Thursday, July 19, 1984
Page 11A
Is exhibition series
the best preparation?
By ERIC K. ENGLEBARDT
Tar Heel Staff Writer
GREENSBORO Carolina
basketball fans go into catatonic
states of ecstacy when names like
those of James Worthy, Walter
Davis, Phil Ford, Bobby Jones
and Mike O'Koren are menti
oned. Last Thursday at the
Greensboro Coliseum, fans were
not only treated to those former
UNC stars, but Michael Jordan,
Sam Perkins and the U.S. Olym
pic basketball team as well. But
playing agairist professional play
ers a month after the NBA season
has ended may not provide the
challenge for the Olympians that
the Games themselves will.
The Olympians, preparing for
next week's Los Angeles Summer
Olympics, are in the midst of a
nine-game exhibition tour
against NBA all-star teams.
"We are very appreciative of
the NBA Players Association for
setting up the opposition that
we've had. They've done a heck
of a job," said Olympic coach Bob
Knight.
One reporter, apparently unac
costomed to Knight's occasional
ravings, asked the Olympic coach
if he thought playing against
NBA players was the best way to
prepare' his team.
"Who would you suggest we
play?" Knight replied.
"Bring in some foreign teams,
like the (Olympic) baseball
team," replied the reporter, also
mentioning that the play of the
professionals was sloppy.
"Why don't we just go about
it the way we want to go about
it and let the baseball team go
about it the way it wants to go
about it," retorted Knight.
Indeed, many have questioned
the use of an exhibition series
against players not at the top of
their game for training the Olym
pic team. Jordan, for one, said
the NBA players might not be
that tough a test for the best
amateur players in America.
"They're not in the best of
shape, as we are," Jordan said.
"WeVe been practicing for four
or five weeks now and they have
not, but they're not going out
there and letting us win."
"We've experienced an excel
. lent situation from the standpoint
of the kind of talent that we're
playing against," said Knight.
The talent in Greensboro also
included Kenny Carr and Thurl
Bailey from N.C. State, Eric
"Sleepy" Floyd from Georgetown
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and Gastonia, Frank Johnson
formerly of Wake Forest and
former Missouri star Steve Sti
panovich. Despite the accomp
lishments of these professionals,
the Olympic team won rather
easily, 96-85.
Perkins, a three-time UNC Ail
American, felt the pros were
giving the Olympic team a test.
"It's an experience to try to do
a lot of things against them,"
Perkins said. "It's helping us as
an Olympic team to get prepared
for the playing that we will face."
Being that the Olympic team
has breezed through their exhi
bition schedule without a loss,
one might wonder if the team will
become overconfident going into
competition against amateurs in
the Olympic Games.
"I don't think we're getting that
attitude," Jordan said. " I think
Coach Knight is really keeping
our heads straight and not letting
us think 'Hey, everything's com
ing easy now.'
"We all know that they're not
in the best of shape, they're not
playing the best basketball that
they can play. We're not going
to base anything on that."
Despite the speculation that
perhaps this preperation method
may not be the best, the team will
find itself in Los Angeles next
week favored to win the gold
medal.
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Coaches, pros' confident of U.S. hopes
By MIKE SCHOOR
Assistant Sports Editor
GREENSBORO Billy Cun
ningham and Antonio Diaz
Miguel have nothing in common,
save a wealth of basketball knowl
edge and praise for the 1984 U.S.
Olympic Team and the star of last
Thurday's exhibition in the
Greensboro Coliseum, Michael
Jordan.
Cunningham, a UNC alumnus
and coach of the NBA all-stars
in Greensboro, talked about the
unselfish team that defeated the
professionals, 96-85.
Diaz-Miguel, head coach of the
Spanish Olympic Basketball
Team, communicated in broken
English, saying one word again
and again. That word was
Jordan.
No one in Spain jumps like
Jordan," Diaz-Miguel said. "I
first saw him three years ago and
he surprised me. Not now."
Meanwhile, Cunningham put
the Olympians' victory in proper
perspective, mixing admiration
with admonition.
"I'm impressed by how well
they've come together offensively
and defensively. I hope they don't
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have a false sense of security
(though). The other Olympic
teams have played together for
many years. The big problem for
our NBA team was not having
practice time."
The shortage in practice time
visibly hurt the NBA team offen
sively. Defensively, the off-season
players were slow to react to the
Olympic team's fluid ball move
ment. Many Olympians passed
up open shots, in favor of coach
Bob Knight's let's-run-the-patterns
strategy.
Bobby Jones, UNC alumnus
and 1972 Olympic basketball
team member, said the U.S. team
won't get as many shooting
opportunities in Los Angeles.
"There's a little hesitancy about
shooting the ball," Jones said.
"They may have too much
patience."
That's all Jones could criticize.
He joined 1976 Olympic gold
medalists Phil Ford and Walter
Davis in astonishment over a
team that may be the best Amer
ica has ever sent into interna
tional competition.
"They're big people and excep
tional players," Jones said.
"Jordan is the hub and the
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Ford, joining Jones, Davis,
Cunningham, Mike O'Koren,
and James Worthy as former Tar
Heels returning to Greensboro,
noted how difficult it is to com
pare Olympic teams.
"Coach Knight's team is play
ing good basketball right now."
Ford said. "What makes them si
tough is that they can beat you
so many ways."
Davis likes the Olympians,
chances going into next week's
Los Angeles games and obviously
can't wait to guard Jordan in the
NBA this fall.
"They play unselfishly and pick
defenses apart," Davis said. "I'm
amazed by Jordan. His court
sense is incredible."
When the Greensboro Coli
seum crowd broke into the famil
iar chant, "USA ... USA ... USA,"
Davis said he rembered the
pressures, responsibilities, and
joy of representing his country.
"Hearing people chant is a
great feeling," Davis said, capsul
izing his Olympic experience. "It
brings back many emotional
memories."
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