Sydney: The American men's basketball team touched down in Sydney on Friday morning having stopped for a few days in Tokyo. There, in a contest that was more of a layup drill than a competitive game, the team crushed a seriously overmatched Japanese national team 105-49.
In their next-to-last exhibition game before the Sydney Olympics, the US team toyed with an opponent something they are expected to do with most opposition at the Olympics. The team will be under the microscope more for their attitude than their game.
Cynics constantly assail NBA players for perceived lack of loyalty to their teams, their fans, their teammates, and even their agents. For the 12 NBA players who make up the 2000 US Olympic team, it is an affront to suggest they don't evince true patriotism and love of all things red, white and blue.
There can be no better example of this abiding loyalty to the nation that nurtured them - and created the economic atmosphere that allows them to make millions for playing a child's game - than Miami Heat centre Alonzo Mourning.
His wife, Tracy half a world away at their home in Miami, is less than a month away from delivering the couple's second child. Mourning could have asked USA Basketball to let him out of the contract he signed over a year ago to be part of Team USA 2000.
USA Basketball no doubt would have accommodated him, under the circumstances. Instead, the Mournings - and Alonzo stresses that Tracy had veto power on the decision - opted to have Alonzo remain a vital member of the team, the only true centre on an athletic, versatile unit expected to breeze to the gold medal in Sydney.
So on September 22, Mourning will fly from Sydney to Miami, a numbingly long journey, so he can be with Tracy the next day, when she delivers a sister for 4-year-old Alonzo III. On September 24 he will make the flight back to Sydney for the conclusion of the basketball competition.
And he is footing the bill himself for the quick turnaround trip. That, dear friends, is dedication to your team and, in this case, your country. Mourning was entirely prepared for Tracy to request that he remain with her through her final month of pregnancy.
Instead, she surprised him a bit by insisting, that he remain an Olympian. Mourning will miss at least one game, probably two, when he departs Sydney for Miami next month.
Team USA coach Rudy Tomjanovich already is noodling around with options to cover for his absence. Tomjanovich's task of filling in for Mourning's absence got even tougher when Tim Duncan's injury forced him to drop off the team three weeks ago.
The fact Antonio McDyess has played a good bit of center for the Denver Nuggets the past two seasons no doubt helped him land the replacement spot. McDyess and Vin Baker likely will get most of the time at centre when Mourning is absent from Sydney.
Mourning understands entirely why the Lakers' Shaquille O'Neal and Kobe Bryant declined USA Basketball's invitation to be on the Olympic team again. O'Neal already has a gold medal, earned in 1996.
Bryant announced plans in June for a summer wedding. Tim Hardaway, Mourning's Heat team-mate for the last four seasons and his Olympic team-mate now, said nobody should question their loyalty or patriotism any more.
Professional Management Group
In their next-to-last exhibition game before the Sydney Olympics, the US team toyed with an opponent something they are expected to do with most opposition at the Olympics. The team will be under the microscope more for their attitude than their game.
Cynics constantly assail NBA players for perceived lack of loyalty to their teams, their fans, their teammates, and even their agents. For the 12 NBA players who make up the 2000 US Olympic team, it is an affront to suggest they don't evince true patriotism and love of all things red, white and blue.
There can be no better example of this abiding loyalty to the nation that nurtured them - and created the economic atmosphere that allows them to make millions for playing a child's game - than Miami Heat centre Alonzo Mourning.
His wife, Tracy half a world away at their home in Miami, is less than a month away from delivering the couple's second child. Mourning could have asked USA Basketball to let him out of the contract he signed over a year ago to be part of Team USA 2000.
USA Basketball no doubt would have accommodated him, under the circumstances. Instead, the Mournings - and Alonzo stresses that Tracy had veto power on the decision - opted to have Alonzo remain a vital member of the team, the only true centre on an athletic, versatile unit expected to breeze to the gold medal in Sydney.
So on September 22, Mourning will fly from Sydney to Miami, a numbingly long journey, so he can be with Tracy the next day, when she delivers a sister for 4-year-old Alonzo III. On September 24 he will make the flight back to Sydney for the conclusion of the basketball competition.
And he is footing the bill himself for the quick turnaround trip. That, dear friends, is dedication to your team and, in this case, your country. Mourning was entirely prepared for Tracy to request that he remain with her through her final month of pregnancy.
Instead, she surprised him a bit by insisting, that he remain an Olympian. Mourning will miss at least one game, probably two, when he departs Sydney for Miami next month.
Team USA coach Rudy Tomjanovich already is noodling around with options to cover for his absence. Tomjanovich's task of filling in for Mourning's absence got even tougher when Tim Duncan's injury forced him to drop off the team three weeks ago.
The fact Antonio McDyess has played a good bit of center for the Denver Nuggets the past two seasons no doubt helped him land the replacement spot. McDyess and Vin Baker likely will get most of the time at centre when Mourning is absent from Sydney.
Mourning understands entirely why the Lakers' Shaquille O'Neal and Kobe Bryant declined USA Basketball's invitation to be on the Olympic team again. O'Neal already has a gold medal, earned in 1996.
Bryant announced plans in June for a summer wedding. Tim Hardaway, Mourning's Heat team-mate for the last four seasons and his Olympic team-mate now, said nobody should question their loyalty or patriotism any more.
Professional Management Group
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