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Though FIBA basketball is different than NBA or NCAA basketball, it’s still a team game. The most inspired and cohesive team usually wins.

Canada and Germany, among others, found this out the hard way in China. Germany had high hopes but couldn’t get Dallas Mavericks forward Maxi Kleber any shots against Dominican Republic.

Canada produces some of the world’s best talent but couldn’t convince them to help Canada in China. Canada lost to Australia and LIthuania in the “Group of Death” in Dongguan and couldn’t erase the bad memory of a heart-breaking loss to Venezuela in the 2015 FIBA Americas semifinal in Mexico, where Canada had high hopes of winning the tournament.

These losing teams can learn from the Czech team, who upset Turkey to advance to the second round. Sharing the thrill of victory, these guys will want to play with each other for their country for years to come. In order to build a cutlure of winning, under-achievers such as Canada and Germany need to gain more experience winning together. Then it will be easier to make sacrifices, put aside egos and individual ambition, and come together as a team.

(words and images copyright Christopher Johnson Globalite Media all rights reserved)