We're currently in the early stages of the 2012 NBA Playoffs but for many domestic leagues around the world where the season is over, the focus right now has shifted to the 2012 Olympic Games in London.

With that in mind, let's take a brief overview of what is to come in the mens tournament. Since the team rosters -- and even some of the competing teams themselves -- are yet to be finalised, this will be a high level preview of what is to come. As the Olympics approach, we'll get into more detail with predictions and in-depth comparisons.

Format

Firstly, let's examine the format that will be taken on by the tournament. There will be 12 teams involved in the Olympic tournament, with them being split into two groups of six teams.

A round-robin is played in each group initially (ie each team plays each other once), before going on to the knock-out round where the four highest placed teams from each group go on to battle for the medals. In other words, the two worst teams from each group are knocked out, effectively eliminating those teams that are not up to the same standard, but got through due to the nature of the qualification tournaments and regions.

Competing nations

Of the twelve competing nations, only nine have been decided to-date.

• Great Britain will feature in the Olympics, as the host nation, after a long absence from impact in international basketball. With the likes of forwards Luol Deng (Chicago Bulls), Joel Freeland (Unicaja Malaga) and head coach Chris Finch (Houston Rockets), Team GB may surprise some on their home court.
• United States are the clear favourites, as always. Whilst markets for basketball betting at the Olympics are not yet open, as far as I'm aware, there is every likelihood that Team USA will be unbackable. USA qualified for the Olympics via winning the 2010 FIBA World Championships in Turkey. Their team will likely be largely similar to that which won Gold in Turkey and Beijing, with LeBron James, Dwyane Wade (both Miami Heat), Kobe Bryant (Los Angeles Lakers), Kevin Durant (Oklahoma City Thunder), Derrick Rose (Chicago Bulls) and Kevin Love (Minnesota Timberwolves) making for a formiddable core.
• Tunisia make their way into the Olympics as the winners of the 2011 FIBA Africa Championship after beating traditional African heavyweights Angola in their first ever Championship victory. Whilst Tunisia will likely be present at the Olympics just to make up the numbers, the experience for the likes of 25-year old 7'1" captain Salah Mejri (Antwerp Diamond Giants, Belgium) will be invaluable. 
• Argentina and Brazil are the two entrants to come out of the 2011 FIBA Americas Tournament (held in Argentina in September 2011). Both are stacked with NBA talent and are traditionally strong competitors right down to the medal stages. Argentina in particular won the 2004 Gold Medal, along with the 2008 Bronze and have a very strong history in basketball. Key players for Argentina include Manu Ginobili (San Antonio Spurs), Carlos Delfino (Milwaukee Bucks), Andres Nocioni (Philadelphia 76ers) and Luis Scola (Houston Rockets). Whilst Brazil's success in Olympic and World Championship medals came during the 1940s - 1970s, they do boast Tiago Splitter (San Antonio Spurs), Nene Hilario (Washington Wizards), Leandro Barbosa (Indiana Pacers), Anderson Varejao (Cleveland Cavaliers) in their ranks. However it is uncertain how many of those NBA-experienced players will represent at the Olympics.
• Australia are the representatives from the 2011 FIBA Oceania Championship, after sweeping the three-game series against New Zealand. The disastrous news for the Boomers is that they will be without NBA centre Andrew Bogut, who will be recovering from ankle surgery, however the fine play of San Antonio Spurs guard Patty Mills is very heartening. Australia is led by San Antonio Spurs assistant coach, Brett Brown and boast a fine array of internationally experienced big men and wing players.
• Spain and France are the two representatives to fight their way out of the 2011 FIBA Europe Championship, in what is always a tough tournament. Spain of course are the main competitors to the USA in recent years, after winning the Gold at the 2006 World Championships and taking out Silver at the 2008 Olympics in Beijing. Pau Gasol (Los Angeles Lakers), Rudy Fernandez (Denver Nuggets), Juan Carlos Navarro (Barcelona), Jose Calderon (Toronto Raptors), Marc Gasol (Memphis Grizzlies) and Congo-born Serge Ibaka (Oklahoma City Thunder) will form the core of the Spanish team, whilst star youngster Ricky Rubio (Minnesota Timberwolves) will miss through injury sustained in NBA play against Team USA's Kobe Bryant. France are led by Joakim Noah (Chicago Bulls), Tony Parker (San Antonio Spurs), Nicolas Batum (Portland Trail Blazers) and Boris Diaw (Spurs). Whilst they are stacked with talent, they have yet to win an international major tournament.
• China enter the tournament as the winners of the 2011 FIBA Asia Championship. Whilst they are the power of Asia, they are unlikely to make much noise in London. China is in the unfortunate situation where they have lost superstar Yao Ming to injury, whilst team stars Wang Zhizhi and Liu Wei are aging. They will rely largely on the talents of Yi Jianlian (Dallas Mavericks) and "the Chinese Magic Johnson" Sun Yue (Beijing) for any and all success.
• The three final competing teams in the Olympics will be decided via a qualifying tournament.

