Politics and basketball
U.S. coach Mike Krzyzewski says politics have nothing to do with today's FIBA World Championship game against Iran. AP PHOTO
When I noticed a few weeks back that the United States’ FIBA World Championship team was in Group B with Iran, the first thing that I thought about was politics.
And to me, that’s still the most compelling storyline of Wednesday’s game in Istanbul.
The United States will crush the Iranians. There is no question about that. The game will be a dud. But what about the politics of such a game? Are there any? Does anyone else care?
Mike Krzyzewski doesn’t.
“This is a sporting event,” the U.S. coach told the Associated Press. “We have respect for Iran. I actually played in Iran in the 1970s when I was on the U.S. Armed Forces team. I have great feelings for their country. They’re sportsmen and so are we. We’ll have a great game.”
A Google News search of “United States Iran” yields six international affairs headlines before one that is basketball related. The first headline on that search? “Concerns for Iran’s Nuclear Program Continue to Mount”.
I’m betting that for most FIBA games, if you were to type a search query with the two countries’ names, most of the results would be basketball related. Not this one.
I’m fully aware that many people watch sports to get away from things like Iran’s nuclear program. But sometimes sports can add intrigue to the big political issues of the day. The Miracle on Ice, anyone?
So, apologies all around if you couldn’t care less about the political implications of a United States vs. Iran basketball game. I, on the other hand, find it captivating.
What do you guys think? Do you care? Am I thinking too much about a basketball game?
Led by Durant, Team USA toughens up
Team USA coach Mike Krzyzewski described Monday’s contest against Brazil as a character game, and the best way to determine character is through adversity.
Plenty went wrong for the Americans, but they still managed to survive with a 70-68 victory to up their record to 3-0 in the FIBA World Championship.
Thunder small forward Kevin Durant once again puffed out his chest, scoring 27 points and grabbing 10 rebounds to lead Team USA, which trailed by as many as eight points and held the Brazilians to 22 second-half points.
Though USA Basketball has made a more concerted effort to field quality teams for international play, Monday’s contest showed the American team is still a hodge-podge of talent that’s thrown together.
Though this year’s roster is missing numerous superstars — Kobe Bryant, LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, Dwight Howard, Chris Paul, Deron Williams, Carmelo Anthony, Chris Bosh, et al — it is still the most talented team in the field.
Brazil proved there is value in familiarity. Good talent isn’t everything, but good teamwork often is. (America had eight measly assists. Brazil had 15.)
This isn’t to say Team USA is a selfish group, but it is a group that frequently goes one-on-one. That’s understandable, given their individual skills. When you’re more talented, why not try to beat your defender straight up?
But when your shots aren’t falling, it can blow up in your face. Team USA shot 41.8 percent from the field. Fortunately, Brazil misfired at 42.2 percent and attempted 15 fewer free throws.
NBA rules tend to separate varying skill levels, but FIBA rules can serve as great equalizers. The international 3-point arc measures only 20 feet, 6.1 inches (not 23 feet, 9 inches, and 22 feet in the corners); zone defenses are allowed (no defensive three-second rule); quarters last 10 minutes (not 12); players are allowed five personal (not six).
“We knew Brazil was a great team. Yesterday, coach (Krzyzewski) said this was the equivalent to a Game 7 in the NBA playoffs. The atmosphere was great. They came out first and did a great job of putting pressure on us, but I thought we fought hard all game. Shots weren’t going down for us, but we still continued to play defense in that second half. Like I said, it’s a learning experience for us. It was a game we needed.” — Durant
The Team USA roster was finalized only last week. When you throw a team together, you never know what you’re going to get until crunch time.
Monday brought crunch time, and the Americans survived. Next time, they might not be so fortunate.
Durant & Westbrook: Familiar, yet different
The last time Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook played a game of significance was four months ago, a Game 6 loss in the opening round of the NBA playoffs against the world champion Los Angeles Lakers at the Ford Center.
On Saturday, the Thunder’s talented tandem helped Team USA breeze to a 106-78 victory past Croatia in the preliminary round of the World Championship at Istanbul, Turkey.
