SAITAMA -- There's jubilation in Athens. There's disappointment in America.

News photo Greece's Sofoklis Schortsanitis drives to the basket as LeBron James of the U.S. guards during their World Basketball Championship semifinal clash in Saitama on Friday. KYODO PHOTO

There's a new appreciation for Greece's spirited brand of basketball. And after a performance this spectacular, little kids from Tokyo to Topeka will dream of becoming the next Theodoros Papaloukas. After all, his career now rivals that of any storybook fantasy (but more on that later).