Mid-August 2004 the Athens Olympic Games started with a basketball tournament in which the Americans were of course the big favorites with a team made up of future Hall of Famers: LeBron James, Tim Duncan, Allen Iverson, Dwyane Wade, Carmelo Anthony…. Even if there were some questions about this young team, the first game against Puerto Rico was shaping up to be a formality. But the first thunderclap of the Olympics sounded with a resounding victory for the teammates of Carlos Arroyo placeholder image and the crazy shooter Larry Ayuso. They won 92-73, a first defeat in the history of the Olympics for Team USA with NBA players. A defeat that will not be the last of this Olympiad
–