Museums exhibit priceless works of art.  The world boasts countless objects of near perfection.  Last night, fans were witness to one more: the Team USA’s first quarter against the Mexican national team.

Already boasting a 4-0 record in this year’s FIBA Americas Tournament, Team USA has been slowly reestablishing its international dominance…. and doing so with style and force.

For those unfamiliar with FIBA tournament rules, teams play four ten minute quarters (as opposed to twelve in the NBA) with fewer stoppages in play than the average NBA game as well.  Monday night, Team USA scored 45 points in ten minutes.

Briefly watching the sparse SportsCenter highlights does not do this team justice, for there’s no way to effectively capture the vertical dunk-fest that has become Team USA’s dominance of this year’s FIBA tournament.  So here’s an attempt to recap a near perfect first quarter, showcasing the world’s greatest basketball players playing an unbeatable level.

• Starting for Jason Kidd, Chauncey Billups set the tone early scoring five points in the game’s first thirty seconds, first by launching a three-pointer and then, by converting a fastbreak lay-up off a LeBron James steal.
• Off a missed Mexican lay-up, Amare Stoudemire kicked the rebound out to Billups on the wing.  Billups took one dribble, fed the ball up-court to LeBron, who drove, drew a double team and one-handed it out to Kobe on the left wing.  Kobe spotted Carmelo Anthony (who’s been making a living in the paint this tournament) under the basket for the bucket and the foul.  All five players touched the ball in a possession that took only eight seconds, longer than it took to read that paragraph.
• At the 6:41 mark, Carmelo nailed a three-pointer, giving him eight of Team USA’s fifteen points.
• After turning the ball over the previous possession, Kobe Bryant rattled home a shot from about five feet behind the three-point line.
• At the 5:20 mark, Jason Kidd entered the game.  Cue the highlight reel.
• LeBron pulled down a strong, one-handed rebound from above the rim, found Kidd running up the floor, who then got it back to LeBron on the right wing.  LeBron then took THREE Mexican players to the hole and drew the foul.  That possession took another brief, eight seconds.  In response to LeBron’s dunk, Bill Walton muttered “We’re used to that very much.  The Mexican players… I’m not sure that they’ve EVER seen anything quite like LeBron James."
•  In the first five minutes of the quarter, Team USA missed one shot attempt.
• Quadruple-teamed in the lane, LeBron spotted an open Mike Miller, who, rather than opting for the three, immediately whipped the ball to an open Amare Stoudamire for a signature two-handed dunk.
• Mike Miller drove the lane, attracting double-team coverage, but found a cutting Jason Kidd, who threw a two-handed touch pass to Carmelo behind the arc.  Carmelo drained it.
•  Dwight Howard, after being fouled, missed his second free throw attempt, which was then rebounded by Carmelo Anthony, who out-hustled three Mexican big men for the ball.
• Then, perhaps the most obscene play of the half… Carmelo grabbed a rebound from an errant Mexican three-point attempt and kicked the outlet pass to Jason Kidd running up the right side of the floor.  Kidd took one dribble and from BEHIND THE HALF-COURT LINE, threw a strike to Dwight Howard who snuck behind two Mexican defenders, then seemingly jumped over them for the alley-oop.
• After consecutive dunks by Carmelo and Dwight Howard, Bill Walton appropriately proclaimed “this is getting out of hand quickly.”
• Michael Redd launched a three-pointer… and hit.  So far, Team USA has only missed two shots in the quarter.
• On a commercial break that could not come soon enough for Team Mexico, Better Basketball offers a video, giving viewers the opportunity to “learn shooting from perhaps the best shooter in basketball history.”  I’m excited about the possibilities until I learn they’re talking about J.J. Reddick.
• Deron Williams played the two-man game to perfection with ‘Melo in the post, who then proceeded to dunk over the man covering him.
• After another dunk, Carmelo finished the quarter with sixteen points on 6-6 shooting.
• Fittingly, as the clock wound down, Deron Williams threw another alley-oop to Dwight Howard, who flushed it emphatically at the buzzer.

Team USA finished the quarter up 45-23.  Ten minutes, forty-five points.  To my recollection, Dream Team Jr. missed a total of four shots.

Critics will say not to get excited, that Team USA has only played Venezuela, the Virgin Islands, Brazil and Mexico, and that Argentina still remains on the docket.  But after years of recent disappointment and underachieving, the Americans are playing as expected.  Coach Krzyzewski is effectively managing his players’ minutes, while simultaneously keeping their eyes on the prize.  Kobe Bryant is shutting down opponents.  The American players have all checked their egos at the door and are feeding off each other’s talent. 

Yes, the United States is turning the ball over, but that’s to be expected with their up-tempo style of play.  At this pace, Team USA is looking invincible and is one more blowout victory closer to their ultimate goal:  an Olympic gold medal.

Kobe Bryant is finally getting a dream fulfilled: to play alongside Jason Kidd.  Unfortunately for Kobe, it’s not in a purple and gold uniform, but he’s already making the most of this opportunity.  Bryant and Kidd are the starting back court for Team USA, who had their first FIBA match-up last night against the Venezuelan national team in the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas.  Team USA did not disappoint.

Team Venezuela did not score their first field goal until halfway through the first period and as expected, the men in red, white and blue (they should have been wearing capes), continued their undefeated streak against their neighbors to the south.  And Kobe was nothing short of spectacular.

Apparently Mr. Bryant has turned over a new leaf.  He’s left behind the nagging media questions about his off-season trade demands and is clearly focused on the task at hand: ensuring Team USA qualifies for the Beijing Olympics.  As long as Team USA reaches the final game of this FIBA tournament, they’re assured an invitation to next year’s Olympic Games.  If they fall short of that goal, however, consider it a new low for USA basketball.

Kobe and Kidd have been getting along famously and are both providing the veteran leadership needed on a team that’s loaded with young talent.  Just by looking at Bryant, you can tell he’s in the best shape of his life.  He’s dropped eighteen pounds, has totally revised his diet, and is traveling with his own personal Pilates instructor.  He’s told Coach Krzyzewski that he wants to guard the opposing team’s best player night in and night out.  If last night’s game was any indication, opposing guards could be in for a heck of a tournament.  Kobe’s defense was swarming.  He also was an integral part of the offensive onslaught, pouring in fourteen points.

This is the Kobe Bryant fans want to see.  He’s thriving by playing with the best players in the world and is proving he very well may be the best among them.  Stay tuned, friends, as the dunkfest is just beginning.