"Dream Teams" from the United States have dominated Olympic men's basketball championships for the last three Games, but the Dream seems has fallen to reality before the return of the Olympics to its birthplace.

With most of its NBA superstars missing from the squad due to realistic reasons, the sixth edition of the "Dream Team" series to participate at the Athens Olympics doesn't look so dreamy.

Big names who opted out or said don't bother sending me an invitation included Ray Allen, Jason Kidd, Kevin Garnett, Karl Malone, Kobe Bryant, Vince Carter, Elton Brand and Kenyon Martin and among the reasons for the hedging are legal problems over sexual assault charge, nagging injuries, fears of terrorism and family plans, including a wedding and a birth.

Only Tim Duncan and Allen Iverson remain from the star-studded U.S. team that won the Tournament of Americas last year to earn a berth in the Athens Olympics.

The weakening of the U.S. team meant the Olympic men's basketball tournament would be an open race for the first time in more than a decade. Perhaps it's time for the Dream Teams' domination at the Olympics to be ended.

Serbia & Montenegro (formerly Yugoslavia), the defending world champion and 1996 Olympic silver medallist, is a heavy favorite to be the "Dream Team" terminator and to challenge for gold in Athens.

Finishing a disappointing sixth with a 4-3 record in the 2000 Olympic Games, it stormed back to capture the 2002 World Championship with a 7-2 record.

Peja Stojakovic, who averaged 24.2 points, 6.3 rebounds and 43.3 percent from 3-point line per game for the Sacramento Kings in the 2003-2004 NBA season, will lead a bunch of current and former NBA players in pursuit of Serbia & Montenegro's first Olympic trophy since 1980.

Manu Ginobili-led Argentina can also be a gold medal contender if the South Americans play to the standard they achieved at the 2002 World Championship, where it lost to Yugoslavia in overtime in the final.

Sydney Olympics bronze medallist Lithuania, who scared the United States before losing 85-83 in the semi-finals of the Sydney Olympics, and Spain, upset winner over the United States at the 2002 World Championship, will be other medal contenders.

As some traditional basketball powerhouses seek to overthrow the American regime, Asian Champions China will strive to match its best finish at the Olympics and build a strong team for the 2008 Beijing Olympics, where the hosts are expected to win a medal.

"We will try to make top eight at the Athens, but it's also very important for our young players to get more international experience," said Li Yuanwei, vice president of the Chinese Basketball Association (CBA). "Hopefully we will have a very strong team for the Beijing Olympic Games."

Despite the presence of NBA All-star center Yao Ming, who completed his second NBA season with Houston averaging 17.5 points, 9.0 rebounds and 1.9 blocks per game and shooting 52.5 percent from the field, the Chinese are still underdogs coming into the Athens Olympics, where they will face Serbia & Montenegro, Argentina, Italy, Spain and New Zealand in the group stage.

"We would not like to talk too much about our goal, we will just do our best," said China deputy head coach Jonas Kazlauskas, who guided Lithuania to bronze medal at the 1996 and 2000 Olympics.

"It is the best that people do not think we are a strong team, it will be good for us."

The Chinese Basketball Association (CBA) hired the first foreign head coach - NBA Dallas Mavericks assistant coach Del Harris for the national team following its disappointing 12th finish at the 2002 World Championship. Kazlauskas was picked up as Harris' assistant.

"As trite as it sounds, I think it is wise for a team to set a goal to win the next game. Then we will see where that takes the team," said Harris. "Obviously, everyone who enters a competition should set its goal to somehow win the championship. If they do not, they dust themselves off and figure out the best way to try to win the next one."

Source: Xinhua