Archive: Basketball
Colangelo Will Chair USA Basketball Board
Phoenix Suns Chairman Jerry Colangelo was elected chairman of USA Basketball's board of directors for the 2009-2012 term on Wednesday, USA Basketball announced, succeeding USA Basketball President Val Ackerman. Colangelo, credited with turning around the U.S. men's Olympic basketball program...
By Amy Shipley | November 13, 2008; 09:11 AM ET | Comments (0)
Men's Basketball: Redeem Team Reclaims Gold
After some stressful moments, the United States accomplished its mission, finally putting away Spain, 118-107, to win the men's basketball gold medal. After finishing with bronze in Athens four years ago, the Americans returned to the top spot on the...
By washingtonpost.com Sports Editor | August 24, 2008; 04:35 AM ET | Comments (227)
Men's Basketball: U.S.-Spain Third Quarter Update
At the end of the third quarter, the United States leads Spain, 91-82. This is the closest game the U.S. has been in during these Games and plays into Spain's hands as the reigning world champions hope the pressure will...
By washingtonpost.com Sports Editor | August 24, 2008; 03:57 AM ET | Comments (4)
Men's Basketball: U.S.-Spain Halftime Update
The United States leads Spain, 69-61, at halftime of the gold medal game. Dwyane Wade leads all scorers with 21 points in just 13 minutes -- stepping up big for the U.S. as LeBron James and Kobe Bryant have been...
By washingtonpost.com Sports Editor | August 24, 2008; 03:21 AM ET | Comments (8)
Men's Basketball: U.S.-Spain Update
At the end of the first quarter, Spain has come out much stronger than in the previous meeting between the two countries in pool play -- a 37-point laugher in favor of the United States -- but still trails the...
By washingtonpost.com Sports Editor | August 24, 2008; 02:51 AM ET | Comments (31)
Men's Basketball: Argentina Takes Bronze
From the Associated Press: Carlos Delfino had 20 points and 10 rebounds as Argentina won the bronze medal in men's basketball with an 87-75 win against Lithuania. Luis Scola added 16 points on Sunday and Andres Nocioni had 14 for...
By washingtonpost.com Sports Editor | August 24, 2008; 01:52 AM ET | Comments (1)
Leslie, U.S. Women Win Fourth Consecutive Gold
Lisa Leslie said she wanted the U.S. women to continue its dominance of the rest of the world in the Olympics. But in order for Leslie to become the first basketball player to win four consecutive Olympic gold medals, her...
By Michael Lee | August 23, 2008; 11:37 AM ET | Comments (1)
U.S. Beats Argentina, Reaches Gold Medal Game
U.S. men's basketball coach Mike Krzyzewski kept saying that his team wasn't invincible, that it wouldn't get overconfident or overlook any opponent, no matter how lopsided the games have been these Olympics. But staying focused got a little difficult for...
By Michael Lee | August 22, 2008; 12:05 PM ET | Comments (36)
Basketball: U.S. Re-Establishes Order
The U.S. has not found a way to stop Luis Scola and Carlos Delfino, but Argentina couldn't find anybody to contain Dwight Howard and LeBron James. Howard and James combined to score all of the Americans' points during a 12-4...
By Michael Lee | August 22, 2008; 11:56 AM ET | Comments (3)
U.S. Holding On, 49-40, At Halftime
Who needs Manu? Argentina isn't the defending gold medal champion for nothing. With its star guard in the locker room, Argentina was able to rally back from a 21-point first-half deficit to get within six points with 46 seconds left...
By Michael Lee | August 22, 2008; 11:02 AM ET | Comments (4)
U.S. Leads 30-11 After First
So much for the suspense. This game appears to be over and there are three more quarters of basketball to be played. It was not a good sign for Argentina when Chris Bosh is at the free throw line giving...
By Michael Lee | August 22, 2008; 10:56 AM ET | Comments (2)
Spain Tops Lithuania Without Calderon
Pau Gasol scored 19 points to lead Spain into the gold medal game with a 91-86 victory over Lithuania. The hotly contested game was tied at 71 when Spain guard Rudy Fernandez went on a personal 7-3 run to give...
By Michael Lee | August 22, 2008; 10:46 AM ET | Comments (1)
Americans Get Rematch With Argentina
The United States got the only team it really wanted in the semifinals, the last team to defeat it on the Olympic stage. Four years ago in Athens, Argentina delivered the final salvo to a flawed U.S. team that featured...
