An ode to basketball

Worlds -- what a great show!
Eighty games, 24 teams,
But one ambition.

This is a grand time.
'Tis two weeks of non-stop fun.
Hoops, hoops and more hoops.

These games thrill the world.
From Qatar to Australia,
It's a real big deal.

Delirious fans,
(And) flags are proudly on display.
Yes, it's all OK.

(International) fans treasure their stay.
Five cities share their kindness.
Japan's a great host.

The list of standouts
is truly impressive, y'all,
And includes new faves.

Melo, Lutonda,
King James, Ginobili, Dirk,
Olimpio, Pau.

And you can't forget
Igarashi's daring ways,
Orimo's 3-balls.

Darko's big blocked shots,
Okulaja's steady play,
Scola's polished moves.

Ibekwe's smooth Js,
Papadopolous's grit,
Akyol's fiery style.

Pau Gasol's hook shots,
Pepe's steady leadership,
Spanoulis' (in-your-face) Js.

Gomes -- slam dunks,
Garbajosa's shooting range,
Greece's brilliant D.

Red Foxes dancing,
Angola's tenacity,
Les Bleus -- young, but strong.

Wade's fourth-quarter show,
Lebanon's bitter-sweet win,
Italy's woes at the line (vs. Lithuania).

Nigeria's heart,
Team Japan's fighting spirit,
Spain's brilliant tempo.

And these memories:
Big fellows who can really shoot (Papadopoulos, Mingas, Nesterovic, Yi),
Little guys who can rebound (Kashiwagi, Urdih, Arroyo).

Claude's impromptu work (rebuilding France on the fly),
Yannakis's smart tactics,
Zeljko's passion.

Takeuchi twins,
The battle of Hernandez (well, Spain's Pepu vs. Argentina's Sergio for a berth into the final),
Tab's tearful exit.

Team goals rule the day,
(But) individual brilliance
Shines through in their play.

Sakota's young guns
Coach K's flashy playmakers,
All-Stars and backups (they've excelled here, too).

The best of the best?
Spanish-speaking b-ballers,
Greek dynamo guards.

Layups, dunks, passes (and all-out effort) --
International showcase (boy was it ever).
The game's finest hour (for two straight weeks!).