Yao-za!

What a amazing spectacle it was to see the Americans face host nation China in men's basketball! Not that it was a great basketball game from beginning to end, but the event itself was really something to behold. Passing thoughts and observations from the game:

- How cool to be a part of a sporting event seen by over 1 billion viewers worldwide! One billion, wow.

- Was there any more fitting way to start the game than with Yao Ming knocking down a 3-pt FG? And how just how impressive was Yao? He led his team in points (13) and rebounds (9), was 6-6 from the line, played strong throughout--despite grimacing and hobbling a bit after hurting his his right ankle in the second half, and cheered his team like the were up 25 instead of down by that amount in the game's closing minutes. Represented the sport and his country quite admirably.

- Interesting point brought up in NBC's coverage about the popularity of the NBA in China and how other than the Chinese national team itself, Team USA is the squad the Chinese will root for the most. Somewhere David Stern is smiling.

- Team USA's uniforms were stellar. Here they are in white and blue. Very clean and crisp. The tighter fit, very sharp.

- LeBron James was a beast (18 PTS, 6 REB, 4 AST and 3 jaw-dropping blocks, though his post-game interview was a bit uninspired and disappointing) and Dwayne Wade was also impressive--a perfect night shooting (7-7 FG, 5-5 FT) in route to 19 PTS.

- How about Yi Jianlian's one-handed follow-up dunk over Carmelo? Nice play by the youngster

- As impressive as Team USA's defensive pressure and fastbreak finishes were, their outside shooting (surprise, surprise) left a lot to be desired. Let's see, where have we heard this before, hmm....

- And finally, the 18,000 or so fans who helped create an electric, memorable atmosphere for the entirety of the game. Virtually no booing whatsoever--regardless of a given call or who was winning or losing--and a display of genuine appreciation for what they were seeing on the court as well as an excitement for what they were helping to create for viewers worldwide.

Next up for Team USA: Angola, Tuesday, Aug 12, 8 a.m. EST