Basketball On The Internet.

BELIEVE it or not, there WAS a “Dream Team” in Rio, the USA suiting arguably the greatest women’s Olympic team in its and the Games' storied history.

For me, there’s only ever been one “Dream Team” in men’s basketball and that was the historic first NBA-based outfit in Barcelona in 1992.

It merged together virtually every great of that era’s past and present, Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson, Larry Bird, Charles Barkley, Scottie Pippen, Patrick Ewing, David Robinson, John Stockton, Karl Malone, Clyde Drexler, Chris Mullin, plus college’s most loved or loathed player Christian Laettner.

They swept through the Tournament of the Americas 6-0, winning by an average of 51.5ppg. At the Olympic Games, their average winning margin was 43.8 points, while they scored 117.3ppg.

To compare that team to any subsequent USA men’s team is pure folly and to repeatedly dub each American team as some latest incarnation of a “Dream Team” even more ridiculous and largely the domain of a lazy and/or ignorant and/or ill-informed media. But I digress.

In Rio, the USA women’s team was nothing short of awesome, invincible.

Yes, they were winning their sixth consecutive Olympic Gold Medal but as they swept past their opponents by an average of 37.3ppg, they also averaged in triple digits, with 102.1ppg.

Coach Geno Auriemma started Sue Bird, Diana Taurasi, Maya Moore, Tina Charles and Britney Griner in the final, which meant Lindsay Whalen, Angel McCoughtry, Elena Delle Donne, Seimone Augustus and Sylvia Fowles constituted his SECOND five. That’s if he wasn’t starting megastar Tamika Catchings … which he had done.

So his 12th player – the “Christian Laettner” of this Dream Team if you like, was Breanna Stewart.

In case you don’t know, Stewart is in her first WNBA season after leading University of Connecticut Huskies to a record four straight NCAA titles.

Now at Seattle Storm and tipped to not only be the runaway Rookie of the Year but also “the next Lauren Jackson”, Stewart became the only player ever honoured as the NCAA Final Four’s Most Outstanding Player four times – 2013-14-15-16 - bettering the UConn record of twice, held by Diana Taurasi.

This superstar, who would start for every other national team in the world, was the 2016 USA’s 12th player.

And we thought our Opals could take this team?

The secret of the USA team though is it was super deep with talent. No experimental players, no players “for the future” – though Stewart will be (but her future already is now) - no meaningless analytics to justify anyone, no speculative or dubious selections on the strength of what they may or may not bring in some single area.

Just, the best, Candace Parker notwithstanding.

And if we were fair dinkum about challenging the USA for a Gold Medal, the Opals would have been Erin Phillips, Rachel Jarry, Penny Taylor, Suzy Batkovic, Liz Cambage, Leilani Mitchell, Rebecca Allen, Jenna O’Hea, Abby Bishop, Marianna Tolo, Tess Madgen and Cayla George. But they weren’t.

IT didn’t take Milwaukee Bucks long to recognise they have landed a prize in Boomers starting guard Matthew Dellavedova.

The Bucks, who drafted Aussie centre Andrew Bogut at No.1 in 2005, followed Australia’s exploits closely in Rio with regular updates for fans as the Boomers became the NBA franchise’s unofficial second team at the Games. (Although there actually were more Delly updates than USA notes.)

And less than a week into the Olympics, the Bucks already were pushing Delly merchandise! (Also can’t help feeling LeBron James tuned in to the Australia-USA game and would have been yelling “That’s my guy” anytime Delly pounced on a loose ball.)

SPEAKING of which, how thrilled would San Antonio Spurs coach Gregg Popovich have been, watching the Rio Olympics’ bronze medal playoff on TV somewhere?

On the one hand he had his new centre, Spain’s Pau Gasol going off for 31 points. On the other he had Boomers star Patty Mills draining 30.

(And by Tokyo, when Popovich is calling the shots for the USA, Gasol will be retired and he’ll know Patty’s game outside-in.)

So he could just enjoy what the future holds for his beloved Spurs in the post-Tim Duncan era.

THE one thing I learned from the telecaster going into France’s timeouts during the Olympics is that “Daccord” must mean “OK”.

Both the men’s and women’s coaches finished many of their strategies with “Daccord?” as their players nodded acknowledgement.

WHAT the hell was FoxSports thinking having Steve Carfino as one of its so-called “experts” commenting on Rio Olympic basketball developments?

The guy has no connection to Olympics whatsoever and if it’s because he’s back calling NBL this season, that’s still a flimsy tie-in.

If it’s because he has the American accent then I’m dismayed some sports folk in this country still haven’t outgrown that kind of US sycophancy.

And if it’s because they were doing their tapings in Sydney then, again, how stupid was Fox?

Brad Newley is now living in Sydney and about to play for the Kings. Make no mistake, Newley was Player 13 on that 12-man team. (Don’t go saying Aleks Maric was because the Kings’ new centre was only there as Bogut insurance.)

Newley has been a part of the buildup and was the man who coined the “solid rock” phrase for the Boomers after their trip to Uluru.

He would have been the perfect man to have in the studio. And sorry, but HE has the right accent.

SPEAKING commentators, John Casey appeared to consciously cut down on his tired and worn catch phrases to instead focus on calling with knowledge, insight, information and enthusiasm as only he can and was consequently at or near his very best in Rio.

Andrew Gaze also leapt off the fence he’s sat on for an eternity and called with candour and humour, while also incisive, forceful and channelling the enthusiasm of a nation back at home.

Their calling for Seven was a tour de force for both.

Pity Gaze will have Kings duties now but maybe Fox should seriously be looking again at one of his former Tigers teammates in Chris Anstey for NBL games.

Anstey played NBL, NBA, Europe, was an international with the Boomers and also has coached. Plus he's not afraid to speak up when it's warranted.

That's if Fox wants to keep moving forward, and it has people such as Tom Wilson already on its payroll and options such as Nathan Strempel and Matt McQuade waiting in the wings.

Back to Casey and Gaze though, they were gold in Rio, even if our teams fell a little short.

IS it just me or is Rio the first city with a surname to host an Olympics?

If that catches on, Buenos Aires and Kuala Lumpur must be getting excited about 2024 …