Tag: San Antonio Spurs

Barcelona again brings out best in Americans

BARCELONA, Spain — Gold medal at stake or nothing at all, the U.S. Olympic basketball team was bringing its best Tuesday.

Being back on the Dream Team’s turf required it.

Carmelo Anthony came off the bench to score 23 of his 27 points in the first half, and the Americans beat Spain 100-78 in a rematch of the 2008 gold-medal game — and possible preview of the next one.

LeBron James added 25 points, and Kevin Durant had 13, including 10 in the first 31/2 minutes of the third quarter to help the U.S. break open the teams’ final exhibition game before heading to London.

“We knew that this was a big game,” U.S. guard Chris Paul said. “When Coach K talked to us, he told us this was probably the biggest game here in Barcelona since the ’92 team was here, so we approached it like that, and it was a good win for us.”

The teams played a memorable gold-medal game four years ago, with the Americans pulling away for a 118-107 win after leading by only four points with under 21/2 minutes left.

This one turned out much easier once the U.S. controlled the final three quarters.

Pau Gasol scored 19 points, and Oklahoma City forward Serge Ibaka, a native of the Republic of Congo who became a Spanish national last year, had 16.

Both teams have been weakened by injuries, with the U.S. missing Dwyane Wade, Dwight Howard and Chris Bosh, all key contributors in Beijing, along with Derrick Rose. The Spaniards are without point guard Ricky Rubio, and All-Star center Marc Gasol, Juan Carlos Navarro and Rudy Fernandez have battled injuries this year.

They’re still the best two teams in the world and favored to meet again in the Aug. 12 gold-medal game. Spain might have a different look, as Marc Gasol was held out of this one while recovering from a left shoulder injury and backup point guard Sergio Rodriguez also sat out.

Catching up with Larry Brown

About to turn 72 in September, basketball lifer Larry Brown is at an age where most men in his position would have gladly retired to a life of leisure. Indeed, that’s exactly what he implored any contemporaries to do during his lecture Monday at the Texas High School Coaches Convention in downtown San Antonio.

But in Brown’s case, such advice was a case of doing what he says, not what he does. Offered the chance to return to the court with SMU after a “retirement” of less than two years, he couldn’t say no. The 14th stop in a career that started in the early 1970s brings Brown back to Texas, where he worked from 1988 to 1992 as head coach of the Spurs.

Though he never won a championship in San Antonio, his legacy lives on in the persons of current head coach Gregg Popovich and R.C. Buford, both of whom he brought with him from Kansas.

You couldn’t stay away, could you?

I love what I do. I’m lucky to have this chance. I could have gone Stanford job 3 ½ years ago, but I was afraid to move my family. I missed it so much.

What are your recollections about your time in San Antonio?

I love the fact that Red McCombs gave me a chance to coach (here). I don’t know that you could work for a better owner. He’s a pretty special man. I love the fact R.C. and Pop are here, doing great. I’ve got the NBA channel so I hear Sean (Elliott) all the time; I love it. I see David (Robinson) all the time at games. They have a fan base that’s incredible. I was walking around last night and I saw a man with a Spurs tattoo on him. My office actually was right by the Hyatt where we’re staying. It’s remarkable, the success they’ve had. They’re the best franchise in the NBA in terms of the way they play, the way they operate. There’s nobody better than Pop. He was the best man at my wedding. R.C. worked with me forever. I’m in awe of what they’ve done. I love the fact they continue to do it the right way.

How do you view your role in laying the foundation for that success by bringing Popovich and Buford here?

I don’t think of it that way. The greatest gift I’ve had is the people I’ve been allowed to coach, the people who coached me, the guys who coached with me and seeing their success and what they’ve been able to accomplish. When I watch what Gregg’s done, how well respected he is, maybe the best coach in our game, and then I see what R.C. has been able to accomplish, what Red started and built and what he meant to me in my life, it’s great. That’s the nicest thing for me. I once had a little tree with a few branches, and now I’ve got a forrest of people. It’s been fun.

How did your relationship with Pop develop?

Coach (Dean) Smith worked for Bob Spear at the Air Force Academy, that was his first job. Then he went to (North) Carolina. Pop went to Air Force and played for Bob Spear. Matter of fact, I was on an Olympic team, I was one of the qualifying coaches when Pop tried out, and we got to meet there through Coach Spear.

Just to interrupt, what kind of ballplayer was Gregg?

He was great. If he’d have gone to a major college he probably would have been an NBA player. He was a surprisingly gifted athlete and unbelievably tough. But I ended up cutting him. He tried out for the Denver Nuggets and I cut his ass. But we always stayed close. One year he took a sabbatical (in the mid 1980s) and was going to stay at North Carolina for a while and then come with me (at Kansas). He ended up staying with me the whole year. When I was offered the Spurs job, I asked him to come with me. He was best man at my wedding and we’ve been close (ever since). Again, there’s no better guy, no better coach, than him.

What impresses you the most?

Everything. He’s got it all. He cares about the game, he’s bright, he’s demanding, he’s as decent a human being as we have. He respects the game. I don’t think anybody’s better, and I’ve said that for a long time. When you consider the consistency they’ve had, the level of respect they’ve been given, it’s a credit to him.

What do you remember about coaching David? I’ve read that you didn’t think he was competitive enough.

