Standing on the lowest of the three medal podiums, Richard Jefferson couldn't resist sneaking a peek.
Standing above him one spot to his right was Argentina guard Pepe Sanchez, who was about to have a gold medal draped around his neck, and Jefferson's eyes were drawn to the reward he could only look at, not touch.
It will be at least four years before another U.S. men's basketball player gets that close to the gold, and it could be even longer before an American is the one on the receiving end of a similar jealous gaze.
The Athens Games hammered home a point: The world hasn't just caught up in the 12 years since the Dream Team was born. It has sped past and left the United States in its wake.
Shame should not be attached to the U.S. team that won a bronze medal, though the questions beginning with the word "Why?" are legitimate.
Some of the answers: They didn't practice together long enough. They weren't familiar with each another, nor with the rules of intricacies of international basketball. They didn't have pure shooters. They didn't adapt to their coach, nor he to them
If blame is to be cast on anyone, it should go to the players - including Shaquille O'Neal, Kevin Garnett, Mike Bibby, Ray Allen, Kenyon Martin and Ben Wallace - who refused to come.
America will have to go back to the drawing board.
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