The so-called Dream Team dominated the Olympic basketball competition in 1992. Recent performances by the US basketball squad in international competition have made those winning times seem like a distant memory. The US has always been dominant, save the sad performance in Athens in 2004. Are they proud of the US basketball record of 12 golds in 15 Olympic tournaments? Sure. But the US is expected to dominate this sport. They have long produced the best basketball talent and theyhave the best league in the world with the NBA.

But all that doesn’t matter. In 2004, the US squad was plagued by infighting and lackluster play. They limped to a bronze medal, a result that would have been a boon for most teams but was an embarrassment for the talented US squad.

This time around, the players selected to represent the US on the court aren’t taking thing lightly. They will be up against an ever-increasing group of international talent including a strong Chinese team that will undoubtedly have the home crowd behind them.

Other challenges could come from a strong Spanish squad that recently won the world championship.

The shorter three-point line could be a key component of the international game that the US can exploit. However, with a three pointer at 21 feet, it might prove a difficult shot. NBA players either shoot threes from the NBA’s 24 foot line or shorter range jump shots. It is actually quite rare to see NBA players square up for 20-footers. Most will drive from that range or dribble back and hoist up a three-point shot. However, the closer range should make for plenty of easy scoring opportunities for the US squad. That is, once they get over the unfamiliar range.

The biggest test will be a August 10th meeting against Yao Ming and the hometown China team.

There has been a lot of interest in the Basketball competition at the past few Olympics. That is probably because the sport has become more international, and the once dominant Team U.S.A. has not had much success recently. Spain claimed the Gold at last year’s world championships. There is no guarantee that the Dream Team will be standing atop the podium when it is time to hand out the hardware.

Things will be no less exciting this time around. Beijing is buzzing because basketball’s best, including homegrown NBA star Yao Ming, are coming to the brand new 18,000-seat Wukesong Indoor Stadium to decide which country is the world’s best when it comes to hoops.

The field is as strong as it had ever been. Aside from the U.S. and China, the reigning world champions from Spain, and the first team to slay the U.S., Argentina, will be competing. European powerhouses Russia and Lithuania are also part of the fray, as are underdogs Angola.

12 teams will vie for the final few spots in August’s Olympic tournament. The FIBA qualifying round will take place in July. Expect European teams like Croatia and Germany to be in the mix, along with the exciting and athletic squads from Puerto Rico and Brazil.

The tournament will take place between August 10 and 24, nearly the entire length of the Olympics (which open on August 8). There will be two phases to the tournament. A group phase will see each team play 5 games against the other teams in the group. The four countries with the best records in each group then move on to the single elimination round. This is when the medals will be awarded. Even the group phase will be exciting with the U.S., Spain, and hometown favorites China is one group and Russia, Argentina, and Lithuania in the other.