Tag: Boris Diaw

Would it really be the Olympics with no NBA players next year in London?

The start of the 2012 Summer Olympics in London is exactly one year away.

Since the introduction of the American “Dream Team” in 1992, men’s basketball has been one of the Olympics biggest and most anticipated events. And it figures to be that way again in London.

That is, if NBA players choose to represent their countries.

The Olympics are a huge part of David Stern’s globalization of the sport. And the league has its fingerprints all over USA Basketball, starting with managing director and former majority Phoenix Suns owner Jerry Colangelo running the show.

But if the lockout stretches through at least one season through the early summer next season, it’s extremely doubtful that the players would give in and join up with their national teams.

This promises to be perhaps the United States’ best team since the original “Dream Team” in 1992. Kobe Bryant has committed, eager to match Michael Jordan for his second gold medal. The United States has a deep collection of transcendent young talent like Kevin Durant and Derrick Rose along with emerging superstar players like LeBron James and Dwyane Wade. 

Other countries look similarly stacked. The Spain team still has the Gasol brothers, but could also add international icon Ricky Rubio and Serge Ibaka. The Argentinians are stacked with veterans who helped them win in 2004, including Manu Ginobili and Fabricio Oberto. France will have Tony Parker along with Joakim Noah and Boris Diaw

But Yahoo.com columnist Adrian Wojnarowski doubts we’ll see any NBA players if the .

It’s just another part of the equation as owners and players sit down next month to settle their differences when negotiations continue. 

No doubt the executives at 30 Rock for NBC-TV have the fingers crossed for an eventual resolution, too.

Because there’s only so much synchronized swimming, field hockey and dressage they can force feed to the American public in their search for ratings.

Parker not locked out of hoops in France

By Jeff McDonald
jmcdonald@express-news.net

It appears Les Bleus have their point guard.

The French Basketball Federation has obtained insurance sufficient to cover the contracts of its NBA players, paving the way for the Spurs’ Tony Parker to play in the Eurobasket tournament in Lithuania later this summer.

The announcement came via a post on the official website for FIBA, the sport’s international governing body.

The question of insurance for international players has been a hot-button issue since the start of the NBA’s lockout July 1.

Typically, the NBA agrees to pay to insure 80 percent of a player’s salary, with foreign federations left to foot the remaining 20 percent. With a work stoppage in effect, however, the NBA has been unwilling to pick up its share of the tab, leaving the often cash-strapped international teams to shoulder the full financial burden.

For the French federation, that meant securing coverage for more than $125 million worth of NBA contracts. Earlier this summer, Parker said he wouldn’t consider playing this summer unless his contract was insured.

That obstacle cleared, the 29-year-old Parker was set to join fellow French NBA players Boris Diaw, Ronny Turiaf and Nicolas Batum for the start of training camp Wednesday in southern France. Eurobasket, an Olympic qualifying tournament, begins Aug. 31.

News of Les Bleus’ success in obtaining insurance came following a Tuesday meeting in New York between NBA commissioner David Stern and FIBA officials, though it is uncertain if the resolution was a direct result of those talks.

“Even before the formalization of the NBA lockout … the French Basketball Federation began working on insurance contracts of employment of selected players, in particular by proposing a pooling of insurance for all the federations concerned,” read a statement posted to FIBA.com. “Thanks to this French initiative, the coverage of the players is finalized.”

As such, Parker becomes the second Spurs player formally insured to play in this summer’s round of Olympic qualifiers.

Brazil announced last week it had secured insurance for its NBA contingent, making Spurs center Tiago Splitter available for the Tournament of Americas, which tips off Aug. 30 in Mar del Plata, Argentina.

Meanwhile, Spurs guard Manu Ginobili and newly drafted point guard Cory Joseph are awaiting a resolution that would allow them to play for Argentina and Canada, respectively, in the same tournament.

In order for the Argentine federation to field its complete roster, which also includes NBA players Luis Scola, Carlos Delfino and Andres Nocioni, it must first obtain coverage for about $75 million worth of contracts.

In an interview on Argentine television earlier this month, Ginobili said he was “optimistic” the insurance issue would be resolved in time for the team to open training camp July 29.

Parker says he’s committed to Spurs

Spurs guard Tony Parker says he didn’t make controversial comments to French reporters about his team’s inability to contend for an NBA championship.

Appearing at the Spurs summer camp at the University of the Incarnate Word on Tuesday, Parker said he remains committed to the team. He also said that the Spurs could contend for a fifth NBA title as long as he remains together with Tim Duncan and Manu Ginobili.

Despite pessimistic comments to French reporters last month in Paris, Parker was decidedly more upbeat on Tuesday.

“I’m in a great situation. I love the Spurs. I love being a Spur. I re-signed four years,” Parker said. “If I didn’t think we could win a championship, I wouldn’t have re-signed four years.”

Parker signed a four-year contract extension last October that will stretch through the end of the 2014-15 season.

While appearing before French reporters last month, Parker painted a gloomier picture of the franchise’s future shortly after the Spurs’ first-round playoff elimination by Memphis.

“I don’t think this current team will play for the title in the future,” Parker told French reporters. “We are aging. We must be realistic. It was sort of our last chance this season.”

Parker denied making those comments — even though there was video evidence of the remarks — and said they might have been blown out of proportion by the media.

He also said that questions about his loyalty to the Spurs are similarly out of line.

“I don’t have to justify anything,” Parker said. “The only thing I care (about) is Pop, Timmy, Manu and my teammates obviously.”

Parker turned 29 last month and is the youngest of the club’s “Big Three.” He said he has not talked to any team officials or coach Gregg Popovich since making his comments.

Tony Parker speaks to youngsters attending the Spurs Basketball Camp at Incarnate Word on Tuesday. (Billy Calzada/gcalzada@express-news.net)

“No, they don’t need to contact me,” Parker said, chuckling. “Pop doesn’t have time. He’s drinking wine and having fun. He doesn’t have time right now.”

The Spurs notched the best record in the Western Conference, winning the Southwest Division with a 61-21 mark. Parker said the Spurs can contend again with some help from the draft and continued development of young players such as Tiago Splitter, DeJuan Blair and George Hill.

“I think with a couple of tweaks and a couple of guys that we can improve our team and will be fine,” Parker said.

He’s not as confident about settling a potential lockout by the looming July 1 deadline.

“We don’t know what will happen,” he said. “Maybe we can find an agreement, and we won’t miss games. Hopefully, we’ll start on time.”

The lockout also could make it costly for Parker to obtain insurance to join the French national team in the European championships this summer.

The French Basketball Federation is working to obtain insurance that would enable French NBA players such as Parker, Boris Diaw and Joakim Noah to play by guaranteeing their NBA contracts.

“If there’s no insurance, obviously the Spurs are my priority,” Parker said. “If there’s no insurance, I won’t play because the Spurs are No. 1 on my list. But if I’m insured, I’ll definitely play with the national team.”