LeBron James prepares to be introduced to a huge audience including a group of Baltimore youngsters Monday afternoon at Rockefeller Plaza in New York City. James and the United States Men's Olympic basketball team made their first public appearance after practicing for the first time for Beijing Summer Olympics Sunday in Las Vegas.
Several members of the Baltimore Select AAU boys' basketball program got to see the U.S. Olympic men's basketball squad. The group also went to an exhibit dedicated to USA Basketball in Harlem.
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The Baltimore Select AAU boys’ basketball teams have spent most of their summer either practicing or playing games. They got a memorable respite Monday.
About 40 members traveled to New York City where they got to see the United States’ men Olympic basketball squad. The Baltimore contingent was among nearly 500 excited youngsters at Rockefeller Plaza in Manhattan.
“It was a great experience meeting everybody and seeing them in person,” said 14-year old Phil Lawrence, who will be a freshman at Mount St. Joseph High in the fall. “They were big and stocky as I thought they were.”
It was the first public appearance for the 12-member squad that went through a two-hour practice Sunday in Las Vegas then flew to New York for a round of media functions. While the Olympic players had a little jet lag, it may not compare to the Baltimore kids who had to climb out of the bed in the pre-dawn hours to get to White Marsh Mall for the three-hour bus ride.
But it was more than worth it for T.J. Bond, who got to see his favorite player, Chris Paul. Bond got an opportunity to get on the makeshift court for a trivia contest before the players were introduced. Bond missed on his question-which 2008 Olympic basketball team member was born in Alaska? The answer: Carlos Boozer.
“My godmother told me I was going to meet the U.S. Basketball Team and I was excited,” said Bond, 11.
While LeBron James and Kobe Bryant’s introduction were among the most anticipated, the Baltimore group got to see one of their own, Carmelo Anthony, who’s making his second appearance on the Olympic squad. The rest of the 2008 team include Chris Bosh, Dwight Howard, Tayshaun Prince, Jason Kidd, Michael Redd, Dwyane Wade and Deron Williams and coaches Mike Krzyzewski, Jim Boeheim, Mike D’Antoni and Nate McMillan.
The team will reconvene July 21 in Las Vegas for practice at UNLV, and play an exhibition against Canada July 25. Team USA will head to China for four more exhibitions, then open Olympic competition against host China Aug. 10 in Beijing.
After the program, the kids traveled to Harlem where an exhibit dedicated to USA Basketball is on display until the end of the Summer Olympic games. The uniform of each 2008 Team USA Olympic player was displayed in a glass case on the floor while a variety of pictures starting with the iconic 1992 “Dream Team” adorned the walls.
The players watched a five-minute clip from the upcoming five-part documentary, “Road to Redemption,” which premieres Wednesday on ESPN. The segment focused on “selfless service,” and the sacrifice the U.S. military has made over the years.
“Watching the video was a great experience,” said Bond. “Things that the Army does can also represent what we do in basketball.”
As the Baltimore youngsters headed home Monday afternoon, it was little doubt the adventure was the high point of their summer.
Said 17-year old Calvert Hall College senior Shawn Holmes, “I got to meet the team that’s going to represent the United States of America.”