Durant had 14 points (5 for 11 from the field), eight rebounds and three assists. Westbrook had 10 points (4 for 4 from the field), four assists and three rebounds.
Durant and Westbrook had a familiar look.
- The long and lanky Durant is still silky smooth and seems impossible to stop when he gets on a roll, particularly when his step-back jumper is falling. Durant still does the shoulder shimmy before shooting each free throw. And, of course, he remains the consumate teammate.
- In certain sequences, the ridiculously athletic Westbrook looks even more explosive internationally than he does nationally. He’ll become even quicker once he sheds that questionable mohawk haircut that no doubt slows him with its wind resistence. Westbrook still forces the issue at times, but he also can be a masterful creator.
There also appear to be some differences in Durant. His rebounding has become more noticeable, probably because the American team is not particularly big. His passing ability remains underrated. Even more noteworthy is Durant’s body language.
Initially hesitant to embrace his role as the “go-to” guy for Team USA, Durant’s court presence exudes confidence. At key moments in certain games last season, that wasn’t always the case.
The 21-year-old Durant seems perfectly at ease with his status as the best player at the World Championship. This will make the Americans a better team throughout the 16-day competition. More important, Durant accepting this role also will make the Thunder better.
Team USA’s next game is 8:30 a.m. Oklahoma time on Sunday against Slovenia.
Love Shack, baby
Naming rights to Oklahoma City’s downtown arena are now up for grabs. No doubt, people soon will be suggesting nicknames for the building.
Upon the team’s arrival two years ago, Thunder ownership had the power to renegotiate or terminate the original naming rights contract to the Ford Center, which was an $8.1 million deal for 15 years with the Oklahoma Ford Dealers. New naming rights are expected to be worth considerably more, given the high-profile impact the Thunder has had locally and throughout the NBA.
Which company will become the arena’s new namesake? The most logical candidates could be tied to Thunder ownership: Chesapeake Energy (Aubrey McClendon), SandRidge Energy (Tom Ward), MidFirst Bank (Jeffrey Records) and American Fidelity Assurance (William Cameron).
There is no rule against NBA ownership putting its company name on its home arena. Cleveland Cavaliers owner Dan Gilbert is chairman and founder of Quicken Loans, which adorns the Cavs’ home arena. Orlando Magic owner Rich DeVos is co-founder of Amway, and the new Amway Center will become the team’s home this season.
Other local possibilities for the Thunder’s arena include Sonic and Love’s Travel Stops & Country Stores. The Sonic name might be too awkward for the owners’ taste, given the franchise was called the Sonics while in Seattle.
Whatever the new arena name becomes, nicknames inevitably will follow. Love’s Country Stores could bring the Love Shack (or Love’s Shack), with an already established theme song compliments of the B-52′s.
If Dell Corp. or an Internet company secured naming rights, the arena could become “The Web,” which figures to make the ”Durantula” (All-Star forward Kevin Durant) feel right at home.
Keep in mind, the arena might not have a local flavor. The namesake could just as easily be a company like Walmart, Coca-Cola, General Electric, ConocoPhillips, Nike, Under Armour, an insurance or investment group, whoever.
“Thunderdome” would fit nicely if the company would be willing to call it that. Then again, why pay millions for naming rights if your name is not on the building?
Russell Westbrook done making his case
Russell Westbrook will be included on the final Team USA roster. AP PHOTO
Russell Westbrook is finished making his case. The Thunder point guard is now assured of a spot on Team USA after Boston’s Rajon Rondo bowed out.
Westbrook’s inclusion in the final roster is somewhat of a surprise. Not so much of a surprise if you take his recent performances into account, but definitely a surprise when you consider who he was up against. Who honestly thought Westbrook would be included and Rajon Rondo wouldn’t? Not this guy.
Here are some links from around the Web about Westbrook’s inclusion:
Oklahoman sports editor Mike Sherman blogs that Westbrook continues to rise up the ranks of NBA point guards and prove doubters wrong.
