BOEHEIM AND ANTHONY REUNITED – GOING FOR GOLD

As this is my blog, I'm catching up here by posting some of the articles I've had published over the last 2 years.

July 4th, 2008

Las Vegas, Nevada

BOEHEIM AND ANTHONY REUNITED – GOING FOR GOLD

Huddled in a circle of legendary coaches, USA Basketball assistant coach Jim Boeheim stood courtside at a quarter to noon on Saturday, June 28th, and viewed the men’s team stretching at mid-court of the media-filled practice facility in Cox Pavilion at the University of Nevada Las Vegas. Holding his hands behind his back, Boeheim listened intently to Head Coach Mike Krzyzewski lay out the game plan for the team’s first practice as it prepares for the 2008 Beijing Olympics.

Boeheim, the head coach at Syracuse University since 1976 surveyed the collection of superstars that included Lebron James and Kobe Bryant. He has served as chair of the USA Basketball Men’s Collegiate Committee since 2005, and provided valuable recommendations to Managing Director Jerry Colangelo to form this all-pro team. For a moment, Boeheim’s gaze landed on the familiar face of Carmelo Anthony as an athletic trainer approached the six-foot eight-inch small forward to help stretch his left hamstring.

Anthony's selection to the Olympic Men's basketball team was no accident. He led Syracuse to Boeheim’s first and only NCAA Championship in 2003. Anthony’s international resume provided his college coach with plenty of evidence to justify naming him to the team. Anthony was named the 2006 USA Basketball Athlete of the Year after leading Team USA in scoring with 19.9 points per game at the 2006 FIBA World Championship. The team finished with an 8-1 record and a bronze medal.

Last year at the 2007 FIBA Americas Championship, Anthony improved to a team leading 21.2 points per game and a team second best 5.2 rebounds per game and acquired his first gold medal during a perfect 10-0 campaign. “There’s always some easy picks”, Boeheim responded when asked about the difficulty of selecting the players heading to China for the 2008 Olympics “We just want to get the right group together.”

The focus of USA Basketball has been to form a cohesive corps rather than a random collection of top-performing individual NBA stars which many believe led to the downfall of Team USA’s disappointing bronze medal performance at the 2004 Athens Olympics. In the wake of that disappointment, NBA Commissioner David Stern prompted change when he asked Phoenix Suns CEO and Chairman Jerry Colangelo to return Team USA to its ‘dream team’ status of the 1990’s.

In a small conference room at the Wynn Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas after practice, Colangelo explained that he required sovereignty. “I pick the coaches. I pick the players. No more committees. That’s yesterday’s news. And with that autonomy, we’ll get the job done,” Colangelo proposed, and it was an offer Stern couldn’t refuse. Upon accepting the position of managing director in the Spring of 2005, the Chicago born Colangelo organized a summit to choose the right coach inviting many who had participated in Team USA’s past campaigns.

Colangelo made it clear to those twenty five people assembled including John Thompson II, Jerry West, Larry Byrd and Michael Jordan, that the coaching selection process would not be a consensus decision. “I threw some names on a board; some college coaches and some pro coaches…They were there to give me feedback, but I’d be stupid not to listen…There were a lot of smart people in that room.” The gathering would serve merely as a means to pool the information he needed to make his decision. The names that surfaced were San Antonio Spurs head coach Greg Popovich and Krzyzewski.

Along side New York Knicks head coach Mike D’Antoni and Portland Trailblazers head coach Nate McMillan, Krzyzewski’s long-time friend and fellow inductee into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame Jim Boeheim completed this group of assistant coaches that were willing to make the three year sacrifice. Krzyzewski recruited Boeheim like he would a high school sensation for his intimate knowledge of attacking and defending the zone which is used in the international game quite often. Boeheim’s track record was impressive having led the 2001 USA Basketball Young Men's Team to the gold medal at the World Championship in Japan. With Colangelo’s blessing, the decision to hire Boeheim was put before the ten person executive committee for approval.

Sitting around an oval conference table at the Wynn Hotel & Casino recording an interview for Coach K’s XM Satellite Radio show Basketball & Beyond, the group was asked about the expertise each coach brings to the team. D’Antoni answered, “I order the Italian food.” Following an eruption of laughter, Krzyzewski added that ‘Boeheim’s great with the desert, Nate [McMillan]’s got the appetizers and I make sure I’ve got a good bottle of wine.’ After almost three years together, the coaches can put a fine meal together, but what about a gold medal-winning basketball team?

Boeheim started coaching USA Basketball in 1982 with a youth team, and understands why the programs from some other nations have surpassed Team USA. “Argentina has been together since they were kids”, he says, “Being together for just a month prior to going for gold is ridiculous.” To form a strong foundation for the team, Krzyzewski says, “familiarity and continuity” are key to the coaching staff’s approach.

During the summer of 2005, Colangelo met individually with each player he considered for the team. He sought to counteract the lack of motivation among America’s elite basketball players evidenced by the fifteen who bowed out of the Olympics the previous year.

“They didn’t feel motivated at all. The only way I was going to sell it, in my opinion, was to get in front of each guy and say, ‘Look. Here’s where I came from…The only house I ever lived in came out of the remnants of two railroad boxcars and some extra lumber that my grandfather, an immigrant, built…So, I came from nothing. [Playing] sports was my way out. I feel honored and privileged to be born in America because only in America could things happen to people like they happened to me”

Relating to the players in person, Colangelo communicated his message effectively. Krzyzewski said, “I think that face-to-face communication creates…trust…That’s not fasionable as much. He did it the old fashioned way.”

To change the culture of the program to one of trust and commitment, Colangelo sought three year-agreements from the players he chose. He believed that controlling player turnover was crucial to creating the infrastructure necessary to restore past glory to Team USA. Colangelo emphatically expressed a new code to the players in the individual meetings saying, “Don't ever embarrass me or Coach K because we won't embarrass you.”

Much to the chagrin of Colangelo, Anthony’s off-the-court issues are well documented and continue to surface. Late last month, Anthony pleaded guilty to driving while impaired, a lesser charge than driving under the influence for which he was arrested in April. Would his behavior be cause for concern for Boeheim? “No,” he said. “He’s a professional.”

When Lebron James told reporters he was unsure about returning to play for Team USA last spring, it was Anthony who came to the rescue. Anthony, a teammate of James at the 2004 Athens Games and a fellow captain on the 2006 USA World Championship Team convinced the Cavalier’s star to honor his commitment. Anthony explained to James that they had not yet accomplished their mission, and James was needed to complete the task of winning gold in China. "He was probably the main reason why I came back here," James said.

It’s this kind of leadership that Colangelo and Krzyzewski value most from Anthony. When Anthony was named to the final roster headed to Beijing, Coach Boeheim called him on the phone. Anthony said grinning, “He told me I better be in shape…coming into camp.”

For Anthony and Boeheim, their commitment and personal friendship extend far beyond the three years required by Colangelo and Krzyzewski. Since entering the NBA after just one successful year playing for Boeheim’s Orangemen, Anthony donated $3 million to build a practice facility, the Carmelo Anthony Basketball Center at Syracuse University.

When asked about Boeheim’s impact on Team USA, Carmello flashes a smile saying, “It brings back memories…[of] those Syracuse days when we went on that great run. Just having him being a part of this has just been great for me, and I’m pretty sure it’s been great for other guys on our team.” Anthony believes that with Boeheim’s help, they’ll reach the highest height again. Together, Anthony said they are ‘looking forward to that gold medal in Beijing.’


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