In the world basketball scene the only team to challenge the United States for the gold has been Spain. The Spanish have always made the games close and they even won the gold medal in 2002 against the U.S. The Spanish made it close again in 2008 coming within single digits of the Americans. The method that the Spanish use has been working an it will continue to work because the fundamentals are the most important thing to the game.
In Spain basketball is not only a sport it is a business agreement between the Spanish Basketball Federation and The Spanish Government. The government supports the basketball federation by giving it money in hopes that Spanish superstars emerge from the program. In Spain the game of basketball is taught the way it is supposed to be taught. Spanish coaches have to be approved by the SBF all the way from the pro level down to the youth level. The Spanish believe that the game needs to be taught correct at a young age so by the time you are an adult you have perfected it and are playing at your highest possible skill level. They emphasize teamwork, footwork, shooting mechanics, and defensive techniques. It is reported that Spanish kids are 10x more skilled in basketball than American kids because they focus on the fundamentals of the game rather than just jacking around in the gym. Spanish players from an early age are watched and if they are good enough they get put on the national team radar, from this point on they are evaluated hard for potential service to their country. The Spanish have adopted a great way to develop their young athletes in a way that can only be beneficial to them in the long-run. Shouldn't the united states do this as well? Yes, many experts say that the U.S. has tried to adopt the Spanish ways but can not because we do not have the money. So instead we continue with the AAU circuit which is detrimental to the game in our country. The AAU circuit is hundreds of american youth teams that play the game in various tournaments in the summer to get exposure and exposure only, not to develop them. We should do away with the AAU circuit and adopt the Spanish ways and in time I believe that we will.