INDIANAPOLIS -- The Dream Team is dead. The ghost of Larry Bird has left the building. And the nightmare for Team USA has just begun.

Don't cry for Team USA. The truth is Argentina not only beat America Wednesday night, but it took the formerly unbeaten, NBA-powered national team to school.

	George Karl, left, and Baron Davis can't believe what they're seeing during Wednesday's loss to Argentina.

America lost more than a game. The air of invincibility now is completely gone. The king is dead and international basketball will never be the same.

"We have given hope to many teams," Emmanuel Ginobili said. "The U.S. is no longer the best in the world. ... I think they are not happy for sure."

"I'm embarrassed to be on the team to take the first loss," Paul Pierce said.

However, USA coach George Karl came quickly to his defense. "Our players should be complimented because they came. They knew the challenge would be hard, but they came."

Was Karl placing the blame on the top-tier NBA players that declined an invitation to Team USA? Could Argentina have beaten a team with Shaquille O'Neal, Kobe Bryant and Tim Duncan? Probably not. But if USA Basketball learns anything from this experience it is that all-star teams are vulnerable. Argentina proved emphatically that team chemistry and basketball fundamentals trump star power and athleticism.

The outcome was probably preordained. With international players making huge strides and USA Basketball getting weaker and weaker, it was a matter of time. The United States has been getting by on its "B" game for years. It's been plagued with too much dream, not enough team.

The U.S. teams had already lost their biggest edge -- intimidation -- over the last decade. Now everyone with an accent and a pair of high tops is circling like a vulture.

"I am impressed with the conviction the team had of not losing the battle before starting," Argentina coach Ruben Magnano said. "Our conviction outweighed anything that was technical or tactical."

Using a physical, punishing defense and a slashing offense, Argentina ran circles around the U.S. on both ends of the court. "We make everyone play ugly," point guard Pepe Sanchez said. "We put a lot of pressure on the ball and we put out hands on them. They didn't like it."

Indeed. At times, the U.S. players seemed to be losing their composure. During one sequence in the first quarter, forward Luis Scola emphatically blocked Jermaine O'Neal on a dunk attempt. An angry O'Neal stepped on Scola while he was still on the floor, drawing a double foul that resulted in four free throw shots. Moments later, Reggie Miller lost his cool pushing Leandro Palladino in the back as he fought his way through a screen.

	“	I kept saying, 'Can you believe it?' to my teammates. I was afraid right until then that they would put Reggie Miller in the game. I know what he did against New York. ”
		— Pepe Sanchez

The U.S. staged a mini-comeback late in the third quarter behind Pierce and the aggressive play of point guard Andre Miller. At the end of the third quarter, Argentina still led 68-60.

However, terrible shooting, huge defensive lapses and poor foul shooting kept the U.S. from getting closer. Team USA ended up shooting 37.5 percent from the field and 58.6 percent from the line.

A few huge shots at the end of the game by Ginobili sealed the deal. But it wasn't until there were nine seconds left that Argentina realized what they had done.

"I kept saying, 'Can you believe it?' to my teammates," Sanchez said. "I was afraid right until then that they would put Reggie Miller in the game. I know what he did against New York."

There were no New York miracles, however. Miller never even got the call. But he did huddle up his team after the historic loss.

Pierce relayed to the world what he said. "The world is against us. The fans, the referees. ... Everyone wanted us to fail but we can still achieve our goal," Pierce said. "We can still win the gold."

Coming up next
The tournament now moves into the single-elimination quarterfinals. Team USA will take on Yugoslavia at 9 p.m. ET on Thursday. Argentina will play Brazil, Germany will play Spain and Puerto Rico will play New Zealand. All other teams have been eliminated from medal contention. If the U.S. wins Thursday, it will play the winner of the Puerto Rico-New Zealand game on Saturday.

Chad Ford writes the daily NBA Insider column for ESPN Insider. To get a free 30-day trial, click here.