Lakers WORLD Champions

[truemaster]

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 Jackson thinking Olympics -- By Sam Smith , Chicago Tribune

Phil Jackson says he is thinking seriously about coaching the U.S. Olympic team. And there's one factor that might make his decision easier: being able to coach his Lakers in next summer's qualifying tournament and then in the 2004 Olympics.

Jackson said Lakers general manager Mitch Kupchak has talked with him about it before, and the topic came up at the NBA coaches meeting in Chicago last month. Jackson said he had always declined in the past because of the lack of time to work in his system.

"But with the loss [in the world championships] last month, a couple of coaches asked me if I would be willing," Jackson said. "They said, 'You should.' And Kobe [Bryant] and Shaq [O'Neal] came to me and said if I coached the team in the Olympics, they'd play. That sent another obligation along with it. But I said, 'What, you're not going to play if I don't coach?'

"Coaching in the Olympics has more interest to me now. Especially after those incentives by colleagues and my players, who should be playing on the international team because they are terrific players who would make our chances better."

Asked about coaching if his three-time NBA champion Lakers were the U.S. representative, Jackson brightened.

"That interests me a lot," he said. "Now we have this Dream Team concept where we get the greatest individuals and they play one-on-one rather than team basketball. That's not the way basketball is played. New Zealand played the triangle. Argentina was passing and cutting all connected to each other. They were playing better basketball as a team than our team, though they weren't as talented. Yes, there's a way to do it, and I would do it if we were asked."

The U.S. sent AAU or military teams to the world championships in the 1950s, and in 1978 sent the Athletes in Action team. Sending the NBA champions would settle one issue that has confounded USA Basketball: how to put together a team on short notice. The pro league champion would also be an appropriate representative of American basketball.

With a qualifying tournament next summer, it would be appropriate to name the Lakers now because they are defending champions and they could then move on to the 2004 Olympics. One obstacle is the wear and tear on the players. Baron Davis, Elton Brand, Reggie Miller and the Bulls' Jay Williams from the U.S. world championships team all have been injured in the exhibition season.

Bad blood: OK, we know the Lakers-Kings is a rivalry. Anyone else? Perhaps the 76ers and Nets, sharing opposite ends of the New Jersey Turnpike and many of each others' players from a big off-season deal.

When the teams met last week to close the exhibition season, Dikembe Mutombo remarked it was a pleasure to play on a team with a good work ethic and without anyone who had to get his points at the expense of all else. In response, Allen Iverson said it was nice to play with a center who could catch his passes.

Sixers coach Larry Brown said of Mutombo, "I love the guy, but he has brain damage."

And the 76ers' Keith Van Horn noted he was comfortable now because "I never would sell out on a teammate." Like, say, Kenyon Martin?

Bad to worse: In a rare public statement, Portland's Rasheed Wallace indicated he'll act the same belligerent way toward officials. Said Wallace: "My thing with the refs is I just come at them with logic. I admit, sometimes I do cuss at them. I'm not going to say I'm a saint. Sometimes I do cuss. The other 80 percent of the time it's just logic. I just use logic, and they don't like that."

In Seattle, point guard Gary Payton was the only player who declined to participate in the team's tip-off show and said he won't participate in any team-sponsored community events after doing 21 last season. Payton, a free agent after the season, has declined to speak with team owner Howard Schultz after insinuating he was lied to about a contract extension.

Latrell Sprewell, not surprisingly, "used the scenario of Dennis Rodman" in trying to explain himself to the Knicks. "This guy did everything," Sprewell said. "He did his job and management understood what kind of person he was and they let him have that certain amount of freedom." Quite the role model.

Sprewell, by the way, complained he was late for "only" about 20 games last season and didn't understand what the Knicks were upset about.

On with the show: The Rockets open Wednesday night in Indianapolis, and all eyes will be on No. 1 pick Yao Ming. He had his best exhibition game against the 76ers, prompting Iverson to say, "He's a gift from God." … Signs that it's no longer easy for the NBA: Even with Yao as the attraction, the Pacers have discounted four groups of tickets for the opener.

What's your hurry? The Magic, woefully short up front, is making overtures to 37-year-old Horace Grant about playing another season after this one. "Horace should not be thinking about retirement this year or next year," Magic coach Doc Rivers said. … Orlando can't think much of center Andrew DeClercq, whom it tried to trade to the Wizards for guard Chris Whitney.

Curious George: They're lining up to take shots at Milwaukee coach George Karl. Paul Pierce, benched for most of the second half of the U.S.' final loss in the world championships, said Karl tried to blame him and promised to take it out on the Bucks this season. Bulls rookie Williams said Mike Krzyzewski, his college coach at Duke, advised him to take out his frustration over not playing on the Bucks.

Asked about his world championships experience, New Orleans' Baron Davis said, "I hated it. I can't speak for anybody else, but I didn't like playing for [Karl]. I'm glad it's over, and if he ever had to coach another one of those teams, I would decline."

Petulant Chuckster: It's the 10th anniversary of the Suns' best season, when they went to the NBA Finals against the Bulls. But Charles Barkley continues to feud with the organization over his subsequent trade to Houston and has refused to attend a game in Phoenix even though he lives there.

The team is adding Dan Majerle to its Wall of Fame this season and declines to consider Barkley. Said former Sun Danny Ainge: "How can you put Charles in the Ring of Honor and have him be part of the franchise when he is blasting them all the time?"

The Suns declined Barkley's offer to help their young players this season.

Beef club: Pacers coach Isiah Thomas fired back at critics of his coaching, telling the Indianapolis Star: "We make a trade [with the Bulls] at midseason and we had to absorb four guys, the same four players who Chicago was losing with. I'll say it again: The same guys they were losing with, I won with them. And the guy I was winning with, they were losing with. You tell me." … Jermaine O'Neal on what provoked Juwan Howard to punch him and earn a suspension: "He can't check me, never could check me and never will be able to check me. Don't cry when somebody is scoring buckets on you."

Imagine this shit, Lakers winning the 4Peat and then running shit in the Olympics and being TRUE WORLD CHAMPIONS!!!!! This shit would be tight as fuck. I bet we would have all the American Laker HATERS rooting for another counrty to win, fucking sellouts!!