It was a moment for those who like their symbolism writ large.
A video feature about the late Victoria basketball player Chuck Chapman played on the arena big screen 颅Wednesday while the Canadian team warmed up for the second half of their 109-79 Olympic 颅qualifying game 颅victory against China at 颅Save-on-Foods Memorial 颅Centre that carried them into a 颅semifinal date Saturday at 1 p.m. against the Czech 颅Republic on the full CBC 颅network.
Brothers Chuck and Art Chapman and fellow-Victoria star Doug Peden were on the only Canadian basketball team to have won an Olympic medal when they captured silver at Berlin in 1936. sa国际传媒 came close at the 1984 L.A. Olympics with University of Victoria Vikes players Gerald Kazanowski, Greg Wiltjer and the late Eli Pasquale making the semifinals against the Michael Jordan-led U.S. before losing the bronze-medal game to Yugoslavia.
Nobody needs to tell the current Canadian team the weight of history that rides on its shoulders. You don鈥檛 have to go back to Berlin 1936 when it comes to droughts. sa国际传媒, with its current Golden Generation of NBA players, is attempting to get back to the Olympics in men鈥檚 basketball for the first time since captain and two-time NBA MVP Steve Nash of Victoria led the national team to the 2000 Sydney Games.
sa国际传媒 took another step toward the 2020 Plus One Tokyo Olympics, beginning July 23, by beating China to move to 2-0 in the qualifying 颅tournament taking place on Blanshard Street. The championship game is 颅Sunday at 4 p.m. with the 颅winning team taking the lone berth available to Tokyo out of the six-team tournament.
鈥淲e do understand there has been a drought but we just take it game by game,鈥� said 颅veteran Canadian player Andrew 颅Nicholson.
鈥淲e want to make a big jump for our program and for ourselves,鈥� added the former NBA first-round draft pick and Orlando Magic player, who now plays pro in China.
Luguentz Dort of the 颅Oklahoma City Thunder was also asked about the Olympic medal and appearance droughts that sa国际传媒 is trying to end. He is making his debut for sa国际传媒 and is one of eight current NBA players on the roster.
鈥淲e like the pressure 鈥� we want to prove we鈥檙e ready now to make it,鈥� said Dort, a native of Montreal.
The preliminary round closed out Thursday as Greece (1-1) defeated China (0-2) 105-80 to advance to the semifinals against dangerous-looking 颅Turkey (2-0), and its three NBA players, at 4 p.m. on Saturday. The Czechs (1-1) defeated 颅Uruguay (0-2) 80-79 to book their semifinal date against sa国际传媒.
Beginning Thursday, 10 per cent capacity was being allowed in the 7,400-seat 颅Memorial 颅Centre, which represents the first live spectators for a 颅sporting event in sa国际传媒 and Western sa国际传媒 since March 2020.
