In the first decade of the 21st-century, America endured turmoil on multiple fronts. Following the devastating tragedy of 9/11, the nation would also find itself in the midst of wars in Iraq and Afghanistan while a financial crisis at home nearly destroyed the housing market.
The vulnerability even trickled down to the US men’s basketball team, a seemingly invincible force during the Dream Team days of Magic, Jordan, Barkley, and Bird. But the NBA star-packed squad would lose its allure following collapses at the 2002 Fiba World Championships, where the Americans lost to Yugoslavia in the quarter-finals, and the debacle at the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens, where they went home with bronze.
