Mavs Courtside View

Reminder: Hoop Troop Tryout

noreply@blogger.com (Art Garcia) — Fri, 12 Sep 2008 18:44:00 +0000

What: Mavs Dr Pepper Hoop Troop and Best Western Party Patrol Tryouts

When: Saturday, September 13th, 10 a.m. - 1 p.m.

Where: American Airlines Center Practice Court

More Info: The Dr Pepper Hoop Troop is looking for individuals with some type of cheerleading, tumbling, stunting, or other acrobatic experience, and the Best Western Party Patrol is in search of crazy Mavs fanatics to help keep the arena rowdy on game nights. Men and women who are enthusiastic, want to show their Mavs spirit, and are at least 18 years of age are encouraged to come and tryout.

Ike postpones Bass-Pacman Beach Battle

noreply@blogger.com (Art Garcia) — Fri, 12 Sep 2008 18:35:00 +0000

The Celebrity Beach Battle, hosted by Brandon Bass and Adam "Pacman" Jones, set for Saturday, Sept. 13th, has been postponed due to the upcoming weather conditions expected from Hurricane Ike.

The new date is Friday, Sept. 26, from 6-10 pm at the Yucatan Beach Club in Coppell. Click on the flyer for more details.

Mavs & Carter host Blood Drive

noreply@blogger.com (Art Garcia) — Thu, 11 Sep 2008 14:09:00 +0000

What: Mavs and Carter BloodCare to Host Blood Drive

When: Saturday, September 13, 2008, 12:00 - 5:00 p.m.

Where: Irving Mall (Southeast side adjacent to Fuddruckers)
3880 Irving Mall, Irving, TX 75062, 972-255-0571

More Info: The Dallas Mavericks and Carter BloodCare are joining together to host a community blood drive event on Saturday, September 13th at Irving Mall. The blood drive, which is the first held in partnership with Carter BloodCare and the Dallas Mavericks, will feature an appearance by the Mavs Street Team.

Everyone in attendance will receive Mavs goodies, and everyone that donates blood will be entered into a drawing to win two pairs of tickets to a 2008-09 Dallas Mavericks regular season game.

Potential donors must be at least 17 years old, weigh a minimum of 110 pounds, and be in generally good health. People who wish to give blood should eat a nourishing meal before donating and must bring a photo ID.

For more information about donor eligibility, call Carter BloodCare at 1-800-DONATE-4 or visit http://www.carterbloodcare.org/

NBA TV announces Fan Night

noreply@blogger.com (Art Garcia) — Mon, 08 Sep 2008 18:09:00 +0000

To help celebrate its 10th year, NBA TV is offering up a free preview week and a new interactive feature called Fan Night. For the first time ever, fans will have the chance to vote for games they want to see televised nationally on NBA TV each Tuesday night.

“We’re proud to launch the new NBA season on NBA TV and NBA.com with the introduction of Fan Night, a landmark multi-platform experience that takes fan interactivity to an unprecedented level,” said Bryan Perez, SVP and GM of NBA Digital. “This is a great example of our commitment to increase fan involvement and take full advantage of all our platforms in an integrated manner. Fans voting online to consistently program a major, national sports network pushes the boundaries of sports digital media.”

Fans can let their voice be heard by logging onto NBA.com and selecting which of the available matchups taking place around the league should be aired nationally on NBA TV. The top vote getter will air on the network the following Tuesday night. Voting will begin Oct. 28 for the first Fan Night matchup on Nov. 4.

The 2008-09 season marks the inaugural year of the NBA’s partnership with Turner Sports to manage the NBA Digital portfolio which includes NBA TV, NBA.com, NBA League Pass, NBADLeague.com and WNBA.com. The NBA TV schedule includes a lineup of 96 live games – the most of any network beginning Nov. 1 with Washington at Detroit. The free preview week is Oct. 28 - Nov. 4.

Community Tickets available for kids

noreply@blogger.com (Art Garcia) — Mon, 08 Sep 2008 17:21:00 +0000

Do you know of group of deserving kids who would like to come to a Mavs game? Well, there's a program designed to do just that.

The Dallas Mavericks Community Ticket Block Program provides the opportunity for well-deserving philanthropic organizations to attend Mavs games through donated tickets. Mavs players generously purchase and donate these tickets in order to allow underprivileged youth a chance to enjoy a Mavs game.

