For the time being there is no point in debating whether the 2012 USA basketball team could take down the 1992 Dream Team. First, we need to find out whether LeBron James and Kobe Bryant can lead the U.S. through the 12-nation tournament en route to another gold medal. Let's agree to meet back at this conversation point if and when that not insignificant feat is accomplished.
That journey begins on Sunday against France.
Led by Tony Parker and featuring a handful of other NBA players, the French team will feature several faces quite familiar to Team USA. The French placed second to Spain in the 2012 European Championships and U.S. coach Mike Krzyzewski is trying to keep his players from taking them -- or anyone -- too lightly.
"To not prepare would be the ultimate sign of disrespect and the biggest, poorest assumption that you could make," Krzyzewski said on Saturday.
The U.S. will focus will likely be on shutting down Parker, who averaged 18.3 points and 7.7 assists this past season for the Spurs.
"Slow him down and surround him. Keep bodies in front of him at all times," said Kobe Bryant.
Will France pull off a miraculous upset? Or will the U.S. flex its muscles and win its Olympics opener?
Scroll down for live updates and follow @HuffPostSports to join in on the conversation. And, don't worry, we'll mix in plenty of updates from the other happenings at the London Olympics.
Hours after the closing ceremony actually ended in London, NBC played back some recordings of athlete interviews done on the floor of the Olympic Stadium in the immediate aftermath of the performance by The Who.
Up first, 17-year-old swim star Missy Franklin summed up the feelings of everyone who has been contributing to this live blog for the past 17 days.
"I can't believe it's over," Franklin told Michelle Tafoya of NBC.
Thanks for enjoying (and/or not enjoying) everything that has happened during the London Olympics with us.
CLICK HERE to check out all of our coverage and to re-live (think of it as a form of tape delay) your favorite moments.
NBC has returned from your local news and its new sitcom with.. The Who. It's midnight on the East Coast and well past the bedtime of all the band members in the UK.
| @ Blueskyfox : Sorry @NBC, not playing your switch-and-bait game trying to get me to watch your monkey show. #SwitchingChannels |
| @ Dowminator : Really! I want to see The Who more than I want to watch NBC's newest comedy... |
| @ GlennaRegan : Seriously, NBC? Animal Practice preview? You can't interrupt the Closing Ceremony with a promo for your dumb new show... |
| @ davewordnerd : How desperate is NBC? Gotta interrupt tape-delayed Olympic closing ceremony to show a stupid sitcom? |
| @ ashleyesq : Leave it to NBC to split the #closingceremonies...for those that care, apparently the end end will be on at 11:00 |
| @ davidlasseter : Oh, so you have to sit through Animal Practice to get to The Who. NBC using the whole fist on us. |
With everyone knowing that The WHO already played in London hours ago but still waiting to see them during the Closing Ceremony broadcast, NBC decides to debut a new sitcom. So, you have to wait for this to see "Baba O'Riley" and "See Me, Feel Me" and "My Generation."
The many petalled Olympic cauldron begins to come apart and after a puff of smoke, a red, lit Phoenix hovered above the flames.
Our opening ceremony proclaimed that these would be a Games for everyone. We can say that these were a Games by everyone
The spirit of these Games will inspire a generation. When our time came, Britain, we did it right
Lord Coe, the athlete turned politician delivers his second speech of, saying it was "A wonderful games in a wonderful city. We lit the flame and we lit up the world."
| @ dazgale : Alright, Rio. This is impressive and all. But do YOU have Fatboy Slim DJing inside a giant octopus? I don't think so. London - 1 Rio - 0 |
The Brazilian performance begins with a tap dancer dressed a street sweeper begin scolded by security type. But soon CARNIVAL has them both.
The stadium was lit up green and yellow as the Brazilian anthem plays. The hosts of the 2016 Olympics then had the chance to give the world of glimpse of what they'll have on offer in four years. Expect Samba.
NBC cameras show athletes talking amongst themselves as Olympic flag is lowered, folded and prepped for transfer to Brazil.
The national anthem of Greece is played to honor the birthplace of the Olympics as the Greek flag is raise, to flutter in the wind near (but not too near) the Olympic cauldron.
Jessie J struts out to meet May in the middle of the stadium, where she begins singing "We Will Rock You." The crowd ate it up.
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Posted: 07/29/2012 9:08 am Updated: 07/29/2012 11:23 am