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How's it get to this? The U.S. men enjoyed Olympic dominance for years, but in 2008 need to re-establish themselves as the international power they once were.
An Olympic basketball court is shorter than an NBA one, features a trapezoidal lane and the three-point line is 20 feet, 6 inches from the basket.
Yao Ming is well aware of what's at stake for his country this summer. And he knows he's a large part of it. But he's trying to keep it simple.
With Lisa Leslie out for the 2006 Worlds, the U.S. women finished third. With Leslie back in the mix at the Olympics, they expect more gold.
LeBron James guaranteed gold for his team in Beijing. He was on the 2004 squad that failed to win it all, but he thinks 2008 will return the U.S. to the top.
Dirk Nowitzki is trying to qualify Germany for the 2008 Games, but he may already be an Olympian had he followed his father's wishes.
Basketball is quickly gaining popularity in China, which means the NBA is quickly trying to gain a hold on the booming market.
The U.S. was quite good at men's basketball before 1992, but once NBA players joined the fray, Olympic hoops was forever changed.
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