Dream Team No More

The U.S. Olympic Basketball Team lost two straight games. What’s the deal?  At this rate they’ll never win their fourth consecutive Olympic title. Sure, the rest of the world is catching up. But is that really the reason? Are the best American players playing?

The roster: Bam Adebayo (Miami), Bradley Beal (Washington), Kevin Durant (New Jersey), Jerami Grant (Detroit), Draymond Green (Golden State), Zach LaVine (Chicago), Damian Lillard (Portland), Kevin Love (Cleveland), and Jayson Tatum (Boston). Missing three players currently in the finals: Devin Booker (Phoenix), Jrue Holiday, and Khris Middleton (both Milwaukee).

How many of these players are truly elite? My knowledge of current NBA players is lacking. Draymond and Durant surely belong. Lebron is too busy re-making old Michael Jordan movies. Steph is filming Holy Moly and playing golf. What about Kyrie Irving, Kawhi Leonard, James Harden, and Anthony Davis? What about the great Trae Young? 

I understand how the season can wear a player down, but Larry Bird played with a bad back. The original Dream Team was comprised of twelve Hall of Famers. How many on the current Team USA make the HOF? One?

Perhaps Lebron should show up at the Olympics with Bugs Bunny and Daffy Duck.

https://www.nba.com/news/usa-basketball-announces-2021-olympic-team-roster

Did I tell you the story of my dream team tickets from 96? Now I’m not a super big Olympics fan and will probably watch less than ever this year, but back in 96 I got into it. I applied for tickets to this event or that event for almost every day of the games, and got several events. Track and field. Water polo. Volleyball. Baseball. Team Handball. Field hockey. And Dream Team basketball. Ceil was 8 months pregnant with Anna but said she’d go to one event – the Dream Team.

I didn’t look at where the seats were, but should’ve guessed. We arrived early, when the Georgia Dome gates opened before game one. Dream Team was game two. We went inside and started climbing the upper deck steps – to the next to last row. The players warming up looked like ants. Ceil got to the top and said if she stayed she would be sick. She held onto me on the way down, and we left the stadium while everyone else was coming in. We went out to eat instead, at the old Houston’s at Lenox.

Stumbled across an interesting article on the Hawks two week tour of the USSR in 1988, with Ted, Fratello, Holman, Dominique, Willis, and Doc Rivers taking 2 of 3 from Sabonis, Marciulionis, and Alexander Volkov.

https://www.si.com/nba/2017/07/25/nba-russia-soviet-union-atlanta-hawks-1988-trip

Remember my story about the NBA All Star Game in Atlanta? A friend gave me tickets to the rookie game. I still have those big tickets, with Lou Hudson on them. Picked them up in Buckhead on the way to the game with young Will. C was out of town, and W was supposed to go to a birthday party later that afternoon. The game would make him late. Had a big time. Yao Ming didn’t play, but caused a stir when he walked through the stands. After the game traffic was gridlocked, and we completely missed the party. C was furious.

Also once I went to Turner Field by myself to get a bobblehead. Bought the dollar Clark Howard ticket and was enjoying the start of the game from the far end of the upper deck. It was a weeknight and not many people at the game. An usher approached me. I thought I was in trouble. He asked if I was alone, and motioned for me to follow him to a better seat. We had a nice conversation on the way. He led me downstairs behind the plate, to the second row. I had to call Ceil to look for me on TV. Now every time I see that usher, I remind him and thank him for that day. I actually saw him a few weeks ago at the most recent game I attended, and we had a nice chat.

HARMON KILLEBREW   [SABR Bio] is the only player with at least 525 career home runs who never had a sacrifice bunt in his career - 573 career HR; zero sacrifices. He did have, however, more than fifty career sacrifice flies, including once leading the league. Had 77 sacrifice flies. Led the AL with 8 in 1967. Attended the Albertson College of Idaho (Now College of Idaho) whose mascot is a coyotes, shortened on their jerseys to “Yotes”.

Denison: at issue is legislation that affects the way Texans will be able to vote in upcoming elections. To keep Republicans from passing this legislation, Democratic lawmakers left Texas for Washington, DC, denying Republicans the necessary quorum. The legislation is simply designed to prevent voter fraud. The Democrats' walkout puts at risk other legislation such as pension checks for retired teachers and the paychecks of legislative staff.