By Michael Lee | August 22, 2008; 05:04 AM ET | Comments (26)
Men's Basketball: Chat with Jerry Colangelo at 11
Curious how the Redeem Team came together? Wonder how Kobe, LeBron, Carmelo and company interact? Want to talk about Coach K's approach to managing NBA superstars? Well, USA Baskeball executive director Jerry Colangelo -- who is also the Chairman of...
By Jon DeNunzio | August 21, 2008; 09:55 AM ET | Comments (3)
U.S. Women Lead By One At Halftime
The U.S. women's basketball team is in a tight ball game against American-born Becky Hammon and Russia at Wukesong Indoor Arena. The Americans lead 33-32 at the break, but had to scramble out of a huge early hole. The Russians...
By Michael Lee | August 21, 2008; 08:47 AM ET | Comments (0)
Australia's Mills Thrills
Chris Paul couldn't stay in front of him. Deron Williams couldn't hold onto the ball when he was in front of him. Patrick Mills was a 5-foot-11 blur for Australia and a revelation for NBA scouts who watched him eat...
By Michael Lee | August 20, 2008; 05:46 PM ET | Comments (0)
Basketball: Argentina Edges Greece, Will Face U.S.
Argentina pulled out the most thrilling game of the Olympics while beating Greece, 80-78, on Wednesday. The game wasn't decided until Greek guard Vasileios Spanoulis missed a three-pointer from the top of the key as time expired. Argentina, the defending...
By Michael Lee | August 20, 2008; 12:30 PM ET | Comments (6)
U.S. Challenged Early, Dominates Late
The U.S. men's basketball team scored so effortlessly, so easily at the start, that another blowout victory against an inferior opponent seemed inevitable. The Americans established an early nine-point lead against Australia only to have the Aussies push back, tie...
By Michael Lee | August 20, 2008; 09:41 AM ET | Comments (15)
Lithuania Eliminates China, Yao
Sarunas Jasikevicius scored 23 points with six assists as Lithuania advanced to its fifth consecutive Olympic semifinals with a 94-68 victory over host China. The tiny, basketball-crazed nation has never missed a semifinal since it broke free of the former...
By Michael Lee | August 20, 2008; 07:37 AM ET | Comments (0)
Spain Cruises To Semis
Spain became the first men's basketball team to advance to the semifinals with a 72-59 win over Croatia at Wukesong Indoor Arena. Spain, the No. 2 seed from Group B, scored the first 12 points of the game and led...
By Michael Lee | August 20, 2008; 05:36 AM ET | Comments (0)
Australia, Good Game Or More Of The Same?
It's been so easy, perhaps too easy, through the first five games for U.S. men's team. It won by an average of 32.2 points and its closest game was a 21-point win over Angola that wasn't nearly as competitive as...
By Michael Lee | August 19, 2008; 12:47 PM ET | Comments (0)
Women's Basketball: U.S. Advances To Semifinals
Through their first five games of pool play, the U.S. women squashed the competition by an average of 43 points, with no team coming within 36 points. The challenge was supposed to be a bit greater in the medal round,...
By Michael Lee | August 19, 2008; 09:23 AM ET | Comments (1)
Phelps Visits Redeem Team
Members of the U.S. men's basketball team came out to support Michael Phelps at almost every step of his incredible, eight-medal haul in Beijing. So once Phelps's busy schedule finally subsided, he and almost 20 members of the U.S. swim...
By Michael Lee | August 18, 2008; 02:58 PM ET | Comments (1)
U.S. Trounces Germany, 106-57
Dwight Howard sat behind a table with a pair of swimming goggles on his forehead after the United States obliterated Germany, 106-57, to conclude pool play with a 5-0 record. Olympic swimming star Michael Phelps had just finished visiting with...
By Michael Lee | August 18, 2008; 09:30 AM ET | Comments (23)
The Rout Continues, 83-46
Did Kobe just miss his second dunk of the game? Kobe Bryant's hops are about the only thing that hasn't worked for the U.S. this game, as he drove under the basket and missed a dunk early in the period....
By Michael Lee | August 18, 2008; 09:09 AM ET | Comments (0)
U.S. Leads 53-29 At Halftime
Is there a mercy rule in basketball? The United States is leading by 27 at the half, and the game isn't nearly as close as the score might suggest. The Americans scored the first eight points of the second period,...
By Michael Lee | August 18, 2008; 08:32 AM ET | Comments (0)
U.S. Leads Germany 31-12 After First
The United States scored the first eight points of the game and haven't looked back and they have a 31-12 lead at the end of the first period. German center Patrick Femerling is retiring after these Olympics, so Coach Dirk...
By Michael Lee | August 18, 2008; 08:22 AM ET | Comments (0)
Brackets Set For Men's Basketball Quarterfinals
With Croatia's victory over Iran and Greece's win against China, the brackets for the men's basketball medal round were set on Monday. The United States, the Group B No. 1 seed will open against Australia, which lost by just 11...
