20 | Friday, May 29, 2020 HONG KONG EDITION | CHINA DAILY SPORTS

SOCCER BASKETBALL Recording casts doubt on Jordan’s Isiah feud stance

By MURRAY GREIG basketball to try his hand at pro [email protected] baseball, signing with the Chicago White Sox. For nearly 30 years, NBA legend The story goes that Jordan — Michael Jordan has denied he overpowered by the weight of his orchestrated Isiah Thomas’ exclu­ fame and emotionally drained by sion from the US Dream Team at the murder of his father — pursued the 1992 Barcelona Olympics — and baseball as a new challenge and a he stuck to that story in the ESPN welcome distraction. documentary The Last Dance, “He respected the game,” current which aired worldwide over the last Cleveland Indians manager Terry two months. Francona, who managed Jordan But last week on his “Dream Team with the Double A Birmingham Bar­ Tapes” podcast, US sportswriter ons, told ESPN. Jack McCallum released a 2011 “I love the guy. And I don’t love the audio interview with Jordan in guy just in the press. I love the guy. I which the NBA legend relates a pre­ respect him. I appreciate how he Olympics conversation he had with handled everything.” Dream Team GM Rod Thorn. Francona went on to say he “Rod called me and I said, ‘Rod, I thought the then 31­year­old Jordan won’t play if Isiah Thomas is on the could have made it to the big leagues team,’” said Jordan. “He assured me. — not as a star, but at least as a He said, ‘You know what? (Coach) reserve outfielder. Chuck (Daly) doesn’t want Isiah. So Sports Illustrated didn’t agree, Team China head coach Li Tie on Wednesday concluded a 17­day training camp with his squad in Shanghai. China’s remaining World Isiah is not going to be part of the and famously begged Jordan to “bag Cup qualifiers have reportedly been penciled in for October or November. CAO ZICHEN / FOR CHINA DAILY team.’” it” in a cover story that would cost Jordan spent much of episode the iconic magazine future quotes four of The Last Dance detailing his when the player returned to the dislike for Thomas, a fellow Hall of NBA a year later. Famer who spent his career with the “SI completely missed the story,” Detroit Pistons. When the 1992 said David Falk, Jordan’s agent. No letup from tough taskmaster Li Dream Team was discussed, Jordan “Michael gave up everything he had again denied he was involved in earned as the king of basketball to Team China head coach living up to reputation as strict disciplinarian keeping Thomas off the team — play minor­league baseball and sub­ allegedly because Thomas refused ject himself to criticism. He put to shake hands with the Bulls after everything on the line to compete, By SHI FUTIAN “The aim of the training camp is from Sao Paulo, staying with the Detroit lost to Chicago in the 1991 with nothing to gain. That is the [email protected] to adjust the national team to the national squad to conduct his NBA Eastern Conference finals. essence of sports. pace of World Cup qualifiers,” said rehab. “I know the criteria of selection “To this day, SI has never apolo­ Team China head coach Li Tie is Li on Tuesday. I hope you can Better news for Li was the form for making the team,” Thomas said gized to Michael, and he’ll never talk refusing to cut his players any slack “Through the training camp, understand my of the other Brazil­born star in his on ESPN’s Get Up. “I fit all the crite­ to them again.” despite international soccer’s ongo­ we’ll hone our tactics. The coach­ squad, Ai Kesen, with the former ria. And that’s a big hole in my Francona said that’s all part of ing indefinite suspension. ing team is also assessing the new­ strictness. We have SIPG player finding the net in the resume. That’s the biggest hole in MJ’s competitive spirit. The national team’s latest train­ comers through warm­up matches. the national duty on second half against Shenhua. my resume.” “If you told him no, he was going ing camp, a 17­day­long effort in But we’ve identified many prob­ The arrival of the naturalized The Dream Team marked the to find a way to make it a yes,” he Shanghai, ended on Wednesday, lems and we will work hard to solve our shoulders, so we stars has upped the intensity by