Tim Duncan sat out last Saturday's Olympic qualifier game against his native homeland, the U.S. Virgin Islands. You would have thought he was a Dixie Chick. The uproar generated by the NBA's two-time Most Valuable Player was almost as loud and full of hot air as the hurricane that destroyed the swimming pool in St. Croix that led to Duncan turning to basketball. Of course, TD's absence was felt in the game as the U.S. Team managed to eke out a 113-55 nail biter against the entry from the Virgin Islands. A lot of people with a lot of time on their hands all over the airwaves have been taking Tim to task over this.
Was the Kobe thing getting old? Did you need a new target? I understand commitment to one's team but there are exceptions to even that rule. Some were trying to equate this to player sitting out an NBA game just because he was matched up against the team he rooted for as a child. Still others clamored that no matter the opponent, victory must be had at all costs! I was waiting for the "well, if Tim does this, then the terrorists will win!" line to come out at any moment. People … it's the Olympic Qualifying Tournament. It is not even the actual Olympics. And while it is important to a degree, with the team we have -- even without Tim -- a gold medal should not be a problem.
Do you really think that if it were the elimination round Tim would sit? If a medal were at stake, does anyone actually believe Tim would go Scottie Pippen and beg out? Uh … no. There was even the preposterous notion of kicking Duncan off of the team. A magazine who shall remain nameless but whose title rhymes with an amount of marijuana, which explains a few things, suggested it. The Olympics are about sending your best. And with all due respect to that "gangsta rag", Timmy D is the best on the planet.
Then there is poor Jermaine O'Neal. Well not too poor, I mean the guy just signed a $122 million contract in July after all. Seriously though, I feel for the guy. He spurned (pun intended) San Antonio and the chance at a title to stay in Indiana. When he made this decision, he made it very clear that he was going to stay because he wanted Isiah Thomas as his coach and to build on the success they had. O'Neal put himself out on a limb displaying intense loyalty for his coach and frankly I admired that. Here is a young superstar who actually gave credit to somebody other than themselves for becoming a better player. Hate to say it Jermaine, but you got played.
You went out on that limb and then a Bird landed on it and it broke. Larry Bird and Donnie Walsh had to know the way O'Neal felt about Thomas. But they conveniently waited for the ink to dry on O'Neal's new max contract and for him to leave the country with Team USA to drop the axe on Zeke. Now what does O'Neal do? Trading him will be next to impossible thanks to that deal. So basically Jermaine is stuck in the Heartland. Jermaine, you wanted all that cash, big fella and you got it. You also got hosed. I guess they weren't kidding when they said be careful what you wish for.
Finally I want to take a moment to remember a South Texas legend. Former coach and current athletic director for Southwest Texas State University (now Texas State) Jim Wacker passed away this week at the age of 66 after a bout with cancer. Coach Wacker led Texas Lutheran to NAIA Football titles in 1975 and 1976 before coming to then Division II Southwest Texas where he won two more titles in 1981 and 1982. He moved on to TCU in 1984 where he inherited a team that had only one win the previous year and went to the Bluebonnet Bowl. In 1992 he went to the Big Ten and coached Minnesota until 1996. While a success in building young men into good athletes, his talent was making those good athletes into better people. In 1985 when he discovered that an illegal payment had been made to players prior to his arrival, he dismissed those players and reported the violation to the NCAA himself. He was all about running a clean program and was more proud of his academic all-conference players than his athletic all-conference ones. As an 11 and 12-year-old, I remember watching SWT in the Palm Bowl in McAllen. The Palm Bowl was the D-II National Championship game and I thought it was really cool that a school that was not as big as UT and even closer was on TV. His enthusiasm for the game and, more importantly, life was a great inspiration. Coach, you will be missed.
