And that, fellow Fraysters, was the difference. The U.S. team looked (scary tatoos etc.), and played, like a bunch of gangsters. We watched the game on French t.v. (being on vacation), and the French announcers, although in awe of the "Redeem Team" aura, were clearing rooting for the Spaniards (not, I hasten to point out, a normal Gallic attitude), because they were truly a team. These guys had played together for years (two of them were brothers, of course, Pau and Marc Gasol), won a world championship, etc., and for various reasons, it was clear that this might be their last big game together. And what a game it was!

Hey Lola, I saw the same game and I didn't see the thuggery you mentioned. Why spoil a great game by two excellent teams by injecting your personal racial prejudices into the post? Yeah one team was all black and one team was all white but both play at a high level. Spain merits recognition for their talent and execution, just not as much as the Team USA.

Sorry, but I don't see how my comment could be construed as "racist". The scariest-looking guy on the team, to my eyes, was the one wearing number 5 on his jersey, and he was white. And remember, American basketball is rougher than European basketball (whether that's good or bad is another matter), and I saw the Americans hit Spaniards in the face with elbows etc. more than once. Not pretty.

And yes, it was indeed a great game! :-)