European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - June 7, 1992, Darmstadt, Hesse Page 26 a the stars and stripes sunday june 7, 1992all-pro bullies debase Gold medal by Alan Greenberg the Hartford courant and you thought two weeks of super Bow hype was bad the Best thing about being dead is you done to have to hear any More about the care and feeding of the . Olympic basketball team. For we the living the beat goes on and on and on. What sneakers will our heavenly hoop sters Wear How Plush their Lair How will Chuck Daly Wear his hair arc there any More corporate millions to be copped out there will the contests be fair depends on what you consider fair. Was invading Grenada fair was invading Panama fair if you liked those skirmishes you la love Michael Jordan is. Ecuador. America loves a bully As Long As its us. We May have hundreds of thousands of homeless and 37 million citizens without health insurance but we can sure play basketball can to we Gonna go Over to Barcelona and kick some serious butt so the corporations can wrap the Flag around our Aba heroes while we at Home sit in front of our Boob tubes feeling All teary eyed and cuddly warm inside. All this National Hoo hah Over one Gold medal in an event that will have about As much suspense As the Pittsburgh penguins is. Avon old farms. You want to know what the funniest part is the foreigners wanted it this Way. Crazy huh you a think that after the soviets whupped us in Seoul leaving John Thompson and company with a hurry and put this in the underwear dra wer Bronze medal International hoop Dom would i ave sought to maintain the status quo a our College All stars against their Veteran club pros. But Noo oooo while the . International basketball representatives voted against Aba players participating in the olympics the United states was outvoted by countries with the admirable death wish to compete against the Best players in the world. And so we Send the greatest basketball team in history across the Atlantic to defend our so ainu Honor. Can you imagine the Early line from vegas the key word Here is wont be no line. Although the results of the games Are a foregone conclusion like Dan Quayle saying something stupid the results of the games within the games Are not. Who la get the most megabucks to shill Lor a Fortune 500 company who la Wear the most outrageous sneakers who la be first to Knock Christian laettner on Liis go commentary Padla 1988 olympian David Robinson returns to games with backup from his Aba colleagues. Butt and say a Welcome to the Aba a Are you old enough to remember those collector comic books when All the superheroes joined forces to rid the world of evil Superman Batman Green lantern and the Flash ainu to got nothing on air Jordan sir Charles the mailman and or. Robinson. The problem with super heroes is super egos. Who la be the first to seethe silently about Lack of playing time but forget about Pine time. What about prime time what about the 600 or so stiffs who make up the rest of the . Olympic team what about those Anonymous archers rowers discus throwers and team handball players who Only get 15 minutes of Fame every four years is it fair that the Aba All stars by their Mere presence personality and past deeds threaten to blot out the Sliver of limelight ordinarily reserved for our Unsung olympians no cd a olympic Mackety mucks say not to worry. They say americans lesser known olympians wont be left out of to coverage. You wonder. Guys like Larry and magic Are psyched because an olympic Gold medal to about the Only thing they Haven to won at this the end of their glorious careers. Assuming both Are healthy enough to play in Barcelona it la be a wonderful sight seeing them on the same team. It la be wonderful seeing the rest of them too a Pippen Ewing Stockton Mullin and Drexler but watching them steamroll the opposition is Gonna get old real fast. Remember the Twilight zone episode about the Guy who had his every wish granted remember How quickly a life of risk free perfection drove him crazy for fan and athlete alike who thrive on Competition after the initial wave of euphoria passes this olympic basketball tournament figures to be a total bore. Lets Hope there a no rerun. Lets Hope the United states its Pride soothed by team a bad a monster Victory goes Back to picking an All College team for the 1996 Atlanta olympics. it have been great to see a front line of Shaquille of Neal Alonzo mourning and laettner with say Jimmy Jackson and Harold Miner in the backcourt with that team winning the Gold in Barcelona would really mean something. But with this team the reign in Spain figures mainly to be Plain. Even royals most relish a throne they have to fight beats Bushes aiming for Aba by Pat Calabria new Day Long Island . The sound of bouncing basketballs echoed off the Walls of the High school gymnasium a shots thumping on the wooden floor or clanging off the Orange rim or crashing with a thud against the backboard Roy Tarpley sat in the bleachers sweat pouring Down his arms surveying the scene with a Wistful smile and a Ray of Hope. Quot from reunion Arena to this a he said waving his Arm. A what a this was thursday at Long islands Westbury High school before the Miami tropics of the Low rung United states basketball league a in Aryl Eye steam a Defeated the Long Island surf 128-119. Tarpley the former College Star at Michigan and the former Aba Star with the Dallas Mavericks had just come from a Stop in Lakewood n.j., and after the game was headed to new Haven Conn. That is the Circle he travels in these Days. Quot you go through something like this and you value what you used to have a a said Tarpley 27. Quot it used to be 1 did no to know the value of Money because i always had a lot of it. But now i done to have things and 1 know what in a missing. Id love to get it Tarpley was suspended from the Aba for refusing to take a drug test in october but he was in the gym thursday night sharpening his skills for a return when he is eligible for re in statement in 1993. He is one of seven members of the tropics who have had brushes with drug use the team serving As much As a vehicle for rehabilitation As a part in the summer leagues 26-game schedule. The tropics in fact arc an Extension of coach John Lucas renown cd treatment Center in Houston. Chris Washburn Grant Gondrezick and Richie Dumas Are among the others using basketball As a Spring k Board to sobriety although the ath has taken them to the out rack of pro basketball a Jacksonville Palm Beach and a cramped steaming court on Long Island. Quot its a big adjustment because of where in be been a Tarpley said. A a we be played in All sorts of places places that Are you know High Scho Olish. Its difficult. Its not As easy an adjustment As people might for Tarpley and Washburn the fall was especially hard. Tarpley was a member of the 198687 Aba All Rookie team and the Winner of the sixth Man award the following season. Washburn 27, was Golden states first round pick in 1986, but was banned from the Aba in 1989 after drug tests repeatedly detected cocaine. Now Washburn weighs 285 pounds a Down from 325 a but still 25 pounds shy of his goal of 260. He is waiting to apply for re instatement until he is in shape and is convinced he has made an impression on Aba scouts although he is not holding his breath. But the routine of counselling sessions drug tests and soul searching he endures have changed him he says. A i did no to know what i had at the time a Washburn said. A i was 19. Basketball was just something to do. 1 Wasny to serious about it. 1 let it get away. Now in a looking for another Chance. I m working hard. I did no to know what the word Humble meant. I know what it Means earlier this week while playing in new Jersey Washburn heard the familiar taunts. A fall the things you re used to hearing a he said. A you know a Junkie this and Junkie that it was t the fans. It was the but travelling with others fighting the same Battle has Given Tarpley and Washburn a a sense of camaraderie a Lucas said. Quot i just Tell myself its going to get better a Washburn said. A i believe that. It will get a ale Roy Tarpley
