few weeks. And I’m rooting against the United States men’s team.

Having Puerto Rico wax the US men’s team (92-73 — ouch!) on Sunday came as no surprise. Much has been written about the deficiencies of our men’s basketball entry into these 28th — sorry, XXVIII — Summer Olympics. (Our women’s team, on the other hand, looks tremendous; more on them later.) Most of the NBA’s biggest stars have chosen not to participate, for reasons as diverse as needing rest, being on trial for rape, nagging injuries, and concerns over their personal safety in Athens. A partial list of who is not representin’ in Athens reads like a list of future NBA Hall of Famers: Tracy McGrady, Shaq, Jason Kidd, Kevin Garnett, Reggie Miller, and Kobe Bryant, to name but a few. It has been no secret that our current squad, led by NBA veterans Tim Duncan and Allen Iverson, is severely lacking not only in international experience, but also in NBA experience — four players on the team (Carmelo Anthony, Dwayne Wade, LeBron James, and Emeka Okafor) have played one season or less in the association. Our team is essentially a hastily thrown-together all-star team, a collection of supremely talented individuals that will be competing against teams that are less talented individually, but well practiced in playing the team game together.

Frankly, the NBA is starting to irritate me. The one-on-one mentality, the culture that values a thundering dunk more than a sublime bounce pass (you have heard of the bounce pass, haven’t you?), the abhorrence of defense. This year’s NBA finals were a wonderful example of how a squad — the Detroit Pistons — that values teamwork, defense, and unselfishness could prevail over a more talented, imposing opponent — the LA Lakers. But that kind of team is rare in the NBA, which is why I’ve been watching more and more college hoops in recent years. It’s also why I’ve become an admirer of the women’s game, both college and pro, where teamwork is tantamount to success. As the US men’s team is rapidly learning, the same holds true in the international game — if you don’t play together as a team, you lose.

I want to see these guys lose because I want to see them humbled. I want them to acknowledge that their $50 million contracts don’t mean a thing when they’re going up against hungry, hustling, team-first players from tiny countries like Puerto Rico. I want US players like James, Anthony, Amare Stoudemire, Shawn Marion, and Wade to see how important fundamentals and solid shooting are to winning basketball games. I want them to see how plays that wouldn’t get applause on the playground are often the ones that actually win games. I want them to learn that big contracts, endorsements, a girlfriend in every city, and a selfish style of play don’t translate into wins, either in the NBA or in Olympic competition.

Plus, are these the guys we really want representing our country? The young players are too young for anyone really to know what they’re made of, both on and off the court. How many high schools did Lamar Odom go to, how long did he stay in college, and how many times has he been nailed by the NBA for failing drug tests? Does Stephon Marbury come to mind as a someone you’re proud to call a compatriot? Are these the guys who truly represent what USA basketball is all about? Well, yes and no; they do represent what the NBA is all about (and, to be fair, the system plays a role in exploiting these athletes, often from a ridiculously early age — is it their fault that many of them become millionaires as teenagers?). But the American women’s Olympic team is a marvelous collection of fantastic athletes who truly understand the team nature of the game. They play a brand of unselfish, scrappy, team-oriented ball that makes painfully clear just how far our men’s game has fallen. Players like Olympic veterans Dawn Staley and Sheryl Swoopes, and young pups like Sue Bird, Tamika Catchings, and Diana Taurasi are just as talented and accomplished as their male counterparts, but they understand that if they are going to be successful in this competition, their personal accomplishments must take a back seat to the needs of the team. They hustle, they make the extra pass, they hit the open shot, they push the ball up the floor, they set tough picks and screens, and they move their feet on defense. No team will try harder or execute better than the American women. The same cannot be said for the men.

When I say that I’m rooting against the American men, I’m not being entirely honest. I would love to see them take a page from their female counterparts’ book, put their egos aside, play like a team, and win the gold. But I don’t see that happening. It’s beginning to look like the fellas are going to have to fight to get any medal — and I’m definitely not rooting for them if they continue to play the way they have been. The American women, who play a pure and unselfish brand of basketball and are a joy to watch, are favored to win gold. Makes me think that maybe women are smarter — at least when it comes to basketball.

"Sporting Eye" runs Mondays and Fridays at BostonPhoenix.com. Scott Kathan can be reached at skathan[a]phx.com.