But Westbrook? This is the same Russell Westbrook who Oklahoma City’s instant NBA experts — you know who you are — proclaimed unfit to play point guard. The same Russell Westbrook who lacked leadership skills. The same Russell Westbrook whose lack of a 3-point shot would make him ill suited for international competition. (Did you see those two 3s he nailed Saturday against Lithuania?)
Hey, is that a shot at me?
Darnell Mayberry writes about the five things that made Westbrook valuable enough to keep around on Team USA: Defense, rebounding, shooting, versatility and fit.
In Derrick Rose and Chauncey Billups, Team USA has two extremely capable floor generals. Keeping Rondo and Westbrook would have been overkill. But Westbrook’s mix of other talents allows him to play off the ball and form a quality guard rotation.
Rob Mahoney at ProBasketballTalk.com doesn’t understand why Westbrook was kept and Rondo wasn’t.
Rondo was cut because Colangelo and Coach K want shooters, and now they’ll have them. Eric Gordon, Stephen Curry, and Danny Granger will all head to Turkey because Rondo will not. That said, even if you subscribe to K and Colangelo’s “shooters above all” mantra, is Rondo really the logical cut over, say, Russell Westbrook? Is it really so easy to overlook the most dominant point guard of the NBA playoffs, and one of Team USA’s most skilled perimeter defenders?
Pete Thamel at the New York Times writes that Rondo just didn’t appear to fit in with Team USA.
He looked erratic in starts against France and Lithuania, and had a total of seven turnovers and seven assists. His penchant for trying to make a spectacular play instead of a simple one most likely hurt him.
Royce over at DailyThunder.com writes that Westbrook’s inclusion allows Thunder fans to compare their point guard to other stars.
One thing that I think is great about Westbrook’s emergence on Team USA, is that Thunder fans are getting a good look at Russ’s ability next to his peers. When you watch Derrick Rose, Rondo, Chauncey Billups, Curry and Westbrook all rotating in and out, there’s not any dropoff when Russ runs the show. Plus, when you watch a guy like Rose defend and then see Westbrook check the same guy, you can kind of appreciate Westbrook’s defense a bit more as well.
Russell Westbrook making his case to stay on Team USA
Thunder guard Russell Westbrook, left, scored 12 points Saturday. AP PHOTO
Thunder guard Russell Westbrook was named Player of the Game in the United States’ 77-61 win over Lithuania on Saturday in Madrid after scoring 12 points and grabbing five rebounds.
Westbrook was key in upping the tempo in Team USA’s win, and very well could have ensured himself a spot on the team when coach Mike Krzyzewski cuts the last player before the FIBA World Championships begin in Turkey on Aug. 28.
The United States struggled in Saturday’s win, and didn’t fully gain control of the game until a 17-0 run that was largely led by Westbrook and Eric Gordon.
The New York Times’ Pete Thamel wrote after the game that, “After bailing out a sluggish American team with a Red Bull-like shot from the bench against Lithuania, Westbrook is going to make it a lot more difficult for Krzyzewski to cut him.”
If Westbrook makes the team, it will be a surprise to me, considering I wrote just last week on this blog that I wasn’t sure what Westbrook brought to the team that the other four point guards don’t. Looks like I was wrong.
What does everyone else think?
Power Lunch Chat Recap: Darnell Mayberry
Nenad Krstic at the center of the Serbia-Greece brawl
Thunder center Nenad Krstic was at the center of a brutal brawl between Serbia and Greece at the Acropolis Tournament in Athens. Krstic didn’t appear to start it, but starts throwing punches at about the :40 mark.
This seems crazy because Krstic has never shown a mean bone in his body during his NBA career.
Will he play for Serbia in the FIBA World Championships? But, more importantly to Thunder fans, how does this affect his status with OKC? Is he likely to be reprimanded for this by the team or league, or can he be?
UPDATE: It’s been brought to my attention that the NBA has no enforcement power concerning international play, and vice versa. The NBA will not review this incident.
From The Associated Press:
ATHENS, Greece — The Acropolis basketball tournament finished in a brawl when the last game between Serbia and Greece was abandoned Thursday in the closing minutes after a fight broke out and the benches cleared.