Non-profit organizations benefiting at-risk youth that are interested in being considered for these tickets can find more information here.

New Fan Shop Opening in Plano

noreply@blogger.com (Art Garcia) — Thu, 04 Sep 2008 21:50:00 +0000

What: Grand Opening weekend of the Dallas Mavericks Ultimate Fan Shop at The Shops at Willow Bend

When: Friday, September 5th through Sunday, September 7th

Where: The Shops at Willow Bend
6121 West Park Blvd, Suite C121A (near the food court)
Plano, TX 75093

Details: To celebrate the grand opening of the club's newest apparel store, the Mavs Mascots will appear from 10-11:30 a.m. on Saturday, September 6th while the Mavs Dancers and ManiAACs will be appearing at the store from 1-3 p.m.

There will also be various merchandise specials all weekend long. The Dallas Mavericks Ultimate Fan Shop at The Shops at Willow Bend will carry all the latest Mavs apparel and other Mavs items, as well as a variety of Cowboys, Rangers, Stars and collegiate apparel.

Individual game tickets on sale soon

noreply@blogger.com (Art Garcia) — Wed, 03 Sep 2008 15:54:00 +0000

The Dallas Mavericks have announced the on-sale dates for single-game tickets for the preseason and regular season:

• Preseason Single-Game Tickets will go on sale Monday, September 8 at 10 a.m. There will be four home preseason games with the first one tipping off on Tuesday, October 7 vs. Washington (7:30 p.m.). Tickets will be available at the American Airlines Center North Box Office, online at mavs.com and via phone by calling 214.747.MAVS.

• Regular Season Single-Game Tickets will go on sale Saturday, October 4 at 10 a.m. The 2008-09 season will include 41 regular season home games. The Mavs will open up regular season play on Thursday, October 30 vs. Houston (7 p.m.) while the regular season home finale is set for Wednesday, April 15 vs. Houston (7 p.m.).

$2 Tickets: For the second season in a row, the Mavs will be offering over 500 $2 tickets for most home games this season. "We want everyone to be able to enjoy a Mavs game live," said Mavs owner Mark Cuban.

RPL Nights: RPL Nights return again for the third year and will feature special discounted tickets for 10 pre-selected games. Tickets normally priced $9 will be $2, $19 will be $10, $35 will be $20 and $50 will be $32.

Following is the list of games that are included in the RPL nights:

Tues., Oct. 7 vs. Washington (preseason)
Sat., Oct. 18 vs. Sacramento (preseason)
Tues., Oct. 21 vs. Chicago (preseason)
Thurs., Oct. 23 vs. Indiana (preseason)
Fri., Nov. 21 vs. Memphis
Tues., Nov. 25 vs. Indiana
Thurs., Dec. 11 vs. Charlotte
Mon., Dec. 15 vs. Denver
Tues., Dec. 23 vs. Memphis
Tues., Jan. 6 vs. L.A. Clippers

On Saturday, there will be a four ticket per person limit for all regular season games, RPL nights and $2 tickets. Tickets will be available at the American Airlines Center North Box Office, online at mavs.com and via phoneby calling 214.747.MAVS.

A lottery system will be in place for those fans that choose to purchase their tickets at American Airlines Center. Beginning at 7 a.m., a lottery number will be given to each fan that arrives early. At approximately 9:30 a.m. or when all the lottery numbers have been given out (whichever comes first), there will be a drawing to determine the first person in line. All numbers sequentially following the drawn number will be the second, third,fourth, etc. in line.

Tickets will be available through all channels simultaneously and lottery numbers (at American Airlines Center) do not guarantee anyone the right to purchase game tickets. Tickets will be sold upon availability. American Airlines Center policy prohibits camping out on the premises.

A complete list of preseason and regular season home games can be found at mavs.com.

Carlisle rounds out staff

noreply@blogger.com (Art Garcia) — Tue, 02 Sep 2008 22:50:00 +0000

The Dallas Mavericks announced today that Dwane Casey, Terry Stotts, Mario Elie and Tom Sterner will complete Head Coach Rick Carlisle’s coaching staff. Popeye Jones and Brad Davis remain with the franchise as player development coaches, Robert Hackett returns as an assistant coach in strength and conditioning, Monte Mathis is back as the team’s head video coordinator and Gary Boren continues as the team’s free throw coach.

