>>> a bit old, but good read.

No excuses



Saturday, August 28, 2004

By ADRIAN WOJNAROWSKI
SPORTS COLUMNIST


ATHENS, Greece - Allen Iverson wore his white doo-rag between his cornrows and crooked Yankees cap, and Americans glancing to muted televisions had to be tempted to dismiss the picture as the problem. This has been the story of these Olympic Games, a nation bringing its social stereotypes and its antiquated beliefs of an old world order to condemn the U.S. team, casting the co-captain as one of the reasons his countrymen were rooting against it in these Games.

Everyone should've listened to the most impassioned, eloquent spokesman for the American basketball cause Friday, the one perched on the podium without an agenda, without excuses, without blame. He was sitting with his old coach Larry Brown, the pairing that forever found Iverson installed as the bad actor in that two-man Philadelphia game. Iverson deserved his share of the blame, his share of rolled eyes when he was named the captain of the Olympic team, but he deserves something else too now: a debt of gratitude.

Someone had to rise up as a representative of the United States and stop moaning over the team-selection process, the roster, the officials, and the limited preparation time. After the United States' 89-81 loss to Argentina in the semifinals, there will be no gold medal game. No glory. Suddenly, it was every man for himself and Brown tossed everyone overboard again. Iverson didn't come to a postgame news conference to give a concession speech, but a pep talk for the bronze medal game today with Lithuania.

Everyone wants to play for the gold. Everyone wants the glory. Give us a break: Nobody dogs it on the way to that. If you want to understand what it meant to the co-captain of the basketball team to be here, watch him wearing the USA uniform for the final time in these Games today. Watch Iverson when patriotism and professionalism takes over, when he knows he's going to get his share of slings and arrows regardless of the result.

"We have to go out there and fight hard like it was a gold medal game," Iverson said. "It's still something special to us. It's still an honor to be able to come over here and represent your country. So, if you don't get it done the way that you expected to, I think it's important for you to get it done the best way that you can.

"It's important for us to come out [today] and fight, and get the people proud of us back home."

It was a selfless act for him to honor his commitment to the Olympics, because it would've been easy for him to run out on this responsibility. He promised to be a lightning rod for the public, exposing himself to ridicule and ripping if the United States didn't win the gold medal. More than any player in the NBA, Iverson is considered the root of all wrong with this generation's basketball player. He had everything to lose and little to gain.

He gave up a good part of his summer a year ago in qualifying, and did it again for these Olympics. He played here. He played unselfishly. He constantly told his U.S. teammates that they had better leave egos back in the States and be a part of something bigger than themselves. When they lost Friday, Brown was back to telling everyone they didn't have enough time to prepare for the Games. He's probably right, but Iverson was tired of hearing it. "We had to understand from the first day: That was the amount of time we had to prepare," he said. "Was it enough of time? I don't know. But we knew we had to get it done in that time.

"And that's not any excuse we could use."

Iverson wants to play in 2008, too, when the rest of the superstars will probably return to be shining knights to save the day. He hopes USA Basketball still wants him, the way he wants it. The world has caught up so much with the United States, nothing less than the best players in the NBA can bring a gold medal back to the States. Iverson was a true captain, calling on his countrymen to serve when called upon in 2008.

"This is something that I will cherish even without winning a gold medal," Iverson said. "I feel great about being a part of something like this. I feel like a special basketball player to make it to a team like this. Any person selected to a team like this, it shouldn't be a question in your mind. When you get a chance to represent your country, what's better than that?"

NBA commissioner David Stern had nothing but praise for his young players. Nothing but compliments for the way they took a crash course in international basketball, the way they've conducted themselves on and off the floor here. He had no issues with the kids committing to play in the Olympics - just the coach constantly distancing himself from them.

"Sometimes the historical or traditional way to motivate a team don't necessarily play out quite as well when you're in an international setting," Stern said. "This was a team that was put together, by everyone, including the coaching staff. So, I don't buy the well, 'I'd like to have this, I'd like to have that.'

"It's not about who didn't come. You take your team to the gym and you play with what you got, and then you either win or lose. This whining and this carping is not fair to [those] who are representing their country admirably and well."

Iverson's history is his history, and he earned the condemnation for some of his stupidity and immaturity in the past. Yet, this had been his finest hour. Even without the gold medal, he deserved to change attitudes about him. This wasn't just about winning, but representing your country the right way. When Allen Iverson was called to be a leader in defeat Friday, he didn't blame the talent of his teammates, the preparation time, or the officials.

It would be nice for people to see past the cornrows and tattoos and whatever issues they have with those things and see an American wearing red, white, and blue, the U.S. co-captain refusing to believe his duty was done because the gold and glory were gone. Allen Iverson didn't come to give a concession speech on Friday, but a pep talk for the bronze medal game. People ought to be proud of that.

E-mail: wojnarowski@northjersey.com

I have read this article and others. It seems Larry Brown likes to blame everyone but himself. Even David Stern grows tired of Brown whining about the selection committee and reminds us that Larry himself had plenty of input on players selected, minutes distributed, etc.
Then you have Duncan saying he will never play for a FIBA affiliated event again. When the whistle doesn't go your way, whine, whine, whine. Give him some cheese for his whine. I don't even like AI but he seems like he was the most stand up guy of them all.