The chaos stunned a crowd of about 5,000 at the Athens Olympic Arena, as players from the two teams exchanged punches and kicks. A few spectators entered the fray and were quickly shoved out of the arena. Greece was leading 74-73 when the match was abandoned.
Both teams qualified for the world championships in Turkey beginning Aug. 28.
The trouble began when Greek forward Antonis Fotsis had moved threateningly toward Serb guard Milos Teodosic after a hard foul, and Nenad Krstic appeared to grab Fotsis by the throat.
Krstic then threw a chair at Greek center Sofoklis Schortsanitis, who was pursuing him, and it hit Greek center Yannis Bouroussis in the head. Blood trickled from his wound.
The players exited toward the locker rooms and fought in the tunnel leading from the arena before eventually being separated. The fighting happened about six minutes after Serb coach Dusan Ivkovic was ejected with two technical fouls for arguing heatedly with a referee.
Earlier Thursday, veteran guard Jaka Lakovic scored 19 points to lead Slovenia (1-2) to its first victory, 86-71 over Canada. Guard Jevohn Shepherd was Canada’s top scorer with 13.
Slovenia’s lead topped 20 points several times, and the Canadians — surprise 62-58 winners over Serbia on Wednesday — could close within only 13 in the final period.
Oh Great, More Of The Thunder Dummers
I received an e-mail this morning that I was hoping would never arrive.
It was a media advisory sent out by the Thunder to announce auditions for the Thunder Drummers.
For those who don’t know who the Thunder Drummers are, they are a small band of guys who are camped out in the upper deck in one of the end zones and fill the Ford Center with more unnecessary noise. But the Thunder takes things a step further, allowing this group of young men to come on down on occasion and do their thing at center court. It probably ranks somewhere among the top five worst ideas in NBA history.
That’s not taking away anything from the drummers. They’re not the problem. They actually had moments of quality music last season. It’s the idea that’s rotten. It’s as if the man who came up with this idea had never seen an NBA game. The Thunder Drummers descend from the nosebleeds at the most inopportune times. And nothing, I mean nothing, sucked the energy out of the building like a timeout with these guys on the court. There were games in which the timing couldn’t have been worse. Thunder down one. 34.5 seconds left. OKC ball. Let’s send out the Thunder Drummers. That’ll get everyone pumped. No, it actually does the exact opposite. It leads to folks sitting on their hands, wondering what they just experienced. Check out how fired up this crowd grew, at Game 6 of the Lakers-Thunder playoff series for crying out loud. And trust us when we say this was one of the drum teams best performances.
So it looks like we’ll be subject to another 41 games of these guys. Let’s just hope that the game night operations staff fills fourth-quarter timeouts from here out with T-shirt tosses or two-steps by Thunder Girls, you know, something that actually gets the crowd animated and maintains interest. The Thunder Drummers do not.
-DM-
The name game, starring Scott Brooks
Some folks back in Lathrop, Calif., are so proud of Thunder coach Scott Brooks, they want to name the Community Center gym after him. However, some believe there are other locals more deserving.
Evidently, the town has had some pretty heady residents in the Lums, the Gattos, the Montiels, and the Elliotts. Look, I’m not familiar with these families, but there’s no way they did more on a basketball court than the 45-year-old Brooks has done so far. This is a gym we’re talking about, and you name gyms after basketball players and coaches. Brooks has done both quite well.
“Scott Brooks can’t be here because he’s the head coach of the Oklahoma City Thunder. Naturally, he can’t be here because his livelihood is being on the road with his team. He’s a young man born and raised here in Lathrop. I read you his credentials the last time I was here. He’s on the Manteca Hall of Fame. And his pictures are all over Applebee’s in Manteca,” longtime Lathrop resident Arnita Montiel pointed out.
“I thought this would be done by now. Nobody has come up and said anything. I take that back. Many years ago, that was brought up (during the time of the town’s first city manager John Bingham) and he shot it down!”
If you want to honor the Lums, Gattoes, Montiels and Elliotts, name a street, a park or a municipal building after them, but stick Brooks’ name on the gym wall.
Here is the story, which appeared in the Tuesday edition of Manteca (Calif.) Bulletin:
