"Eliminated!!! The invincible Dream Team Six!!! Eliminated by Argentina!!!"
"Unbelievable!!! The Dream Team's dream shattered in Athens!!!"
"For the first time—ever since Michael Jordan led NBA players onto the United States national team—Americans had lost the Olympic Games basketball championship!"
"Dream Team Six finished third in the Olympics!"
"Larry Brown brought a new dark age to the United States national team! As an American, I felt ashamed."
"I'm starting to miss seeing Michael Jordan and Kobe at the Olympic Games."
"This batch of players should be nailed to the pillar of shame!"
In scenic Los Angeles, Kobe wore glasses as he thoughtfully read report after report in the newspaper.
It had exploded.
The media had completely erupted.
This time...
Dream Team Six's dream had shattered in Athens.
It was absurd.
So absurd that American fans still believed it was a joke.
The team had a group of All-Stars, along with several budding superstars.
And yet they had ultimately finished third...
After being slaughtered by Argentina.
No American fan could possibly be satisfied with that result.
Larry Brown had already been stripped of his American citizenship by the fans!
Many players on the team had even had their jerseys burned.
Kobe was quite pleased to see it.
In the world of basketball, one dominant power wasn't a good thing.
There should be a hundred flowers in bloom!
This time, Argentina had thoroughly awakened the United States.
And in the future, even more legendary international stars would emerge around the world.
Their battles would elevate basketball to new heights.
The phone rang.
"Boss!!! I'm sick of this!!! We lost while I rode the bench!!!" Lamar Odom's voice came from the other end of the line.
It had to be said, Odom had really been wronged.
He had missed the 2000 Olympic Games