Achilles' Heel?

The way he limped off the court, the author and everyone else who was watching the game between Argentina and Greece knew that Manu Ginobili was in BIG trouble. The author even thought that Popovich must've choked while watching the NBA star in pain. The cause for his limping was the same ankle that got him into trouble during the postseason.

What's troubling the entire San Antonio Spurs is that the MRI showed that the 6th-man-extraordinaire needs a foot surgery. With the looming preseason of the NBA, Ginobili's injury could mean that the Spurs need a more reliable backup [the 7th man, I must say]. As far as the author could see on the current roster of the Spurs, the only possible player to fill in the job of Ginobili is Ime Udoka. There is one problem, however, Udoka is not offensively consistent. So, literally there is no one in Pop's lineup, who could play as aggressive and as good as Ginobili.

The foot surgery is scheduled next week and after that the team will determine when can Ginobili return.

Not Knowing What to do

Hmmm.. After the series of training that I've been attending, I kept asking myself. Where would I go next? Honestly, I don't know. But I'm really hoping I pass the next training.

Euroleague in NBA?

Now that the Beijing Olympic is over, the entries on this blog will be sluggish. But Halley will do her best to give you the juiciest news about the National Basketball Association and other interesting basketball leagues.

And yes, the author has found the juiciest news in the league which is the collaboration of the NBA with Euroleague. You heard the lady right. The Euroleague will set foot in America to play in the preseason games. The Lietuvos Rytas [Lithuania], FC Barcelona [Spain] and CSKA Moscow [Russia] could play against the Golden State Warriors, Toronto Raptors, Orlando Magic, Los Angeles Lakers and Clippers.

"We value the chance to partner with NBA teams in their own arenas. There are basketball fans of all types in North America whom we plan to entertain with our own distinct playing style. We are sure they will appreciate again that the international game has a lot to offer our sport," said Jordi Bertomeu, the Euroleague Basketball CEO.

It'll definitely be a blast! Can't wait for the next season. =)

The Long-Awaited Gold

It has been three years and at last the Redeem Team of the United States has successfully redeemed their country in achieving the Olympic victory in the 2008 Beijing Olympics Men's Basketball.

The undefeated team consists of Carlos Boozer, Jason Kidd, LeBron James, Deron Williams, Michael Redd, Dwayne Wade, Kobe Bryant, Dwight Howard, Chris Bosh, Chris Paul, Tayshaun Prince, & Carmelo Anthony. Head coach Mike Krzyzewski along with assistant coaches Jim Boeheim, Nate McMillan, & Mike D'Antoni has managed to secure the winning combination of the team despite the threats posed by Spain, Argentina, Greece, & many others. "It's an unbelievable feeling to win a gold medal for your country," Bryant said.

Spain, on the other hand, gets the silver after losing 107-118 to the USA. Wade and Bryant were the two leading scorers with 27 & 20 points respectively. And Argentina, who's just been routed during the semifinals played against Lithuania for the bronze and won. “The guys went out and did what they had to do,” said Manu Ginobili, Argentina.

The game against the Spaniards was a bit shaky at first but as soon as the Americans found their rhythm, they were back with the lead and finally finishing the game off as the victors. With this win, the United States gets a total medal count of 110, 36 gold, 38 silver, & 36 bronze.

Unimaginable Twist

I am happy for Spain and the USA for advancing to the finals, but right now I'm very anxious about Manu Ginobili's twisted ankle. The sight of him in pain was unimaginable. “He was pretty bad. He was in pain,” said fellow-Argentine Carlos Delfino.

The injury took place during the early period of the first quarter. Suddenly, Ginobili was limping off the court and sat. The pain was all over his face. I actually wished, it was just a joke to trick the Americans. But it was no joke at all, he's badly hurt. Several tests must be taken just to make sure that his ankle is fine. Otherwise, the worst that could happen is to have him in a surgery.

I really hope he's fine.