“This rounds out what I believe is a very strong staff,” said Head Coach Rick Carlisle. “We have an excellent mixture of playing experience, head coaching experience, on-court teachers and technical knowledge. It has been a busy and productive summer for us connecting with our players individually and during the summer league environment. We now look forward to a productive remainder of the summer and the beginning of training camp.”

Read the rest of the official release at mavs.com.

Jet hosts Autobahn Celebrity Golf Classic

noreply@blogger.com (Art Garcia) — Fri, 29 Aug 2008 19:41:00 +0000

Just weeks before hitting the court for the Dallas Mavericks, Jason Terry will hit the links with other local celebrities as he hosts the 2008 Autobahn Celebrity Golf Classic. This is the first time Terry will host his Mavericks teammates and other professional athletes in this event benefiting children through Big Brothers Big Sisters and the Jason Terry Foundation. Sports celebrities and athletes will pair with participants for 18 holes of golf at the TPC Four Seasons Las Colinas on September 15.

"I believe it's important to utilize our gifts as professional athletes, and all that goes along with that, to provide children opportunities they may not otherwise have," said Terry. "If hosting teammates and other athletes in the Dallas area for golf will help change the lives of children involved with Big Brothers Big Sisters and The Jason Terry Foundation, I say tee-it-up."

Celebrities already confirmed for the event include Terry, Jerry Stackhouse, Gary Payton, Kurt Thomas, Rocket Ismail, Corey Dillon, Desmond Howard, Nick Van Exel, Michael Irvin, DeSagana Diop, Fred Brown, Spud Webb, Kenyon Martin, Raja Bell, Rashard Lewis, Antoine Walker and many more.

The redesigned TPC Four Seasons course in Las Colinas will feature caddies and an exclusive tournament format limited to only 18 teams. Jason Terry's celebrity friends will be paired with each foursome participating. For more information about the 2008 Autobahn Celebrity Golf Tournament or the Cantina Laredo "Party Under the Stars" contact Skyler Harper at 817.905.GOLF.

Terry has established his own foundation, The Jason Terry Foundation, supporting both community athletic and academic programs in his hometown. He also supports cancer causes and regularly participates in the NBA Read To Achieve and NBA All Star Reading Teams.

Big Brothers Big Sisters places caring adults in the lives of children in one-to-one mentoring relationships. Through the positive impact of those friendships, children with a Big Brother or Big Sister are more likely to graduate from high school and less likely to begin using drugs, begin using alcohol or become teenage parents. Contact us at 888.887.BIGS or http://www.bbbstx.org/

Southwest Division: Outlooks

noreply@blogger.com (Art Garcia) — Thu, 28 Aug 2008 19:43:00 +0000

The Southwest Division is arguably the toughest in the NBA, but is it tough enough to wrestle the trophy away from Boston? I bet the folks in Big D, Big Easy, Bayou City and Alamo City seem to think so.

The last of a three-part series by site writers from the Southwest discusses each team’s outlook for the upcoming season. As for the rest of the series, Part I: Major Moves Part II: Summer League.

Hoop Troop Tryout

noreply@blogger.com (Art Garcia) — Wed, 27 Aug 2008 17:10:00 +0000

The Mavs Dr Pepper Hoop Troop and Best Western Party Patrol will be holding tryouts for its 2008-09 squads on Saturday, September 13th on the Mavs practice court at American Airlines Center. Registration begins at 10:00 AM, and tryouts will take place from 11:00 AM - 1:00 PM.

The Dr Pepper Hoop Troop is looking for individuals with some type of cheerleading, tumbling, stunting, or other acrobatic experience, and the Best Western Party Patrol is in search of crazy Mavs fanatics to help keep the arena rowdy on game nights. Men and women who are enthusiastic, want to show their Mavs spirit, and are at least 18 years of age are encouraged to apply.

Interested individuals can visit mavs.com for an application, which should be submitted to Mavs Hoop Troop/Party Patrol Auditions, 2909 Taylor Street, Dallas, TX 75226. To be eligible, all applications must be received byWednesday, September 10th.