all halfway point of Jordan’s career. said. “That’s one of the keys to his with notoriously tough taskmaster these in the future.” have to make more accounts, with coach Li challeng­ Two years later, he took a break from greatness.” Li pushing his 27­strong squad to Even with the camp finished, Li ing everyone to play their way into its limits. reminded his players of their effort than others.” his first­XI plans. Team China’s postponed World national duties, writing on social Li Tie, Team China head coach “No matter if you are a natural­ Cup qualifiers are reportedly pen­ media on Thursday: “Thanks to all ized player or a homegrown player, ciled in for October or November, the members in the team for your the door of the national team is however that plan is liable to be joint efforts and thanks to all the of time to integrate Aloisio into his open to all who want to serve their pushed back too as the COVID­19 players. I hope you can understand plans. Another Brazil­born Ever­ country,” Li said before the camp pandemic continues to sow uncer­ my strictness. grande player, Alan, is also eligible kicked off. tainty around the world. “We have the national duty on for Team China and has been Li’s words appeared to have the At home, club soccer is still our shoulders, so we have to make tipped to earn a future call­up. desired effect, with defender Yu awaiting a kickoff date for its more effort than others. Hope we Aloisio, who now also goes by his Dabao admitting that, while the delayed season, giving Li plenty of can see each other soon!” Chinese name Luo Guofu, was naturalized contingent “get along opportunity to work with his char­ Whenever international action granted citizenship this year and well with the domestic players”, ges, who have recently been joined does resume, Team China faces a joins Brazil­born Ai Kesen (aka Elk­ competition for starting berths is by a third naturalized player, Bra­ daunting task of trying to book a eson) and England­born Li Ke (aka now “fierce”. zil­born Aloisio of Guangzhou ticket to the 2022 World Cup finals Nico Yennaris) as the third natural­ “For us, this is a brand new Evergrande. with four more first­round qualifi­ ized player in the squad. national team, and every player is With the players starved of com­ ers to play. However, after declaring himself trying his best from the beginning,” petitive action in recent months China is eight points adrift of eager to “deliver great performan­ said Yu, of Beijing Guo’an. due to the pandemic, Li arranged Group A leader Syria and only leads ces” for his adopted country earlier “There are only 11 spots on the friendlies against local Chinese third­place Philippines on goal dif­ this month, the 31­year­old Aloisio’s pitch, so everyone is fighting for a Super League squads Shanghai ference. The eight group winners first Team China training stint end­ starting position. Each position, SIPG and Shanghai Shenhua, with and four best second­place finish­ ed on a sour note after he injured there are two or three good players Team China running out 4­1 and ers will enter a second phase of himself 29 minutes into the friend­ competing. 4­0 victors, respectively. Asian qualifying. ly against SIPG. “At each game, each player Despite the goal rush, strict disci­ Whether or not the Asian Foot­ According to reports, the leg should give his best performance to The career of Michael Jordan, pictured in action for the Chicago plinarian Li was keener to talk ball Confederation can meet its injury requires a month­long impress the head coach... now the Bulls against Craig Elho of the Cleveland Cavaliers in 1992, is back in about the weaknesses he spotted reported October or November recovery period, with the forward, starting XI is still not determined. the sports conversation these days thanks to The Last Dance docu­ during those games than the obvi­ resumption target, soccer’s shut­ who has played in China since 2014 The coach wants more chances for mentary. In particular, the series has rekindled interest in his long­ ous plus points. down is affording coach Li plenty after arriving at Shandong Luneng everyone.” running feud with former NBA rival Isiah Thomas. AP

