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Basketball has come a long way since the first Dream Team. Stars comes from all over the planet. The game is becoming a way to build bridges across canyons of culture. And yeah, it's harder than ever for the USA to clean up in international competition.

Some people might think this is a good thing. But here's a passage from the Forth Worth Star Telegram that makes me feel otherwise:

Back in the good old days -- at least from a U.S. perspective -- basketball was so easy that Charles Barkley could take a night off. In the 1996 Atlanta Olympics during a 133-70 victory over China, Barkley volunteered to sit out the game so others could have playing time.

During a timeout with the song Y.M.C.A playing, Barkley led the crowd at the Georgia Dome in spelling out the letters of the song. The U.S. was still dominating to the point that the biggest mystery in the Olympics involved what Barkley would do next while on the sidelines.

"I'm ready for the Macarena," Barkley said at the time. "Hopefully they'll play it next game."

I could care less if America can regain its footing in this new competitive landscape. What I really want is another All-Star weekend, smack dab in the middle of the off-season. I'll take players dancing over weird-shaped lanes any day.