Southwest Division: Summer League

noreply@blogger.com (Art Garcia) — Tue, 26 Aug 2008 14:59:00 +0000

Gerald Green and O.J. Mayo were able to light up the guys in summer league, but are they ready for prime time in the rugged Southwest Division? What about the new faces in Houston, San Antone and the Big Easy?

The team writers from Southwest take you through all that happened this summer in the second of a three-part series titled Summer League Synopsis. The first installment was Major Moves and it'll finish with the Outlooks for the upcoming season.

Check out the second installment at mavs.com.

Casey's Journal: The End

noreply@blogger.com (Art Garcia) — Tue, 26 Aug 2008 13:06:00 +0000

(Mavs trainer Casey Smith also performed those duties for Team USA. He kept a journal on life at the Olympics in Beijing. This is the last entry.)

So I am on a plane from Minneapolis to Dallas. It has been 21 hours since we left the hotel in Beijing, and it will be another 2 or 3 before I get home. I’m tired, hung-over, happy, need a shower, and officially tired of hotel food, shampoo in tiny bottles and 2 inch bars of soap. I can’t remember what it is like to drive a car, use a real key, or use a remote that I don’t have to wonder which button controls what.

But I can say that this has honestly been the best professional and to some extent personal experience I have had. The World Championships in 2006 that entailed the trips to China, Korea, and Japan seem like a lifetime ago. I know more about the geography of Las Vegas (where we have had 3 years of training camps) than I do Dallas … almost.

In our sports world there truly are few comparisons to what the team has experienced. The pressure to win and the performance that was turned in by the players is unimaginable. In the regular NBA season, you can always qualify the wins/losses as good/bad, great season, we overachieved, etc. But in this situation, you simply could not lose 1 game. Think about that. Not a single game.

For example, think about the Lakers this season. They had a better season than almost everyone expected, Kobe won the MVP, they have high hopes for next season, but they lost 4 of their last 6 games. But everyone says “Yeah, but they had a great season.” There isn’t any such luxury for these guys.

We flew from Beijing to Anchorage this morning to clear customs and refuel. Then we flew to Minneapolis where we all caught flights to take us to our final destinations. So at the airport in Anchorage, I was reading some of the media coverage of the game yesterday, and I read the Associated Press article that ESPN had up first. It is probably the most widely read account of the game that will be printed in newspapers worldwide.

So it’s obvious how I feel about the team, and of course the guy from the AP simply qualified the victory as lucky. Luck? Are you kidding me? Luck like hitting 45% of our 3-point shots, luck like hitting almost all of our free throws in the second half, luck like not caving under extreme pressure, luck like weathering horrendous officiating, luck like taking the best game that Spain (who starts 5 players drafted by the NBA and one that will be when he is old enough) could hope to offer and still beating them by 11 points.

So 2 games played a combined 48 point differential and we are lucky. Anyway, the people that were there, the people that watched it know that it wasn’t luck, it was the exact position that these guys are faced with every time they take the floor against international competition. They have to play as well as they can or try every time. But it was just luck. Anyway, vent officially over.

Quite a few people have asked me what the locker room was like after the game, and the locker room was actually a little surreal and subdued. The on-court scene immediately after the final buzzer and the sensation with 25 seconds left was just an overwhelming sense of relief and pride. To see that these guys really had taken the task at hand seriously literally almost day-in and day-out was impressive. In the locker room, everyone was just a little dazed. Some of my favorite moments from the day were:

• The raising of the American Flag after the medal presentation. This really is an easy one, but it is more emotional than you think.
• The look on Coach K’s face with 25 seconds to go and he realizes that this is really happening.
• The look on the face of the people that work day-in and day-out for USA Basketball. They have lived this for 8 years since the last gold. For the rest of us it has been a summer job. For them it has been their lives.
• Watching Argentina and Spain, the other Medal winners, watching our guys celebrate in the hallway prior to walking out for the Medal Ceremony.
• The bus ride back to the hotel when the guys let loose the champagne sprays. We didn’t do it in the locker room at the USOC’s request, so to do that in such a small space was crazy.
• The way that all 12 of the players stepped up to the podium in unison.
• All 12 of the players going to the postgame press conference, instead of only a selected few.

Anyway, I’ve rambled on enough. I have attached 3 pics. The first is the guys at center court immediately after the final horn sounded, and the other 2 are self explanatory (first and second). I will see you all down the road.

