Sports Poets Society

Photo The Boston Globe. Getty Images Dans les années 80, le meneur des Lakers de Los Angeles et l’ailier des Boston Celtics ont incarné tous les clivages états-uniens : racial, social, géographique… Un duel sportif qui aura ressuscité une NBA moribonde. «Mon but,  c’était de ramener deux ou trois de ses dents à la maison.»     - Larry Bird ancien ailier des Boston Celtics 1 Aug 2026 - Libération Par Romain Métairie  Earvin Johnson a un rictus. Assis dans les travées vides du Longacre, une salle de théâtre nichée en plein Broadway, l’ancien joueur des Lakers assiste en ce mois de mars 2012 aux répétitions d’une nouvelle pièce : Magic/Bird. Et il peste : «Mon personnage ne sourit pas, alors que c’est moi le type souriant et jovial. Même quand j’avais envie de vous briser la nuque ou de vous tuer.» Ces pensées inavouables remontent aux années 80, lorsque «Magic» Johnson ne devait céder ni aux insultes ni aux coups bas et autres fourberies assénés par ses meill...

The New York Times Tue 11 Nov 2025 An N.B.A. Hall of Famer Lenny Wilkens was cited as one of the league’s 50 greatest players and one of its top 10 coaches. He was 88. Lenny Wilkens, the All-Star N.B.A. point guard of the 1960s and ’70s who became the league’s second-ranking coach in total victories, forging a Hall of Fame career through five decades in pro basketball, has died. He was 88. Adam Silver, commissioner of the N.B.A., confirmed the death in a statement. It did not specify when or where Wilkens died, nor did it cite a cause. Growing up in the Bedford-Stuyvesant section of Brooklyn, Wilkens began playing basketball in Catholic playground leagues, and then played for Boys High School in his senior year. He became an All-American at Providence College and was selected by the St. Louis Hawks in the first round of the 1960 N.B.A. draft. One of the league’s leading playmakers of his time and a strong defensive presence with a nifty left-handed jump shot, he played for 15 seasons, ...

Trente-deux ans après l’inoubliable «Dream Team» de Barcelone, les États-Unis ont assemblé un nouvel effectif hors norme pour les Jeux de Paris. Mais la comparaison entre les deux équipes est un exercice à manier avec précaution. 23 Jul 2024 - L'Équipe AMAURY PERDRIAU et GAÉTAN SCHERRER Jordan - James  Les patrons  LONDRES – Une évidence pour commencer : le petit jeu de la comparaison entre la Dream Team de 1992 et celle assemblée pour les Jeux de Paris cet été, trente-deux ans plus tard, ne constitue rien d’autre… qu’un petit jeu, précisément. Le basket a trop changé en trois décennies pour que l’analogie entre ces deux effectifs de légende soit recevable, surtout si l’on juge la qualité d’une équipe à celles des adversaires qu’elle a vaincues. Le tournoi olympique de Barcelone avait été si facile pour Michael Jordan et ses compères que Chuck Daly, le sélectionneur d’alors, n’avait pas eu à demander un seul temps mort de toute la compétition. Grâce aux stars qui la constituai...

https://oldskoolbball.com/genius-of-chuck-daly-how-he-motivated-1992-dream-team-usa/ By  Oldskoolbball August 16, 2019 Team USA losing to G-League players (36-17) reminded me this story happened 27 years ago: When the 1992 Dream Team was preparing for the Barcelona Olympics, Chuck Daly scheduled a scrimmage against the best college players. Including Bobby Hurley, Grant Hill, Jamal Mashburn, Penny Hardaway, Chris Webber and many more. And they all were thrilled of facing against their idols Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson, Larry Bird, and their company. Daly had an opportunity to get his stars grow to a single unit. Learn to be a team and destroy opponents during summer. Because mentality was between an All-Star game and trying to come together as a team. And the coach was the master of managing personnel and big egos. College Kids Beating Team USA Then the scrimmage had started. Their biggest weapon egos were aside. They were passing too much. Nobody wanted to score . So they forg...

https://www.vintagedetroit.com/the-story-behind-isiah-thomas-being-left-off-the-dream-team/ by DAN HOLMES on DECEMBER 12, 2018 It’s the one missing item from his résumé. It’s the only box not checked on his list of career accomplishments. What’s particularly disappointing is that Isiah Thomas didn’t even get the chance to accomplish it. Isiah was a high school All-American, he was a college All-American, he won an NCAA championship with Indiana, he won the NBA Rookie of the Year Award, he was twice the Most Valuable Player of the NBA All-Star Game, he led his team to back-to-back NBA Championships and was named Finals MVP. He was also named one of the NBA’s 50 Greatest Players and elected to the Basketball Hall of Fame. Many feel he’s the greatest small guard to ever play the game of basketball. But Isiah never had a chance to win an Olympic Gold Medal for reasons beyond his control. In 1980 as a college freshman, Isiah was selected to represent the U.S. on the national team, and in s...

"Giocare contro il Dream Team del 1992 era come stare sullo stesso palcoscenico dei Beatles. Sembrava che gran parte delle squadre non si considerassero delle avversarie, ma parte dello show. Era come se a un grande musicista venisse chiesto di fare da spalla a John, Paul, George e Ringo. Uno che lo marcava, per tutta la partita continuava a chiedere se dopo la gara poteva avere la canotta di Magic. Per loro era un sogno diventato realtà il solo stare sullo stesso parquet con i più grandi giocatori del mondo." – Russ Granik, commissioner delegato NBA e vicepresidente USA Basketball "Siamo sicuri di vincere la medaglia, si tratta solo di andarla a prendere" – Michael Jordan di CHRISTIAN GIORDANO © Michael "Air" Jordan © Rainbow Sports Books Vengo anch'io! No, Thomas, no Barcellona 1992 fu una delle edizioni dei Giochi Olimpici che verranno per sempre ricordate, un po’ come non si può dimenticare Roma 1960, forse ormai tropp...