Qualifying Tournament

The 2012 FIBA World Olympic Qualifying Tournament will be held in Caracas, Venezuela from 2-8 July, 2012. The teams that will compete for the three positions in the Olympics will be:

There are more quality teams in this qualifying tournament than there are available qualifying positions. Russia, basketball-crazy Lithuania, Greece, Puerto Rico and New Zealand are the best shots at progressing.

More previews and analysis to come as the Olympic Games approach. The games will be played from 28 July to 12 August, 2012.

The Australian Boomers had the news confirmed yesterday that they dreaded was coming: star centre Andrew Bogut will undergo surgery and be unavailable for the 2012 London Olympics. The big man's ankle, which has been recovering from an injury sustained during the NBA season, whilst he was with the Milwaukee Bucks (he has since been traded to the Golden State Warriors), has not healed as quickly as hoped.

Bogut's ankle requires arthroscopic surgery. That will rule him out of recovering in time for the Olympics -- this is the second major tournament in a row where bad luck has beset Bogut, after he was unable to play for the Boomers in the 2010 World Championships of Basketball in Turkey.

The tough news really bites for Boomers head coach Brett Brown, as it means that he is yet to coach Bogut during his run as head coach of the Australian national team. On the other end of the table, Bogut has always declared himself as fully dedicated to the national team and intensely proud of his country. Not being able to play at the Olympics during the peak of his career is painful.

“Three years ago, when I was interviewing for this position, I flew to Dallas when the [Milwaukee] Bucks were playing the [Dallas] Mavericks and I sat down with him and asked him 'in the event that I was offered the Boomers job, what are your playing intentions going forward with the Boomers program?'," said coach Brown. 

“He enthusiastically declared to me that he was 'all in' and with that news I went even more aggressively after the job and tried to become the next Boomers coach. I was offered the job but sadly, three years later, through great misfortune, Andrew’s injuries have prevented him from playing a single Boomers game since I have been the coach. 

"I was with Andrew last week when the [San Antonio] Spurs played his [Golden State] Warriors and I have been aware of this unfortunate news for a while. He has always been honest with me. I feel for him. He has experienced some very ordinary luck during my tenure and particularly this time around, where it will prohibit him from playing with his teammates and representing his country at the Olympic Games. I will personally miss the opportunity to coach him. When he is healthy, I believe that he is one of the best three centers in the world, a true ‘game changer’ on many levels,” he said.

So how do the Boomers look without Bogut?

Firstly, they do lack a major piece in the puzzle without him on board. He offers a game-changing defensive presence as a shot-blocker, as well as a premium rebounding ability. His target as an interior offensive player and passing centre makes him a huge cog in the Boomers offence.

On the other hand, the Boomers have unfortunately become used to Bogut not being available of late, thus making the injury slightly easier to adjust for.

In terms of interior players, the Boomers boast veteran captain Matt Nielsen, NBA-experienced David Andersen and Nathan Jawai, young internationals AJ Ogilvy and Aron Baynes and importantly, big, skilled body, Aleks Maric. Whilst the Boomers are severely weakened in terms of medal contention with Bogut out, the low post is one area that they are actually incredibly deep. Even putting to one side the tested big names above, Brown can look to the likes of skilled NBL centre Julian Khazzouh, Los Angeles Lakers draftee Ater Majok and giants Luke Nevill and Luke Schenscher.

Outside of the big man department, Brown will look for scoring input from wing players David Barlow, Joe Ingles, Brad Newley, Mark Worthington and potentially Peter Crawford. There is also a chance that NBL MVP Kevin Lisch (Perth Wildcats import) will be naturalised in time to become a member of the squad. 

In terms of smaller guards, Patty Mills is the clear standout. The speedy 23-year old is currently playing with Brown's San Antonio Spurs and putting in a fine performance so far in limited minutes on a successful squad late in the season. Mills' ability to score with pace will be a big factor in Australia's favour and the team will also rely on him to set the table for his teammates. In addition to Mills, young guard Matthew Dellavedova (NCAA - St Mary's) will be a contender along with NBL guards Adam Gibson and Damian Martin.

This Boomers squad now has the advantage of having played together for a number of years -- something they did not possess previously. In terms of competitive advantages, this may be one of their biggest, despite being spread throughout the world. Mills' offensive ability and pace will be their other big drawcard, along with the deep core of big man talents.

See what Brett Brown has to say about the squad on this video.

The 2012 London Olympic Games are mere months away. Once again, the Australian Boomers have a talented squad of internationally experienced stars that will be put together to form a squad that will challenge on the fringes of a medal. 

Head coach Brett Brown, currently serving as Assistant Coach with the San Antonio Spurs in the NBA, talks in this video about the talent the team has, their preparations and how he sees the team integrating for the Olympics.

We will go into more detail with previews as the Olympics approach, but briefly, the top names that come into contention for the squad are:

BIGS

Andrew Bogut, David Andersen, Matt Nielsen, Aleks Maric, Aron Baynes, AJ Ogilvy

WINGS

David Barlow, Joe Ingles, Mark Worthington, Brad Newley, Peter Crawford

SMALL GUARDS

Patty Mills, Damian Martin, Adam Gibson, Matthew Dellavedova 

If you know Japanese manga or anime, you've heard of SLAM DUNK. The manga (comics) were serialised in Japan from 1990 to 1996 and focus on the story of the high school basketball team in Shohoku. The series, which was also adapted into an anime (animated) series, has been immensely popular, both in Japan and worldwide.