All the best,
Casey

Gold medalist Kidd in select company

noreply@blogger.com (Art Garcia) — Mon, 25 Aug 2008 21:23:00 +0000

The following was released today by the NBA office:

The U.S. Olympic Men’s Basketball Team defeated Spain in Sunday’s gold medal game in Beijing, bringing the total to 24 current or former NBA players who earned medals at the 2008 Olympic Games. Argentina defeated Lithuania for the bronze medal.

The NBA was well represented on the rosters for the men’s basketball competition at the 2008 Olympic Games. A total of 42 current and former NBA players were on the 12 Olympic rosters, the highest number since NBA players began participating in the Olympics in 1992. Ten Olympic teams had at least one current or former player on their roster.

The United States, dating back to the 1936 Olympic Games, has captured 13 of the 16 Olympic gold medals which it competed for. With the victory, Jason Kidd extended his international record to 56-0 in Olympics, Olympic qualifying and exhibition games. Kidd joins a distinguished list of NBA players, including Charles Barkley, Patrick Ewing, Michael Jordan and David Robinson, among others, that have won multiple Olympic gold medals.

First-time Olympians and gold-medalists for the United States include Carmelo Anthony (Denver Nuggets), Chris Bosh (Toronto Raptors), Carlos Boozer (Utah Jazz), Kobe Bryant (L.A. Lakers), Dwight Howard (Orlando Magic), LeBron James (Cleveland Cavaliers), Chris Paul (New Orleans Hornets), Tayshaun Prince (Detroit Pistons), Michael Redd (Milwaukee Bucks), Dwyane Wade (Miami Heat) and Deron Williams (Utah Jazz).

The silver medal-winning Spanish Olympic Team featured seven current or former NBA players, led by Pau Gasol (L.A. Lakers), Jose-Manuel Calderon (Toronto Raptors), Rudy Fernandez (Portland Trail Blazers), Jorge Garbajosa (Toronto Raptors, 2007-08), Marc Gasol (Memphis Grizzlies), Raul Lopez (Utah Jazz, 2002-05) and Juan Carlos Navarro (Memphis Grizzlies, 2007-08)

Argentina received the Bronze and was led by Manu Ginobili (San Antonio Spurs), Carlos Delfino (Toronto Raptors, 2007-08, Detroit Pistons 2004-07), Andres Nocioni (Chicago Bulls), Fabricio Oberto (San Antonio Spurs), and Luis Scola (Houston Rockets).

NBA 101: Basketball for Women

noreply@blogger.com (Art Garcia) — Mon, 25 Aug 2008 21:06:00 +0000

Attention all ladies! Here's your chance to go behind the scenes and learn basic basketball fundamentals from Mavs players, coaches, and staff. Get all the inside scoop on the Mavs at NBA 101! Click here for the application.

WHEN: Wednesday, Sept. 17th, 6-10PM
WHERE: American Airlines Center
• Park in Lot F (north side on All-Star Way)
• Enter American Airlines Center through the north entrance
COST: $65 per attendee
• Enrollment is limited to the first 200 applicants

WHAT IS INCLUDED:
• Dinner and refreshments provided (Cash bar)
• Voucher for two tickets to a preseason game
• NBA 101 T-Shirt
• NBA 101 Workbook

CONTENT/FORMAT (subject to change):
• Groups of 20-25 rotate among various stations
• Raffle tickets sold for various prizes
• Dinner and Drinks in the Old #7
• Mavs ManiAACs Performance
• Group photos taken and available for order

ROTATIONS (subject to change):
• Rotations 1, 2, 3 on practice court:
• 1-Offense
• 2-Officiating/Rules
• 3-Defense
• 4-therapy room: injuries/rehab
• 5-weight room: strength and conditioning regimen
• 6-locker room: Q&A with select players and group photo
• 7-Old #7 Club: Broadcasters

Devean George re-signed

noreply@blogger.com (Art Garcia) — Mon, 25 Aug 2008 20:02:00 +0000

DALLAS— The Dallas Mavericks announced today that they have re-signed forward Devean George. Per team policy, terms of the deal were undisclosed.

