We have two pieces of news to pick apart today: The announcement that USA Basketball has released a list of 30 finalists for the 2016 Olympic team, and the “non-commitment” from LeBron James regarding whether he will be part of the party. And yes, it will be a party. The games are in Brazil, after all. And LeBron, whose non-commitment is disingenuous at best, does not miss a good party. So let me tell you a little story about the Brazilians. [Read more…]
LAS VEGAS — It was a warm, muggy morning in Lafayette, Louisiana on Wednesday as Elfrid Payton was going through his usual daily workout when his cellphone rang. It was his agent, telling him he had been invited to Team USA training camp to help fill out the roster for the end-of-mini-camp exhibition game. A two-hour drive to New Orleans followed, then a restless night, then a 6 a.m. flight to Las Vegas where a room awaited him at the Wynn
BROOKLYN — Andrew Wiggins will “most likely” play for Team Canada in this summer’s FIBA-Americas Olympic qualifying tournament, a huge piece of positive news for a Canadian federation that has been hoping and praying that the NBA’s most exciting rookie will play for his national team. Wiggins gave me the “most likely” quote as he warmed up for the Rising Stars challenge Friday night at the Barclay’s Center. When I pressed him and asked it he was 100 percent in, he hedged