No, no, no, no, no. One of the greatest things that ever happened in my life was when David asked me to present him at the Hall of Fame. The thing that frustrated me about David, I always thought he never realized how great he was. A lot like coaching Danny Manning. They were such team guys, always concerned about their teammates, that a lot of times they would take a step back. I always remember that Red would tell me that we had the edge with David in every game we played. I think we did. But I wouldn’t want David to change in any way. He had a phenomenal career. He’s as good a human being as there is, he’s given back (to the community). Every day he stepped on the court he was a phenomenal example and role model, and maybe one of the greatest players to ever play.

What was it like to coach Tim Duncan in 2004 at the Olympics?

Tim never got to play in the Olympics; he fouled out in every game. People forget, that team that qualified, we had Argentina by 37 points at halftime (in Olympic qualifying). The team we went to the Olympics with wasn’t the same team that qualified. We had 15 days of practice. Nine/11 happened so nobody wanted to go play. The guys that did play, they were thrown together haphazardly and you’re playing in Greece, which wasn’t like playing in Beijing where NBA players were the biggest (stars). But the bottom line is, representing your country, being part of the Olympic movement – I played in 1964, I was an assistant in 1980 and 2000, I coached in 2004, I was an Olympic qualifying coach for many years – was phenomenal. I admire the kids who went, the sacrifices they made. Maybe one of the proudest moments I had as a coach was when we beat Spain in the bronze medal game, because all that had transpired before that was pretty difficult and they handled that in a real professional manner.

Spurs turn keys over to Leonard this summer

Kawhi Leonard of the Spurs is doing his best to expand his game during the Las Vegas summer league. TOM REEL / EXPRESS-NEWS

LAS VEGAS — For Kawhi Leonard, it didn’t take long for the memories to come flooding back Tuesday.

Out the locker-room door, past the framed photos of UNLV greats, hang a right down the tunnel, and suddenly he was back on the floor at Thomas Mack Arena, reliving a moment from his past.

As an All-American at San Diego State, Leonard played in Las Vegas on numerous occasions, most recently in the Mountain West conference tournament his Aztecs won in 2011.

“Walking through the tunnel and looking at those pictures brought some memories back,” said Leonard, now a second-year small forward and the undisputed leader of the Spurs’ summer-league team.

Then, Leonard did something seldom seen during his All-Rookie first season in the NBA.

He smiled.

The goal for Leonard this week has been to channel his inner Aztec. So far, so good.

Handed the reins of the Spurs’ summer squad and instructed to be The Man, the newly turned 21-year-old has responded by averaging 25 points in the first two games.

Leonard had 27 in Tuesday’s 92-81 victory over the Los Angeles Lakers, using an array of scoring moves last seen at San Diego State.

“This is the time to test drive a little bit,” summer league coach Jacque Vaughn said. “Get him out there and put him in positions he normally doesn’t get a chance to be in, and see if we can see a little growth.”

That means a steady diet of pick-and-rolls, with Leonard as the trigger man. It means pulling up and shooting off screens. Occasionally over the past two games, Vaughn has called Leonard’s number in the block, with post-ups and pin-downs.

None of that happened in the regular season, when Leonard found his way to 7.9 points per game without the Spurs ever calling a play for him.

“It’s a big difference,” Leonard said. “I was standing up, spotting up (during the season). I’m learning to shoot off the dribble, coming off ball screens. I’m trying to get my ball handling better. Also, I’ve got to learn how to pass. I’ve been working on all that.”

It is obvious that Leonard’s growth has been the Spurs’ pet project in Las Vegas. On more than one occasion, coach Gregg Popovich — usually content to sit back and observe summer league proceedings — could be seen engaged in a lengthy one-on-one with Leonard.

“We want him to rebound it and push it up the floor himself,” Popovich said. “We want to get it thrown ahead to him and have him go attack the rim. We want to put him in pick-and-rolls and let him make decisions, so he expands his game.

“He’s going to be a good one. We don’t want him to just be a spot-up shooter in the corner.”

That’s good to hear, Leonard said.

“I don’t want to be a stand-in-the-corner guy my whole career,” he added. “I’d like to take control of the game, and be a focal point to help my team win.”

During one breathless stretch of the first half Tuesday, Leonard unpacked his entire bag of tricks.

He took his man off the dribble, from midcourt line to rim. He grabbed a rebound at one end and took the ball 90 feet for a finger roll at the other.

When Leonard crossed over a pick late in the first half and rose to drill a contested 3-pointer near the top of the arc, even his summer-league teammates were impressed.

“He kind of showed everybody a little bit of what he can do,” guard James Anderson said.

There’s no telling how many of these new skills Leonard might bring with him back to San Antonio.

Certainly, he’ll see fewer chances to handle the ball once he rejoins a backcourt with Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili in it.

For now, Leonard is enjoying his time in Vegas, where the good memories run deep and he is once again the go-to guy.

By pulling a page from his past, Leonard is preparing for his future.

No amnesty for Spurs: The Spurs have opted not to exercise their so-called “amnesty” provision for this season.

Per the latest collective bargaining agreement of last December, teams are allowed to waive one player who was on their roster last summer, without his salary counting against the cap.

Teams that did not use it for last season faced a Tuesday deadline to trigger it for 2012-13. Those teams, like the Spurs, who have yet to use the amnesty provision can roll it over throughout the life of the CBA.

jmcdonald@express-news.net

Twitter: @JMcDonald_SAEN