George, a nine-year veteran, played his first seven seasons for the Los Angeles Lakers before the Mavericks originally signed him on August 2, 2006. In 53 games last season with four starts, George averaged 3.7 points and 2.6 rebounds in 15.5 minutes per game. Over his NBA career, he holds averages of 5.8 points and 3.3 rebounds in 542 games.

The Minneapolis native attended Augsburg College before being drafted by the Lakers with the 23rd pick in the 1999 NBA Draft. He is the seventh player in NBA history to win an NBA championship in each of his first three seasons and also is the first player from a Division III university to appear in the NBA Finals.

“Getting Devean back in a Mavs uniform has been a goal of ours all summer,” said Head Coach Rick Carlisle. “His experience and ability to run the floor and play and defend multiple positions will be a great asset for us this season.”

Casey's Journal: Wow

noreply@blogger.com (Art Garcia) — Sun, 24 Aug 2008 22:05:00 +0000

(Mavs trainer Casey Smith also performed those duties for Team USA. He kept a journal on life at the Olympics in Beijing. This one sums it all up.)

It is 5:15 am and I am getting ready to check out of the hotel and head to the airport. What a game. It is hard to describe the sense of accomplishment and genuine joy that the guys seem to display by this.

I crawled into bed about an hour ago, but I have plenty of time to sleep on the plane. I got some great pictures tonight, but I think this one sums it up the best.

Wow.

Thanks for all of the emails and good wishes. I look to catching up with each of you in time and sharing more of what a great, but exhausting experience this has been.

Casey

Beach volleyball: Brandon and Pacman

noreply@blogger.com (Art Garcia) — Sun, 24 Aug 2008 15:07:00 +0000

Brandon Bass and Adam "Pacman" Jones are teaming up to host the First Annual Celebrity Volleyball Beach Battle on Sept. 13 at the Yucatan Beach Club in Coppell.

Josh Howard, Jason Terry, J.J. Barea and several Dallas Cowboys will also participate in the charity tournament.

Each celebrity will play on a team with four fans. The cost is $2,500 per team, with proceeds going to the Brandon Bass Reach Back Foundation.

Tickets will be sold for $10 (adults) and $5 (children).

For more info: (310) 774-1999 or email linda@lunachicpr.com. Also click on the flyer image (left) for an expanded view with plenty of details.

Win an autographed Dirk shirt

noreply@blogger.com (Art Garcia) — Sun, 24 Aug 2008 14:54:00 +0000

The good folks over at 41-world.com, Dirk's official site, have devised a 41-question quiz. There's still time to enter and the winner gets Dirk's autographed t-shirt from the Nike Human Race that he'll run in Munich on August 31st.

The questions run the gamut from layups to half-court heaves, but those serious Dirk fans (with the help of Google and Wiki) should be able to figure it out. So head on over to 41-world.com and start the quiz here under the blog section.

It's truly ri-Dirk-culous.

Casey's Journal: Gold

noreply@blogger.com (Art Garcia) — Sat, 23 Aug 2008 13:23:00 +0000

(Mavs trainer Casey Smith is also performing those duties for Team USA. He's keeping a journal on life at the Olympics in Beijing.)

Well it really is 4:41am here in Beijing when I start this letter, and I really think that at this point I might not go to sleep. In some ways I feel like I have kind of a lot invested in this whole thing, and in a lot of ways, I am very realistic about how so many more people have much more invested in it than me, but it is exciting to be a part of it nonetheless. Just to have been around so many meetings, practices, games, events all geared towards Sunday at 2:30 and to really be here and only have 40 minutes of basketball left to determine whether or not we were successful. It's just here. Finally.

The game tonight vs. Argentina, really went like the last 3 years of games that we have played vs. them. That being we won big. It’s funny how relative the reality that you are presented can be. The media presents Argentina as this big powerhouse, but in reality, we have played them 3 times since the '04 Olympics (when we lost to them) and beat them easily each time, and tonight was no different. We got out to a big lead, and then had some little let downs, but all in all the guys played very hard and they are just too much when they do that.

(I am now picking up at 7:00 pm local time. I actually did sleep for about 4 hours). The whole thing is now closing and we have all the excitement and anticipation of playing the game mixed with all of the work involved in packing up our supplies, our personal stuff and just overall being ready to go home. I have thoroughly enjoyed Beijing and would seriously consider coming back for vacation.