By Michael Lee | August 18, 2008; 07:45 AM ET | Comments (1)
Kaman, American In German Clothing
When Kobe Bryant spotted Chris Kaman with other German athletes at the Olympic opening ceremonies, he didn't have a problem that the Michigan born and bred Los Angeles Clippers center was representing another country. Bryant just wanted to know if...
By Michael Lee | August 18, 2008; 06:00 AM ET | Comments (0)
Basketball: Americans Cruise
The U.S. women's basketball team scored a 96-60 victory over New Zealand Sunday night at the Olympic Basketball Gymnasium. The win closes group play for the Americans with a 5-0 record. The U.S. was led in scoring by Tina Thompson...
By Tracee Hamilton | August 17, 2008; 08:54 PM ET | Comments (2)
U.S. Leads Spain 61-45 At Halftime
If Spain was supposed to be the toughest challenger to the United States, then the Americans should start figuring out where to put their gold medals based on the first half. The U.S. leads 61-45 at halftime. LeBron James scored...
By Michael Lee | August 16, 2008; 11:11 AM ET | Comments (3)
China Beats Germany, Advances to Quarterfinals
His country needed him. China needed him to play this summer, even though his left leg wasn't fully healed. And on Saturday, it needed him to play up to his enormous size to secure a trip to the medal round...
By Michael Lee | August 16, 2008; 09:41 AM ET | Comments (1)
Team USA Is Down With Dr. Dre
Nike is the official sponsor of the U.S. men's basketball team, with 11 of the 12 players on the roster endorsing the sneaker brand (Dwight Howard is the lone Adidas guy). But the unofficial headphone sponsor is Dr. Dre. That's...
By Michael Lee | August 15, 2008; 01:17 PM ET | Comments (0)
Women's Basketball: Thompson Keys U.S. Run
From the Associated Press: After three straight blowouts, it took a half for the U.S. women's basketball team to get going and beat Spain. Tina Thompson scored nine of her 17 points during the decisive third quarter run and Lisa...
By washingtonpost.com Sports Editor | August 15, 2008; 11:29 AM ET | Comments (0)
Basketball: U.S. Gets Payback vs. Greece
Note: Dan Steinberg also blogged about the game on the Beijing Sports Smog. There were no more exhibitions, no more Chinas or Angolas on the schedule. Training camp officially came to an end for Team USA on Thursday as it...
By Michael Lee | August 14, 2008; 09:39 AM ET | Comments (22)
Yao Leads China To Victory
Yao Ming had his first dominant performance, and China pulled out its first Olympic win on Thursday, defeating Angola 85-68. With his team desperately needing a win to have any chance of advancing into the quarterfinals, the 7-foot-6 Yao used...
By Michael Lee | August 14, 2008; 05:56 AM ET | Comments (0)
Spain Getting Flack For Photo
Spain's Olympic basketball team is still apologizing for taking a controversial photo in which all 15 players use their fingers to pull the skin behind their eyes and appear more Asian. After Spain defeated Germany 72-59 on Thursday morning, Spanish...
By Michael Lee | August 14, 2008; 12:22 AM ET | Comments (14)
Men's Basketball: Spain Downs Germany
From the Associated Press: Pau Gasol scored 13 points to help lead world champion Spain to a 72-59 victory over Dirk Nowitzki and Germany in Olympic basketball men's Group B play. Gasol, of the NBA's Los Angeles Lakers, scored 13...
By washingtonpost.com Sports Editor | August 13, 2008; 11:45 PM ET | Comments (0)
Leslie Perfect in U.S. Rout of Mali
Mali went on an early 8-0 run to take a one-point lead, forcing the United States to call a timeout. There weren't many concerns from then on, as Lisa Leslie was 7 for 7 from the field, setting a U.S....
By washingtonpost.com Sports Editor | August 13, 2008; 12:12 PM ET | Comments (1)
Dwyane Wade Doesn't Eat His Vegetables
You likely won't find any U.S. men's basketball players at Beijing restaurants trying some of the local cuisine. They might be able to fly above the rim, but they aren't too adventurous when it comes to food. Before practice on...
By Michael Lee | August 13, 2008; 09:38 AM ET | Comments (2)
Spanoulis Isn't Eager To Make NBA Return
Greek point guard Vasileios Spanoulis has been one of the best players through the first two days of the Olympics, showing a tremendous ability to get to the basket without much resistence. After scoring 23 points in Greece's 87-64 win...
