Reunions and Basketball
Reunion
So tonight is my 10 year high-school reunion. 1996 wasn't ten years ago, was it? Somebody must have miscalculated...I can't be that old! It does seem like I just graduated a couple of years ago, but here I am, with 30 just around the corner. I suppose it doesn't really matter since I still act 16.
Anyway, it will be good to meet up with old friends and see what everyone has accomplished in the last ten years.
US Basketball
Here's an interesting article on espn.com on the state of US Basketball. Some major changes took place after the US finished a very dissappointing third in the '04 Olympics (althought that was much better than the sixth place showing in the '02 World Championships. Role players were brought in (Shane Battier and Bruce Bowen) along with some of the regular stars. It looks like these guys might have some chemistry going, though, since they're actually practicing and are being coached by one of the best (Mike Krzyzewski). Maybe they'll actually play some team basketball and give us something fun to watch.
The article also does a good job showing the attitude of arguably the two best all around players in the game: Lebron James and Dwyane Wade.
...according to James and Wade, this feels different than the hurried and, in retrospect, oddly configured '04 team coached by Larry Brown. The extra preparation time helps. So does the absence of Brown, who doesn't have a history of embracing young players (James averaged just 11.4 minutes per game under Brown, Wade 17.5). So does the presence of veterans such as Billups and Elton Brand.
"We have no egos," said James. "It's hard to [fit in] if you've got an ego and feel like you're on top of the world. We don't feel that way. Myself, Carmelo, Chris [Bosh] and Kirk [Hinrich] -- all being from the 2003 draft -- we don't have no egos. We don't feel like we're the best players here."
Said Wade: "There's no reason to be jealous. On this team we can all shine."
What they won't say -- but others will -- is that Wade and James are partly responsible for the different environment here at the '06 camp. With due respect to Dirk Nowitzki and Team USA no-show Kobe Bryant, Wade and James are the NBA. Wade is coming off an NBA championship. James is fresh from leading the Cleveland Cavaliers to their first playoff appearance in eight years.
And yet, they big-time nobody. They are among the Team USA leaders in sweat dripped. And if Krzyzewski decides to vote on a team captain, here's guessing Wade or James would earn the honor.
