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Thursday, June 1, 2000
U.S. Olympic
basketball team
to play here
Twelve of the best NBA
By Pat Bigold
players will play exhibition
games Aug. 31 and Sept. 2
at the Stan Sheriff Center
Star-BulletinIt's been four years since Hawaii basketball fans have had a chance to see NBA talent perform here.
But the drought is over.
Twelve of the NBA's top players will be here as the U.S. men's Olympic Dream Team plays nationally televised exhibition games at the Stan Sheriff Center Aug. 31 and Sept. 2.
USA Basketball made its long-awaited announcement of the dates this morning in a release from Colorado Springs.
The Dream Team, which will train at the Lahaina Civic Center Aug. 26-Sept. 2, will face the Canadian National Team on Aug. 31. at 4 p.m.. The game will be televised on TNT.
On Sept. 2, the Dream Team will play at 1 p.m. against the USA Basketball Select Team in a game carried by NBC.
The Select team will include top collegians like Jason Williams, Carlos Boozer and Mike Dunleavy of Duke, Kenny Satterfield of Cincinnati, Bobby Simmons of DePaul, and Nick Collison of Kansas.
That game will be played as the second half of a doubleheader. At 10:30 a.m., the U.S. women's team will play Brazil. (The U.S. women will face the USA Basketball R. Williams Jones Cup Team at 1 a.m. on Sept. 3, at Stan Sheriff Center.)
No prices or dates for ticket sales have been announced by the U.S. Olympic Committee or the University of Hawaii. A USA Basketball spokesman said that inquiries may be emailed to fanmail@usabasketball.com.
The Dream Team will be composed of Ray Allen (Milwaukee), Vin Baker (Seattle), Vince Carter (Toronto), Tim Duncan (San Antonio), Kevin Garnett (Minnesota), Tim Hardaway (Miami), Grant Hill (Detroit), Allan Houston (New York), Jason Kidd (Phoenix), Alonzo Mourning (Miami), Gary Payton (Seattle), and Steve Smith (Portland).
Houston's Rudy Tomjanovich is the head coach. His staff will include Larry Brown of Philadelphia, Purdue head coach Gene Keady and Kentucky head coach Tubby Smith.
The Olympic basketball tournament will be played from Sept. 16 to Oct. 1.