Digest

OLYMPICS TRACK AND FIELD Last year, Ge lowered the women’s BASKETBALL COMBAT SPORTS SOCCER Emergency response Chinese sprinter Ge 60m national record to 7.10 and set a LeBron outraged over UFC, boxing get green Messi looking forward team for 2022 venue targeting Tokyo final 100m PB of 11.04. death of unarmed man light for Vegas shows to ‘weird’ resumption

The ski venue for the Beijing 2022 Chinese sprint­ TENNIS LeBron James Mixed martial arts and boxing are Barcelona and Winter Olympics in Chongli, Hebei er Ge Manqi on took to social back in business in Nevada. Argentina cap­ province, has set up an emergency Thursday said British Tour planning media on Tues­ The Nevada Athletic Commission tain Lionel Messi response team. that her goal is to closed­door launch day to speak out unanimously agreed on Wednesday said he was eager Chongli, a district of co­host city qualify for the British governing body the Lawn over the death of to allow two UFC events and two to start playing Zhangjiakou, is situated 200 kilome­ women’s 100m Tennis Association (LTA) on an unarmed Top Rank boxing shows in Las Vegas again but ters northwest of Beijing. With a final at the post­ Wednesday unveiled plans to hold a black man seen over the next two weeks. thought La Liga total area of 2,334 square kilome­ poned Tokyo Ge Manqi series of domestic events for profes­ in a video lying The decision ends the moratorium games behind ters, the mountainous district has 67 Olympics. sional players from early July. face down while a on combat sports that has been in closed doors percent forest coverage. Last Sunday, the 22­year­old Ge set a The first swing of four new British white police offi­ LeBron James place in Nevada since March 14, when would feel Lionel Messi Niu Rongjun, a member of the 200m personal best of 22.69 seconds Tour events will take place over con­ cer knelt on his the commission stopped competition “weird”. emergency response crew, has been at an event organized by the Chinese secutive weeks from July 3­26 at the neck for several minutes. amid the coronavirus pandemic. After weeks being confined like a forest firefighter for 15 years in Athletics Association in Fuzhou, Fu­ National Tennis Centre in Roehamp­ Four Minneapolis cops were fired The UFC immediately confirmed the rest of Spain by the coronavirus Chongli, which now boasts seven jian province. ton, southwest London. on Tuesday over Monday’s incident its plans to stage a show without pandemic, Messi is training with major ski resorts in total. Ge’s previous best over the distance Each event will host 32 singles in which a handcuffed George Floyd fans in attendance on Saturday Barca again ahead of a planned “We have 35 members in the new was 23.12, with her new mark also rep­ players (16 men and 16 women), and can be heard repeatedly moaning night at the UFC Apex arena on its resumption of La Liga behind closed emergency response unit now and resenting the fastest 200 time by a Chi­ will be open to the highest­ranked and gasping while he pleads, “Please, corporate complex in Las Vegas, fol­ doors on the weekend of June 12. the team will expand recruitment to nese woman since 1998. players in Britain. I can’t breathe, please, man.” lowed by the UFC 250 pay­per­view “We cannot think about what we 100,” said Niu. “I didn’t expect such a good result LTA chief­executive Scott Lloyd James weighed in on Instagram show at the same place on June 6. are leaving behind this year. It is bet­ In addition to forest patrol, the in the 200m. I just followed the gui­ said: “The LTA is actively engaged in with a post that referred to Colin Top Rank is expected to hold fan­ ter to think about the future,” said emergency response team, the first dance of the coach to maintain my developing the necessary guidelines Kaepernick, the former NFL quarter­ free boxing shows at the MGM Messi on the website of sports brand unit of its kind in Chongli, will pro­ rhythm and I am satisfied with the for behind­closed­doors events, back who famously kneeled during Grand on June 9 and 11. Adidas. vide relief in cases of accidents at results,” she said. which we hope will be determined the US national anthem to protest Citing the importance of sports to “Like going back to day­to­day venues, fire and flood control and Ge also won the 100m on Saturday by the government in the coming against racial injustice. the state’s economy and morale, training, seeing your teammates, geological disasters. in Fuzhou, clocking 11.31 in the final. weeks to ensure the safest environ­ It was topped with the caption Nevada governor Steve Sisolak playing your first few games. No “We are on duty 24 hours every “I reached the 100m semifinal at the ment for anyone involved in return­ “This ...... Is Why.” James also wrote announced on Tuesday that sporting doubt it will be strange at first, but I day to ensure the smooth construc­ world championships in Doha, so I ing to competition and look forward in the post: “Do you understand events could return if promoters fol­ am looking forward to competing tion of Winter Olympic venues,” said want to go one step forward in Tokyo to bringing tennis back into people’s NOW!!??!!?? Or is it still blurred to lowed health rules approved by the again!” Niu. to qualify for the final,” she added. lives this summer.” you?? #StayWoke”. appropriate authorities. XINHUA — AGENCIES