The author, Takehiko Inoue, was even awarded a special commendation by the Japan Basketball Association for helping to popularise basketball in Japan.

Due to my love for both art and basketball (and my secret devotion to manga/anime), I've long intended to write about SLAM DUNK here. Now my hand has been forced by this awesome effort made by students at the National Taiwan University of Arts, who put together a frame-by-frame remaking of the opening sequences of the SLAM DUNK anime series.

Check out the video:

(h/t: Kotaku and Jose Tanako)

The Team USA squad that will compete for the 12 roster positions at the London 2012 Olympic Games has been named.

There are no particular surprises, with Blake Griffin and LaMarcus Aldridge the two newcomers pushing for selection this time around.

USA Olympic basketball squad: LaMarcus Aldridge (Portland), Carmelo Anthony (New York Knicks), Chauncey Billups (Los Angeles Clippers), Chris Bosh (Miami), Kobe Bryant (Los Angeles Lakers), Tyson Chandler (New York Knicks), Kevin Durant (Oklahoma City), Rudy Gay (Memphis), Eric Gordon (New Orleans), Blake Griffin (Los Angeles Clippers), Dwight Howard (Orlando), Andre Iguodala (Philadelphia), LeBron James (Miami), Kevin Love (Minnesota), Lamar Odom (Dallas), Chris Paul (Los Angeles Clippers), Derrick Rose (Chicago), Dwyane Wade (Miami), Russell Westbrook (Oklahoma City), Deron Williams (New Jersey).

One of the many things that I love about basketball is its global nature, providing a meeting point for numerous cultures. Outside of international tournaments, the most common gem thrown into the global melting pot is the American import in domestic leagues around the world.

You know the drill: there are a semi-set of professional basketball players in the USA who are not fortunate/skilled enough to find a place in the NBA, but are still of sufficient talent to offer them a paying basketball job, abroad.

Quite often, these players will seek a country out that offers as many of the comforts of home as possible: the English language, a calm political environment, other Americans who can attest to its conditions and a league of sufficient standard to get noticed for that elusive call-up to the NBA. Some players however, take a different route and follow an alternative, less paved path.

Kevin Sheppard is one such player.

Sheppard is an American who has taken up a contract to play professional basketball in Iran. The 6'0" point guard, from the United States Virgin Islands, initially entered the country as an import for Azad University Tehran BC. He then went on to sign with A.S. Shiraz, another Iranian team.

Obviously, this was a gutsy move for an American, moving to a country that so many of his countrymen fear as part of the "Axis of Evil" and view as a complete polar opposite to their own country. And this is where documentary makers Till Schauder and Sara Nodjoumi step into the story.

The husband-and-wife duo sought an American playing in the Iranian Basketball Super League, to film and tell the story of an import assimilating in Iran. The resulting documentary looks incredibly interesting as a study on cross-cultural mingling, combined with a basketball back-story.

As you will see in the trailer for it below, Sheppard comes across three Iranian women who give him an insight into their culture and the way in which women interact with and are impacted by Iranian society.

The team is looking for funding to get the film off the ground and have a kickstarter funding page, which is currently targeting $100k. There are approximately 19 hours to go on this goal, if you feel like contributing. There are various rewards on offer for those that donate at different levels.

There is an interesting article here on the back story to the film. It is due for an April 2012 release.

(Thanks to Chris de Jonge for pointing out this link to me)

Some things are just infuriating to watch. This video, featuring Connell High School (I don't know what their mascot name is, but I assume "Thugs" - no wait, it's "Eagles" apparently) against Highland High School (in Washington) is one of them.

The Connell players, particularly #34, as you'll see in this video, make a mockery of the sport of basketball. Many of these plays of reputed "defence" wouldn't even have a place on a football field, due to the danger they put the offensive players in.

What I find particularly amazing and galling, is that not one technical/flagrant/unsportsmanlike foul is called in this game, nor does a Highland coach run on the court and strangle the referees at any point in frustration. As you'll see, things get dangerous.

Thanks to Chris De Jonge on Facebook and Yahoo!'s Prep Rally blog. Go there for more details on the game.

Sergio Kerusch, a 6'5" German-American swingman, who plays for Aris Basketball Club in Greece, has provided what may be the dunk of the year. Forget the legality of the steps or the possible charge, just marvel at the way this man (formerly of Western Kentucky University) throws it down in the closing stages of the first half, during this December game against Olympiacos. 

I have to admit, I didn't really pick up a basketball until I was about 12 years-old. I often wish that I had started from birth, like this kid appears to have done. Cody Jordan is a ball-handling phenom, who at only 4 years of age has ball-handling skills disproportionate to his tiny frame.

Check out this video as he shows off his dribbling skills, including an ankle-breaker on some other poor, unsuspecting kid at about the 1:10 mark.

(Thanks to Matt Clapp of The Score)

Really, this high schooler seems to dunk absolutely every time he gets the ball.