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Trivial Matters
American Idols
SPREAD OFFENSE For all the great basketball players who have
represented the U.S. in the Olympics over the years, no one has
ever averaged 20 points for the American team. Only Adrian
Dantley in 1976 and Charles Barkley in '92 have scored 30 points
in a game. Who holds the U.S. men's record for most total points
scored in one Olympics?
a. Charles Barkley
b. Spencer Haywood
c. Michael Jordan
d. Jerry Lucas
RED AND GOLD The last time the U.S. team failed to win the gold
was in '88 in Seoul, when the Soviet Union beat the U.S. 82-76 in
the semifinals. Which three members of that Soviet squad went on
to play in the NBA?
WHO AM I? I never played in the Olympics, but I was on the team
that didn't go to the 1980 Moscow Games because of the U.S.
boycott. I won an NCAA championship, two NBA titles and played on
the '94 U.S. world championship team. I'm in the Basketball Hall
of Fame, and I run an NBA team. Can you guess my identity?
CALL TO ORDER Since 1992, 25 NBA teams have had representatives
on Team U.S.A. at the Olympics. Including the 2004 squad, place
these NBA franchises in order of the number of their players who
have worn the red, white and blue in the Games.
a. Celtics
b. Lakers
c. Heat
d. Suns
ANSWERS
SPREAD OFFENSE: b. Spencer Haywood, a 19-year-old center from
Trinidad State Junior College, scored 145 points in nine games at
the 1968 Mexico City Olympics to lead the underdog U.S. squad to
the gold medal. RED AND GOLD: The 1988 gold medalists who played
in the NBA were Sarunas Marciulionis (1989-97), Arvydas Sabonis
(1995-2001, '02-03) and Alexander Volkov ('89-90, '91-92). WHO AM
I?: Isiah Thomas CALL TO ORDER: d. Suns, 4 (Charles Barkley,
Jason Kidd, Shawn Marion, Amare Stoudemire); c. Heat, 3 (Tim
Hardaway, Alonzo Mourning, Dwyane Wade); b. Lakers, 2 (Magic
Johnson, Lamar Odom); a. Celtics, 1 (Larry Bird)
