Behind the bronze medal of the 2004 US men's Olympic basketball team is a bunch of sad and heated stories between individuals.
Among all the narratives and players involved, one that stands out the most is the tense standoff between point guard Stephon Marbury and head coach Larry Brown .
Brown vs. Marbury
The 2004 team was expected to continue America's gold streak in the Olympics. Once again, it assembled the best players in the league under the guidance of the best coach. It was a simple formula that had worked before.
But 2004 was a dark chapter in American basketball. The star-studded squad struggled in the preliminary round with a 3-2 record. It then lost to the Manu Ginobili-led Argentinian squad in the semifinals. In the middle of the US's struggles, Marbury sounded off on Brown's performance as head coach.
"You know, Coach Brown isn't letting us play," Marbury said , per NBC Sports, via Bleacher Report. "He's trying to make us play the 'right way.' He's not letting us play. We just need to play."
Brown, who was also reeling from the losses, unexpectedly clapped back. Coaches and players do not publicly feud, but this one was different. He wanted Stephon off the team as soon as possible.
"I want him off the team. I want Stephon Marbury off the team. Now. Put him on a plane and send him back home," Larry said.
But Starbury stayed with the squad and even led them in assists with 3.4 per game. He also placed second on the team in minutes played per game, 26.4 behind Allen Iverson (27.1).
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Marbury's thoughts in hindsight
Earlier this year, Stephon revisited his thoughts on his 2004 Olympics stint, which he once declared "the worst 38 days of my life."
Unfortunately, the two-time NBA All-Star has remained firm in his stance on Brown and his overall experience. Stephon believes that the team was disjointed and not on the same page .
"We didn't play to win," Marbury said on Carmelo Anthony's "7PM in Brooklyn" podcast. "We played like we was trying to do our best to finish this and go home."
One cannot blame him for harboring ill feelings all these years. The American basketball squad has always been held in high regard. It should be a given that they would win gold in any tournament. Taking home bronze was a shameful experience for Marbury, which will haunt him for the rest of his life.
Related: "Oh, we can just say your knee’s hurt" - Stephon Marbury on Larry Brown ordering Gregg Popovich to remove him from the 2004 USA Olympics team
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