Canada Gives U.S. Unlikely Assist
By PETE THAMEL
Published: August 27, 2010
Douglas C. Pizac/Associated Press
Jay Triano during the Vancouver Games torch relay. He’s a U.S. assistant at the worlds in Turkey.
ISTANBUL — There are plenty of small reminders that the United States no longer holds a monopoly on basketball.
The Americans are No. 2 behind Argentina in the FIBA rankings. The United States has not won a gold medal at the world championships since 1994. The current team even used a strategy long employed by opponents to slow more talented American teams, a 2-3 zone, to preserve a victory over Spain in Madrid on Sunday.
Another sign of a flatter basketball world has shown up on the American bench, where the Canadian Jay Triano will be an assistant coach for the world championships, which begin Saturday. The United States will open against Croatia. Triano’s hiring as a last-minute replacement for Mike D’Antoni, who had back problems, makes him the first non-American to coach for the United States national team.
“If anyone has taken the lead in the globalization in sports, it’s the N.B.A.,” said Jerry Colangelo, USA Basketball’s chairman. “This is a microcosm of what that represents.”
Other than Steve Nash, no one epitomizes Canadian basketball more than Triano.
By PETE THAMEL
Published: August 27, 2010
Douglas C. Pizac/Associated Press
Jay Triano during the Vancouver Games torch relay. He’s a U.S. assistant at the worlds in Turkey.
ISTANBUL — There are plenty of small reminders that the United States no longer holds a monopoly on basketball.
The Americans are No. 2 behind Argentina in the FIBA rankings. The United States has not won a gold medal at the world championships since 1994. The current team even used a strategy long employed by opponents to slow more talented American teams, a 2-3 zone, to preserve a victory over Spain in Madrid on Sunday.
Another sign of a flatter basketball world has shown up on the American bench, where the Canadian Jay Triano will be an assistant coach for the world championships, which begin Saturday. The United States will open against Croatia. Triano’s hiring as a last-minute replacement for Mike D’Antoni, who had back problems, makes him the first non-American to coach for the United States national team.
“If anyone has taken the lead in the globalization in sports, it’s the N.B.A.,” said Jerry Colangelo, USA Basketball’s chairman. “This is a microcosm of what that represents.”
Other than Steve Nash, no one epitomizes Canadian basketball more than Triano.
Triano coached the team from 1998 to 2004, when his firing prompted harsh words from Nash and bad feelings in much of the Canadian basketball community. It is not considered a coincidence that Nash has not suited up for Canada since.
Triano rooted for the old Buffalo Braves of the N.B.A., and he watched Frank Layden’s and Calvin Murphy’s great teams at Niagara University with awe.
cont on link
I saw Murphy play a lot when he was at Niagara. He was really something to watch. He went on to have a very good career with Houston
He averaged 18 ppg for his career
He had a career FT% of .892 including .958 one season.
http://www.basketball-reference.com/...murphca01.html
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