By Michael Lee | August 12, 2008; 03:55 PM ET | Comments (0)
U.S. Dominates Again
LeBron James bounced off the floor and sent Angolan forward Felizardo Ambrosio and his feeble shot to the floor in one vicious swipe. James then angrily stared down Ambrosio, as a crowd of supportive Chinese fans cheered the emphatic rejection....
By Michael Lee | August 12, 2008; 09:35 AM ET | Comments (112)
U.S. Men Build Big Lead
Dwight Howard leads Team USA with 12 points and three rebounds as the American men's team leads Angola 55-37 at halftime at the Olympic Basketball Gymnasium. LeBron James and Dwyane Wade each have 11 points as the USA has hit...
By Tracee Hamilton | August 12, 2008; 08:57 AM ET | Comments (0)
Spain Thwarts China Upset Bid In OT
China was 10 minutes from pulling off its greatest win in Olympic history, entering the fourth quarter with a 14-point lead against world champion Spain and its roster of current, former and future NBA players. Its fans anticipated the upset,...
By Michael Lee | August 12, 2008; 08:24 AM ET | Comments (5)
Men's Basketball: Spain Tops China in OT
China's men's basketball team has taken Spain into overtime. Spain just scored to tie the game at 76 but Yao Ming has fouled out. Spain hits the free throw. 77-76. With 1:35 left, Spain leads 79-74. Ouch. Dunk. 81-75, 1:17...
By Tracee Hamilton | August 12, 2008; 06:35 AM ET | Comments (1)
U.S. Men Down China by 31
From Michael Lee It wasn't the smoothest or aesthetically pleasing effort, but the United States men's Olympic basketball team opened with a 101-70 victory over China on Sunday. With Yao Ming inspiring his countrymen to play above their heads for...
By Tracee Hamilton | August 10, 2008; 12:57 PM ET | Comments (51)
U.S. Pulls Away From China, 101-70
The United States men's basketball team was challenged early, but pulled away in the second half for a 101-70 victory in Beijing on Sunday. Live-blogged account on the much-anticipated 2008 debut for both teams can be found on the Beijing...
By Jon DeNunzio | August 10, 2008; 12:01 PM ET | Comments (2)
Kobe, Lebron Charm Fellow Olympians
Lebron James clowned around with the U.S. softball team and Kobe Bryant posed for photos with every U.S. Olympian who marched in Friday's Opening Ceremonies and requested one, according to pole vaulter Jeff Hartwig. Hartwig said James and Bryant charmed...
By Amy Shipley | August 10, 2008; 07:51 AM ET | Comments (0)
Argentina Falls to Lithuania
Argentina, the men's basketball gold medal winner at the 2004 Athens Olympics, lost its opener against Lithuania, 79-75, at Wukesong Indoor Stadium on Sunday. Two players with Maryland connections -- former University of Maryland point guard Sarunas Jasikevicius and Linas...
By Michael Lee | August 10, 2008; 07:43 AM ET | Comments (3)
U.S. Women's Basketball Team Wins (Updated)
From Michael Lee: Diana Taurasi's first shot barely grazed the front of the rim. Then Katie Smith's shot came up short on a long jumper, Lisa Leslie missed badly on a layup and Tina Thompson missed a jump shot. The...
By Jon DeNunzio | August 9, 2008; 09:53 AM ET | Comments (0)
China Loves Redeem Team
Crazy scene at halftime of the U.S. women's basketball game on Saturday as thousands of mostly Chinese fans crowded around the section where the 10 of the 12 members of the U.S. men's team were seated. (Deron Williams was the...
By Michael Lee | August 9, 2008; 09:10 AM ET | Comments (0)
Practice Makes Perfect Trash Talk
First, LeBron James started talking a little smack. Then, Kobe Bryant spewed some trash talk. Once they got started, Dwyane Wade wanted to get in some words, then Deron Williams, and Michael Redd and Chris Paul. Tayshaun Prince didn't say...
By Michael Lee | August 8, 2008; 02:27 PM ET | Comments (1)
NBA Stars Will Follow Money To Europe
At Team USA's news conference on Friday, several of the NBA superstars were asked if they would be willing to break Commissioner David Stern's heart and leave the world's best basketball league to play abroad, in their prime, at the...
By Michael Lee | August 8, 2008; 01:05 PM ET | Comments (3)
USA Basketball Mum On Darfur
LeBron James, Kobe Bryant or any other member of Team USA will not use the Beijing Olympics as a platform to raise awareness to the crisis in Darfur. Back in May, James told ESPN that he would encourage his teammates...
By Michael Lee | August 7, 2008; 02:00 PM ET | Comments (18)
