OFF-SEASON NOTES: MISSION ACCOMPLISHED

The United States are back on top of the world! The NBA-powered Team USA lived up to its hype and expectations of basketball pundits throughout the planet as they swept the Beijing Olympiad cage meet by a whopping winning margin average of 27.87 per game in 8 outings. Spain gave the americans some anxious moments in the championship game but in the end, Team USA won't be denied of their place in history and how sweet it is to reclaim the supremacy back in the quadrennial meet.

It was reported that at least 6 players from the current team will be automatic shoo-ins for the 2012 Olympiad in London and based on their respective ages, its gonna be LeBron James, Carmelo Anthony, Dwyane Wade, Chris Paul, Derron Williams and Kobe Bryant. Bryant will be 33 then and with his discipline, I honestly believe he still has the game to make the London cut. Count on 2008 ROY awardee Kevin Durant of the Oklahoma City squad and 2007 over-all top draftee Greg Oden of the Portland Trail Blazers (assuming he is finally injury-free) as the other sure shots to make the team. Next stop for Team USA: the 2010 World Championship!

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The coming campaign of the Golden State Warriors took a big blow as ace point guard Monta Ellis suffered a severe ankle sprain which required surgey and will be out for 3 months. That means Ellis will only be ready to suit-up on the first week of December and will miss the opening month of the 2008-09 NBA season. Ellis injured his ankle in an off-season workout. Expected to replace Ellis during the said period will be new acquisition Marcus Williams and probably former LA Clipper Saun Livingston, who is scheduled for a workout with the Warriors coaching staff anytime now.

By the way, the Warriors are scheduled to play 2 pre-season games in China on October 15 an 18 against the Milwaukee Bucks as part of the 2008 NBA China games. Guangzhou will host the October 15 game at the 13,000 seat Guangzhou gymnasium, while action shifts to Beijing on October 18 at the 17,173 seat Olympic basketball arena.

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Not-so-good news hug the NBA limelight lately. First is the untimely death of former Portland Trail Blazer center Kevin Duckworth last Monday, August 25, due to congestive heart disease. Duckworth can be remembered as the Blazer's starting slotman during the 1990 finals against the Detroit Pistons and the 1992 championship series with the Chicago Bulls. Duckworth was 44 years old.

Next is Wayman Tisdale, who had his right leg amputated due to bone cancer. Tisdale, 44, played for the Indiana Pacers and Sacramento Kings in the 1980s and 90s. He is also an award-winning jazz artist.