We just had a light walk through today and a long film session and meeting preparing for Spain. Given that we really beat them in pool play, the thing you have to guard against is a false sense of security, but we are ready to win this thing and get our program back on top where it belongs.

I know I keep saying that I have a lot of stories and what not to tell you guys, but I really am short on time. I attached a picture of Jason and me at practice today, and an ad that I saw in a Nike store here in Beijing. Hey! I know that guy! Hopefully the next dispatch from me is a happy one.

GO USA!!
Casey

Casey's Journal: The Surreal Life

noreply@blogger.com (Art Garcia) — Fri, 22 Aug 2008 03:13:00 +0000

(Mavs trainer Casey Smith is also performing those duties for Team USA. He's keeping a journal on life at the Olympics in Beijing.)

Three years, over 30 games played together, well over 16 weeks on the road together and it comes down to the next 48 hours. Eighty minutes of basketball will decide if all the effort, time, money, media work, time away from families, etc., all of it worked or not.

It is really strange to be in a position that not winning is complete, abject failure. If we win, everyone says, ‘Well, you guys should win. You have the best players in the world.’ If we lose, everyone says that the players don’t care, we’re too cocky, the rest of the world has caught up … blah, blah, blah. I will say that the team as a whole has a good grasp on the significance of winning this thing.

Yesterday in practice was the most focused I have seen a team. Talk about defensive strategy and really working through scenarios for the game tonight. I was actually impressed. The guys like Kobe, Jason, LeBron have really thought about what we need to do in certain situations, what these players’ strengths are, etc. and they were really dialed in.

Now, what that means for the game tonight, I have no idea, but the general perception that we just roll the ball out and play couldn’t be farther from the truth. Our last game vs. Australia started a little rough for us and we really weren’t doing the things offensively that make us good as a team. Thanks to Coach K, we responded. There really is a lot riding on these next 2 games, more than is probably perceived outside of this group. Anyway, my point is it has been a long haul and it is finally here.

Outside of basketball, the rest of the trip has been interesting, and China is a remarkable country, but I would be lying if I didn’t get the sense that everyone is ready to get home. Today is the 35th day on the road this trip … so yeah, I would say that is definitely long enough.

Lots of other interesting stuff for me, too. I got to go to the Gold Medal women’s beach volleyball yesterday and I got some emails. Apparently they showed Jason on NBC and I was standing next to him. I am sure that event was a ratings win for NBC. Athletic girls + white bikinis + rain = International Happiness. I ran into a couple from Ohio who know where Wellston is. She works for Ohio State and he works for the Ohio Farm Bureau. So I’m in China talking Ohio farming, and I’m such an expert … not. We were at an outdoor cafe and they did like to drink beer, and that is a much stronger topic for me anyway.

One of the women on the women’s basketball team (Katie Smith) is from Logan, Ohio, and I met her parents. I have been to a couple more temples, etc. The traffic here is really mounting here as the Games get ready to come to a close. They have had specific travel restrictions for citizens and automobiles, and I think gradually that has loosened, because the traffic is overwhelming. So the subway has really been the way to go, but the crowds there have been massive as well. Well, off to shootaround, then ready for the big game.

I have attached a couple of random pictures. One is from the dining hall in the Athletes Village. The crowd that you see is the players trying to eat, and the mob scene that they cause just by being there. The best part is you can see where JKidd is sitting. He and I just sat outside of the rest and no one really noticed. I told him he just isn’t that big in China. Too old.

The other is one of me at Temple of Heaven, which is a series of temples built for the emperors to pray for good crops. The best part is adjacent to the temple they have a “Hall of Abstinence” which the emperors had to go for a specified period of time to “purify” themselves prior to praying.

Later,
Casey

Southwest Division: Major Moves

noreply@blogger.com (Art Garcia) — Thu, 21 Aug 2008 15:33:00 +0000

Ron Artest is in H-town, the youthful Grizz decided to go Greene ... and found Love, those old Spurs are trying to get young, the Hornets brought in a two-time champ and your Mavs swapped out skippers.

It’s been a summer of change in the Southwest Division and the writers from each team’s site are sharing their thoughts about these offseason activities. This three-part series begins with the Major Moves made by the Mavs, Grizzlies, Rockets, Hornets and Spurs.

