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Tuesday, October 31, 2000
Stern envisions more role players at Olympics
Associated Press
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SYDNEY, Australia -- NBA commissioner David Stern believes
that future U.S. basketball teams at the Olympics might consist of
more role players and fewer superstars.
Stern, in a conference call with Australian journalists to
publicize the upcoming NBA season, said the Dream Team concept
might be overlooked for a more "horses for courses" team at
Athens in 2004.
"An All-Star team may or may not be the best representative in
a true competition," Stern said from New York. "Perhaps we will
put together a team that doesn't contain as many superstars, but
has role players that fit in well.
"That's the ultimate compliment to the intensity of the
competition."
Stern played down criticism of Team USA at the Sydney Games,
saying the original 1992 Dream Team attracted far more controversy.
He said the 1992 squad that featured Michael Jordan and Magic
Johnson was remembered fondly only because memories are short.
"We all seem to forget. The 1992 Dream Team is held up as the
epitome of the way it should be," he said.
"But when I was living through it, the criticism of that team
was that they lived in a luxurious hotel apart from the Olympics
and media. But as it's become more distant, they become a much
fonder memory."
Stern said the American players handled themselves well in
Sydney.
"I think by and large our guys were good citizens over there,"
he said.
"There may have been some antics that were very, very mild by
NBA standards.
"But perhaps we need to do a much better job educating them as
to how the etiquette changes in international competition."
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