LeBron James says Team USA had no 'discipline' and 'structure' that led to 2004 Olympics downfall

The 2004 United States squad will always go down as the most disappointing Team USA to grace the court in the history of Olympic Men's Basketball. The entire group failed to live up to the hype and expectations, settling for an embarrassing bronze medal finish that'll remain a massive stain on the Americans' pride in playing the game at the highest level.

But from LeBron James's perspective, there are two significant reasons why he and Team USA were truly bound for a historic collapse in front of the world in Athens.

"We didn't have the discipline, we didn't have the structure to be able to play on a world stage. We had great basketball players but we didn't have the structure, and I think that's part of why we finished third," he confessed .

No discipline and structure

As much as the '04 group deserves constant slander for not making it to the top of the Olympics, LeBron's argument makes sense. Both discipline and structure played a considerable role in why Team USA failed miserably in bringing home the gold medal.

While Larry Brown is a legendary basketball mind, he maintained his old-school and conservative approach at the wrong time. He didn't make the necessary adjustments to adapt and embrace a collective style of play that fits perfectly in the brand of the international stage. In the words of Stephon Marbury himself , Larry Brown was "telling guys how to play the right way" instead of just focusing on bringing home the gold and occasionally stepping back, enjoying the free-flowing playing rhythm of some of the best players in the league.

As for the structure, the 2004 squad is relatively weak and unproven when compared to the rest of what USAB constructed in its past and present teams. As most NBA stars declined to play, like Kobe Bryant, Kevin Garnett, Tracy McGrady, and Shaquille O'Neal, due to season rest, personal reasons, and security threats, the States desperately filled their roster by recruiting most of the up-and-coming talents. The experience and star power of both Tim Duncan and Allen Iverson weren't evidently enough to lead the group to glory. At the same time, Brown infamously didn't put more trust and on-court presence for the youngsters in LeBron, Carmelo Anthony, and Dwyane Wade.

A humbling lesson

Their crushing downfall in Athens urgently pushed USA Basketball to clean the house and deliver a massive revamp. After that year, they named Jerry Colangelo, the program's managing director, who applied a commitment plan among NBA stars. Since then, the only way for the Americans has been up.

With Colangelo at the helm, Team USA achieved its most decorated run in conquering international basketball. They dominated the global scene and conquered the next four editions of the Summer Games by winning all gold medals. His leadership paved the way for the United States to form a blueprint for long-term success and sustained excellence, which is now being maintained by Grant Hill.

The underachieving 2004 campaign served as a humbling lesson for the United States, and it only propelled them to perfection in crafting that team 'discipline' and 'structure' to remind the world who is the undisputed boss of basketball.

Related: Allen Iverson rips fellow NBA stars who didn't commit to Team USA in 2004 Olympics