THURSDAY, JUNE 5, 2014 SPORTS
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NAIROBI: Kenya’s athletics trials for next month’s Commonwealth Games get under way today without some top stars amid uncertainty over their fitness. Athletics Kenya warned that any athlete who skipped the three-day competition would not be granted automatic selection for the July 23 to August 3 Commonwealths in Glasgow, Scotland. Some of the athletes, including Olympic and world 1500m champion Asbel Kiprop, will face a race against time to return home before the end of the trials on Saturday after defying orders to skip the Rome Diamond League meeting in the Italian cap- ital today. Kiprop and seven other runners were ordered by the Athletics Kenya to return home from the Rome meet to avoid being burned out ahead of the Commonwealth Games. The federation also expressed concern at the current form of the athletes following a string of poor results in the ongoing Diamond League series. However world 800m record-holder David Rudisha, who finished seventh on his comeback from a long injury lay-off in Eugene, Oregon, last Saturday, is reported to have sought permission from the author- ities to be away. The 25-year-old Olympic Alexis Godbout performs at the Red Bull Fort Urbaine at Place Deslauriers in Tremblant, Canada. champion opted to remain in the United — www.redbull.com States to prepare for the New York Grand Prix on June 14. “We are aware that Rudisha will not take part in the trials,” Athletics Kenya vice-presi- Steady Spurs built for dent in charge of competitions, David Okeyo, told AFP.“But the decision on whether or not he will be included in the team for the Commonwealth Games will be revenge against Heat made later,” he added. Rudisha, who is bat- tling to regain race fitness after one year on the sidelines, has already made known his OKLAHOMA: Smart, sharing, versatile, story for the only original American In 1996-97 a spate of injuries led to intention to compete in his first deep and most of all consistent are the Basketball Association (ABA) team to San Antonio’s worst season ever, 20-62, Commonwealth Games, after missing the San Antonio Spurs, who hunger for win an NBA title. but it brought them another number 2010 championships in New Delhi. —AP revenge against the Miami Heat in the one pick in the NBA Draft and they hit NBA Finals. BORN CHAPARRALS the jackpot again by taking Duncan out Leading by five points with 30 sec- The franchise was born in 1967 with of Wake Forest. In Duncan’s second sea- onds to go in a potential Game Six the upstart rival league to the NBA as son with the team, the so-called “Twin clincher in Miami last year, the Heat the Dallas Chaparrals, a nickname relat- Towers” of Duncan and Robinson com- rose up to send the game to overtime, ed to drought-tolerant scrub plants, but bined for San Antonio’s first NBA title force a Game Seven and prevail to dash the team did not flourish. and launched, with Parker and Ginobili San Antonio’s hopes for a fifth NBA In 1973 a group of 36 San Antonio joining in, a stretch of four champi- crown. businessmen leased the team for three onships in nine seasons. “It’s unbelievable to regain that years to move it to their city and agreed focus after that devastating loss that we to return the team to Dallas if they could THE FORMULA had last year,” said Spurs’ future Hall of not arrange a purchase. Under Popovich, a disciple of long- Famer Tim Duncan after beating The team was renamed the San time former NBA coach Larry Brown, the Oklahoma City to reach another NBA Antonio Gunslingers, but by the time Spurs stressed ball movement, unselfish- final. “But we’re back here. “We’re happy they played their first game in San ness and defense. it’s the Heat again. We’ve got that bad Antonio the name was changed to The Spurs amassed a team with a dis- taste in our mouths still.” Spurs. The city embraced its only profes- tinctly international flavor including In an NBA where the cult of person- sional sports team, the purchase was France’s Boris Diaw, Italy’s Marco ality has dominated in recent decades made and the club was folded into the Belinelli, Australian guard Patty Mills and from Magic Johnson to Michael Jordan NBA in June 1976 when four ABA teams Brazilian Tiago Splitter. to Kobe Bryant to LeBron James, the merged into the NBA. San Antonio’s best Another key piece is third-year for- low-key Spurs have thrived the old known player in the early years was ward Kawhi Leonard, who last year fashioned way - through teamwork, high-scoring guard George “Iceman” played nagging defense on James and is dedication and stability. And talent, of Gervin. Gervin, a 6-foot-7 run-and-gun considered by Popovich to be the future course. scorer, won three NBA scoring titles in a face of the team. Duncan, their stabilizing, stoic pres- row from 1978 and added a fourth in “He’s gaining confidence ... starting to ence in the middle, dazzling French 1982, compiling a 26.3 average in his figure out that he’s a hell of a player,” the point guard Tony Parker and all-pur- dozen seasons with the Spurs. Although coach said. “He’s probably the future of pose Manu Ginobili of Argentina have the team consistently made the playoffs, the Spurs, partially because everybody formed a core four with cerebral coach they were not able to break through to a else is older than dirt, and somebody Gregg Popovich for an unprecedented championship and after Gervin left San younger has got to take over eventually.” run of 17 seasons in the playoffs. Antonio in 1985 the team struggled. Popovich said there is no secret for- San Antonio won their first NBA Their fortunes changed when first mula to their success. “Every coach in the crown in 1999 and their last of four overall draft pick David Robinson joined league is trying to get his guys to go titles in 2007 with a four-game sweep the team for the 1989-90 season. US good to great, and hit the open man, so over the Cleveland Cavaliers, who were Naval Academy graduate Robinson, that’s not unique with us. I happen to be led by 22-year-old LeBron James. nicknamed “The Admiral,” lifted the fortunate enough to have some players It has been an unquestioned success Spurs back into a perennial playoff team. that are built that way.” — Reuters
OKLAHOMA: (From left) San Antonio Spurs’ Danny Green, Patty Mills, and Boris Diaw celebrate in this file photo. — AP