Tomas Satoransky of the NBA鈥檚 Chicago Bulls, in Victoria as captain of the Czech Republic team for the Olympic qualifying tournament, labelled host sa国际传媒 as the 鈥渟econd-best team in the world on paper.鈥�
But games are played on the floor, on which sa国际传媒 can begin living up to its lofty expectations today at Save-on-Foods Memorial Centre, in its opener against Greece (4 p.m., CBC) in the FIBA qualifying tournament for the 2020 Plus One Tokyo Olympic Games.
鈥淸Satoransky鈥檚 comment] is a hell of compliment but we have to go out and put it all together,鈥� said Canadian captain Cory Joseph of the NBA鈥檚 Detroit Pistons.
鈥淚 don鈥檛 feel like the hunted because we haven鈥檛 done anything yet. We definitely have a good shot but we have had talented groups before and couldn鈥檛 get the job done.鈥�
sa国际传媒 is attempting to qualify for the Olympics for the first time since two-time NBA MVP Steve Nash of Victoria captained the national side to the 2000 Sydney Olympics.
鈥淚鈥檝e been at this a long time, 10 years on the senior national team and trying to get there ever since, and it would mean a lot to qualify,鈥� said current Canadian captain Joseph.
鈥淚t would mean a lot for the country. The country is thirsty for it. I鈥檓 thirsty for it.鈥�
The qualifying tournament is being played on the old Oracle Arena floor from Oakland, California, purchased by Victoria organizers, on which the Toronto Raptors won the 2019 NBA championship. But it will take more than instant karma and mystic vibes to get the host nation to Tokyo. It will take 12 talented players, who have not been able to play together pre-tournament, jelling as one.
鈥淲e鈥檙e going to find out a lot more [today] about who we are and what we can become,鈥� said Canadian team head coach Nick Nurse.
Greece has played three pre-tournament games but Greek national team head coach Rick Pitino, well known from helming NBA and NCAA teams, said that is a two-sided issue: 鈥淲e haven鈥檛 been able to scout sa国际传媒 so we are going into the game blind. We know their players 鈥� I tried to recruit many of them in college 鈥� and that they have an outstanding coach [Nurse of the Toronto Raptors]. They can all put it on the floor and they can all play. sa国际传媒 has so much basketball talent. It is unbelievable the last 10, 12, 15 years what sa国际传媒 has been able to cultivate. But as far as their scheme is concerned for this tournament, we are blind to that.鈥�
sa国际传媒 on Monday announced its 12-man roster that includes eight current NBA players and two past NBA players, both first-round draft picks. The NBA players are Joseph (Detroit), Andrew Wiggins (Golden State), R.J. Barrett (New York), Nickeil Alexander-Walker (New Orleans), Trey Lyles (San Antonio), Lugentz Dort (Oklahoma City), Dwight Powell (Dallas) and Mychal Mulder (Golden State). The former NBA players are 2013 No. 1 overall NBA draft pick Anthony Bennett of the pro Puerto Rico league and 2012 19th overall NBA selection Andrew Nicholson of the Fujian Sturgeons of China.
鈥淭o be able to do what you love for your country is an honour,鈥� said Joseph.
The only two players on sa国际传媒 with no NBA experience are Trae Bell-Haynes from the Crailsheim Merlins of Germany and Aaron Doornekamp from Tenerife of the Spanish league. They get their chance due to injuries to NBA players Jamal Murray, out with an ACL tear and the biggest loss, Chris Boucher and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. Kelly Olynyk of Kamloops and Khem Birch are about to become NBA free agents and as such don鈥檛 have insurance and simply can鈥檛 risk their livelihoods playing for sa国际传媒 while they are between NBA teams. Dillon Brooks and Oshae Brissett are NBA players who opted out. That sa国际传媒 could overcome such losses shows the depth of talent in this country.
鈥淭his is the golden age of basketball in sa国际传媒,鈥� said Nurse.
Greece could have been a major contender in the qualifier if not for the lateness of the NBA playoffs, which were delayed this year to the late start of the regular season due to the pandemic. Missing are two-time NBA MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo and brother Thanasis Antetokounmpo, with the Milwaukee Bucks in the Eastern Conference final.
鈥淲e would love to qualify and to have them join the national team for the Olympics,鈥� said Pitino.
But in order to get to the Games for the first time since Beijing in 2008, Greece will have to rely on third brother and Los Angeles Lakers-signed Kostas Antetokounmpo, the first Greek-born player to wear an NBA championship ring, former NBA player and University of Florida Gators star Nick Calathes, former NBA player Kostas Sloukas and Greek league standout and 2016 NBA 13th overall draft pick Georgios Papagiannis.
鈥淭here are many excuses. It know it is difficult and hard for us. [But] excuses are for guys who don鈥檛 believe in themselves,鈥� said Sloukas.
鈥淲e are very happy to represent our country and are coming to fight here for the Olympic Games. We believe in our team and our coach.鈥�
Added Pitino: 鈥淭he whole country [Greece] is behind us. We will give it every ounce of perspiration. We know it is going to be difficult. But we are up for the challenge.鈥�
sa国际传媒 closes pool play Wednesday against China at 4 p.m. while China will place Greece on Thursday. In the other pool, Turkey meets Uruguay today at 7:30 p.m., the Czech Republic plays Turkey on Wednesday at 7:30 p.m. and Uruguay meets the Czechs on Thursday. No fans will be allowed into the Memorial Centre today or Wednesday with 10 percent capacity granted from Thursday on, the first fans allowed into a sporting event in sa国际传媒 and Western sa国际传媒 since March of 2020.
The cross-over semifinals are Saturday at times to be decided and the final is on Sunday at 4 p.m. with the winner advancing to the Tokyo Olympic Games. All the sa国际传媒 games will be broadcast on CBC.
China was qualified for every Olympics since 1984 in Los Angeles but that run looks to be in doubt. Uruguay hasn鈥檛 qualified since 1984 in L.A. and the drought will likely continue. The Czech Republic, known more for hockey and soccer, has never qualified for the Olympics in hoops but is coming off its surprise sixth-place finish in the 2019 FIBA World Cup in China.
Talented but mercurial Turkey has not been to the Olympics since 1952 in Helsinki but hosted and got to the 2010 FIBA World Cup championship game against the U.S. and is seen as sa国际传媒鈥檚 greatest threat in Victoria with NBA players Cedi Osman of the Cleveland Cavaliers, Ersan Ilyasova of the Utah Jazz and Furkan Korkmaz of the Philadelphia 76ers.
FREE THROWS: Pitino addressed life in the Victoria hotel-to-Memorial Centre pandemic bubble: 鈥淰ancouver and Victoria are two of the most beautiful places in the world. I wish my players could see how beautiful Victoria is. We were even locked away on the ferry and couldn鈥檛 go outside鈥� 鈥� Czech head coach Ronen Ginzburg said: 鈥淭his is my first time in sa国际传媒 and it looks great here. It鈥檚 been a difficult year with the one-year [Olympic] delay but it鈥檚 better to have this than never to have had it.鈥�
