http://www.boston.com/sports/basketball/celtics/extras/celtics_blog/ Pretty exciting. Monta got invited a few years ago too if memory serves. Another great opportunity for AR to improve by practicing against the best in the world.
Yeah, it's nice to see him get the recognition, I don't know how they decide who to invite, but I think this tells us a bit about what the coaches and the league think about AR, he sure does have a lot of promise and it's good to see that the league sees this.
Seems like they invite young prospects every year to the summer mini-camps. Like a long term investment kinda. i.e. Monta was invited before so they got a look at him but he hasn't been invited back. AR getting invited now and in all likelihood hes not good enough to make the team now but he'll get a good idea of what being on that team is like, what it takes, and they'll see what hes like in practice. Then if he blows up they can invite him back and act like they believed in him all along lol. And he'll kind of know what to expect. Seems like this new regime of people running Team USA are looking to get role players a lot more than before. The team still has its fair share of stars but they're inviting lots of good role players on winning NBA teams too (like Battier, Prince, Big Baby, Perkins, etc.)
I forgot that Nellie coached Team USA to an easy gold in 1994. But anyway, yeah, after getting defeated in 2002 and 2004, International basketball kinda showed the USA that basketball is more than individual talent -- it's about collective effort and team-play. The 2008 redeem team certainly showed that change under Coach K (although they were still awfully talented).
http://insider.espn.go.com/nba/insider/columns/story?columnist=sheridan_chris&page=teamusawrapup-090726 How could you not love his attitude and intensity? It's one thing if you're a hustle guy like Brian Cardinal... it's another thing if you're just pure hustle and intensity, as well as being one of the most freak athletes in the NBA... that's a KG type combination...
Randolph's attitude is probably the thing that's surprised me the most from last year. I've seen quite a few interviews from him in the last few months and he's saying all the right things. And I don't get the feeling it's some garbage an agent or PR person told him to parrot, I think it's really what he feels. On the court he still has some chest-thumping, gansta-glare moments that make you think it's all "me, me, me", but when you listen to him off the court he talks about how he needs to improve his deficiencies, talks about helping the team win, downplays his individual achievements, and just has a generally very laid-back but positive attitude.
Personally, that's why I think he's been so misinterpreted. He does have those chest-thumping moments. Yet, my take is, they are so not "me me me." I just think he loves to play, and loves to win, and I think he has a fire for the game that will allow him to be great. Coming from the military family, I think he's been raised the right way. This ain't no Darius Miles and Q. Richardson "fist-bumping" on the forehead showmanship. Those guys had no passion for the game. They were just showing the other team up with their antics. Randolph is the opposite of those guys. He's all heart, IMO, and because of that, he gets misread at times. Look at KG, when he looks like a mad-man posessed, screaming at the sky after a viscous dunk. Or LeBron James, after destroying someone like Yao with a tomohawk jam. Those guys aren't gangsta-glare "me me me..." Those guys are "be the best, be the best, be the best." IMO, Randolph has that type of passion, and once he's putting up all-star numbers, the talk of "immature" or "attitude problem" will change to "passionate" and "determined to win."
I'll Agree with you on KG, not too sure about LeBron, He's 100% Me, Me, Me IMO (not gangsta-glare), but all about LeBron
Yeah, maybe that wasn't a good analogy with LeBron, although I have to say that the people of Cleveland have waited along time to be relevant in the NBa and they deserve to have a total hero like that in LeBron that they worship... and I know with the Nike dunk video being pulled, and some of the marketing antics going on with LeBron, it can appear that he's got a huge ego. But on the court, I mean, the dude is pure adrenaline, IMO, pure "win." And when he completely destroys the backboard on someone's dome, that's some serious passion, and it's not trying to disrespect the opponent. It's just greatness. That's what I meant. But KG does work better in that regard. A few other great players that show the fire on the court: Paul Pierce, Kobe, Gasol, Nowitzki...