The next two pieces will focus on Summer League performances and outlooks for the upcoming season. Check out the first installment at mavs.com.

Casey's Journal: Hangin' with Phelps

noreply@blogger.com (Art Garcia) — Wed, 20 Aug 2008 14:03:00 +0000

(Mavs trainer Casey Smith is also performing those duties for Team USA. He's keeping a journal on life at the Olympics in Beijing.)

Well, it is Wednesday morning here in China, and the big push to the finish starts tonight. We play Australia tonight, and for these next 3 games it is all or none. I can’t believe that after 3 years, all the travel, all the games and practices that this is finally here, and we seem to be in a good position to accomplish our goal.

Our game against Germany the other night was a total walk over. Talk about overwhelmed. It’s a hell of a way for Dirk to go out after playing on his national team for 13 years, but they never had a chance in the game. Those games are big for him, because it is his true set of peers. He has a lot of respect from the guys on our team.

They know that they are the best in the USA, but they also know that he would be on this team were he a US citizen. He is staying for a few more days here in Beijing, and it sounds like he is enjoying himself. He deserves it. I got a picture of him and Boeheim after the game.

We also had a surprise guest come to the locker room after the game, Michael Phelps. It was funny to see all of our guys get a little giddy about the fact that Michael Phelps was there. I got a pic with him. Not a bad week for him, right?

Well, I have got so many things to write about, and I have been really busy but we are leaving for shootaround so I wanted to get this out briefly. I got out to track and field last night and had great seats, 12th row and saw about 3 hours of events. Hot as hell, but a lot of fun.

I got to see the medal presentation for the men's 400m which the US swept, so it was really cool to have the national anthem play and see all 3 US athletes on the stand. It may sound corny, but it really is moving.

I have been using the subway most of the time, but the mass of humanity is unbelievable. I have been to some more temples and parks, done my share of haggling in the market, and met a lot of people, including quite a few folks from Ohio.

Anyway, lots to catch up on, but I gotta run.

Olympics end for Dirk

noreply@blogger.com (Art Garcia) — Mon, 18 Aug 2008 13:53:00 +0000

The summer of 2008 is one Dirk Nowitzki will always remember. If qualifying for the Olympics wasn't emotional enough, the Big German hoisted his country's flag at the Opening Ceremonies.

It didn't matter that Germany won only one game and finished its run with today's rout at the hands of the Redeem Team. You can't keep score on a dream and Dirk fulfilled his.

Here are the details of Team USA's win over Germany that completed a undefeated run through pool play for the Americans:

The 2008 U.S. Men's Olympic Team (5-0) compiled 40 minutes of total domination in its final preliminary round game against Germany (1-4), recording its largest margin of victory yet with a 106-57 win Monday night at Wukesong Arena in Beijing, China.

Less than seven minutes into the first quarter, the USA had taken a 20-3 lead, which only continued to grow with each quarter. The USA improved a 19-point advantage at the end of the first quarter to a 24-point lead at halftime, a 37-point lead after three periods and was up by 49 points as the final buzzer sounded.

Everybody scored for the USA, led by 22 points from Dwight Howard, 18 points from LeBron James, 13 points from Kobe Bryant and 10 points from Chris Paul and Dwyane Wade.

China outlasts Germany

noreply@blogger.com (Art Garcia) — Sat, 16 Aug 2008 15:14:00 +0000

Dirk Nowitzki's first and possibly only Olympic experience is coming to an end. The Germans are 1-3 in pool play with Team USA the last foe on the docket.

Here's the AP account of China's win over Germany:

BEIJING (AP) - An emotional Yao Ming scored 25 points to lead China to a dramatic 59-55 win against Dirk Nowitzki and Germany as the Olympic hosts earned a berth in the medal round in men's basketball.

The Houston Rockets center posted the game's first four points and was the emotional leader in the he pivotal contest, constantly chest bumping teammates and encouraging teammates with high-fives. Yi Jianlian of the New Jersey Nets added nine points and pulled down 11 rebounds for China (2-2).

The players celebrated the victory at midcourt as if they had won a medal.

"I'm very happy for the players. It was a difficult game psychologically. We played at home and had to win," China's Lithuainian-born coach Jonas Kazlauskas said.