Iverson and Duncan lost to Argentina on the Olympic stage, one of the biggest regrets in their careers

On May 14, in the men's basketball semi-finals of the 2004 Athens Olympics, the United States "Dream Six" lost to Argentina 81-89, and is still one of the most shocking unpopular in basketball history. The American team, led by Iverson and Duncan, suffered the most painful defeat in Olympic history against the Argentina golden generation led by Ginobili. This loss not only rewritten the international basketball landscape, but also became an irreparable regret for the careers of two NBA superstars.

As one of the greatest shooting guards in NBA history, Iverson was at the peak of his career in 2004. The four-time scoring champion came to Athens with great enthusiasm, eager to win honors for the national team. As the most dominant power forward in the league at that time, Duncan just completed the feat of defending the championship. The combination of the two superstars should have been invincible, but it was overshadowed in front of the Argentina led by Ginobili. This game fully exposed the fatal flaw of the United States in its formation - excessive reliance on personal abilities and lack of integrity. Although Iverson scored 10 points, he made only 3 of 15 shots in the game; Duncan contributed 10 points and 6 rebounds, but was trapped by Argentina's joint defense tactics. In contrast, Ginobili, the Spurs' super sixth man scored 29 points in this key battle, completely tearing the US team's defense line with unsolved breakthroughs and precise three-pointers.

From a tactical perspective, the strategy formulated by Argentine coach Hernandez is a classic. They used Ginobili and Scola's high pick-and-roll to continuously create misalignment opportunities; at the same time, they cracked the US team's pressing defense through fast ball transfers. The Argentina team sent 22 assists, showing amazing team cooperation. The United States team is trapped in a quagmire of fighting alone, with the team only 11 assists. What's even more fatal is that the US team made only 3 of 23 three-pointers, with a shooting percentage as low as 13%, which is in sharp contrast to the Argentina's 40% three-point shooting percentage. Coach Larry Brown admitted after the game: "We lost to a better team and they played the perfect team basketball. "

This loss had a profound impact on Iverson and Duncan's career. Iverson never got another chance to represent the national team since then, and the lonely hero ended his career with the regret of Olympic bronze medals. Although Duncan achieved his dynasty with the Spurs, he has never been able to make up for the lack of Olympic gold medals. In an interview in 2016, he said: "The defeat in 2004 is still heartbreaking, and it should be the best stage for us to prove ourselves." In contrast, Ginobili established a legendary position in the international basketball world with this victory, and the golden generation of Argentina has also reached the top of world basketball.

History is always full of drama. Just a year before the Athens Olympics, Ginobili just helped the Spurs win the NBA championship and established a deep team-mate relationship with Duncan. However, in the national team, the two became the strongest opponents. This subtle identity transformation adds more storyline to this showdown. Scola later recalled: "Manu (Ginobili) seemed to have entered the zone that night, and every move was full of magic. We know what it means to defeat the United States, which would become the eternal glory of Argentina basketball. "

From a more macro perspective, this game marked a reshuffle of international basketball's strength. Since the emergence of Dream Team in 1992, the dominance of the US men's basketball team in the international arena has been substantial for the first time. The Argentine team proved with its superb teamwork that even without top NBA stars, relying on a complete tactical system and tacit cooperation, can defeat talented opponents. This victory directly prompted the US Basketball Association to completely reform the national team selection mechanism, and finally formed the "Redification Team" at the 2008 Beijing Olympics to regain the Olympic gold medal.

Times have changed, and when Iverson was inducted into the Hall of Fame, Duncan's No. 21 jersey was hanging high at the AT&T center dome, and Ginobili ended his brilliant career, the night in Athens in 2004 still shone with a unique light in basketball history. That is not only the victory or defeat of a game, but also a direct dialogue between two basketball philosophy - the ultimate contest between individual heroism and team supremacy. For Iverson and Duncan, this loss may be the deepest regret in their brilliant careers; but for the development of basketball, this game has become an important milestone in promoting the process of globalization. As ESPN senior commentator said: "Thanks to the Golden Generation of Argentina, they convinced the world that basketball is not just a sport in the United States. "