Neo Workxx » could be vulnerable from the front though. Na

Ten years later, Carmelo Anthony still remembers where he stood.He points to a spot between the 3-point arc and the sideline, recalling the position from where he watched a celebration some teammates couldnt bear to face.Everybody was walking off the floor. There was confetti, things on the court, Anthony said. Everybody was celebrating and I stayed, I stayed right there on the court. I just wanted to see it and kind of feel it.The Americans havent felt it since.The U.S. had just lost to Greece in the semifinals of the 2006 world basketball championship, a team coached by Mike Krzyzewski and led by likely future Hall of Famers LeBron James, Anthony and Dwyane Wade falling to a team that had no NBA players.That 101-95 loss in Japan is the only defeat in 76 games since Krzyzewski took over in 2005.Whether it was an upset depends on who you ask, but theres no debating what it meant to a U.S. team that hasnt looked back.As the U.S. rolls into Rio and Greece tries to qualify this week , people on both sides remembered the buildup, the game and the aftermath.---Jerry Colangelo had overhauled USA Basketball after the Americans embarrassing performance in the 2004 Olympics, when Anthony was part of a team that managed only a bronze. But it would take a while to get the U.S. program to where it is now.From `04 to `06, it wasnt no organizational structure, Anthony said. It was just come together, put a team together and just try to go out there and win.Colangelo set out to change that by selecting players months in advance, then bringing them to camp and making roster cuts -- something the U.S. has stopped doing.We really had tryouts, Chris Paul said. Like, you think about it, you get to the highest point of your professional career, the NBA, and we had tryouts for the USA team. I remember diving on the floor against Luke Ridnour and stuff like that. So when you think back like that, it puts it all in perspective.---James, Anthony and Wade, who had just been MVP of the NBA Finals, were the headliners of the team. Paul had won Rookie of the Year.The rest of the team was good, but far short of a Dream Team -- even though thats what U.S. teams with NBA players always get called across the globe. Kobe Bryant was the biggest absence after knee surgery on the eve of the Americans training camp.A lot of people probably couldnt even name that team if you wanted to, Paul said. We had guys like Kirk Hinrich, Elton Brand, Brad Miller.The rest of the roster: Chris Bosh, Dwight Howard, Joe Johnson, Shane Battier and Antawn Jamison.---The Americans arrived in the semifinals with a 7-0 record but had some struggles along the way. Puerto Rico scored 100 points on them in the opener, and the Americans were down 12 to Italy in the second half before Anthony bailed them out with a then-U.S. record 35 points.Spain and Argentina, the reigning Olympic champion, were also 7-0 and met in one semifinal. The overlooked team was Greece, which had won all seven games in the worlds after winning the 2005 European championship.I think we had a really good group with inside and outside players, and also we had a team who could play smart to get the advantage, said Panagiotis Yannakis, who coached Greece.---Realizing the Americans advantage in athleticism, Yannakis plan was to play three guards who could control the tempo. Theodoros Papaloukas was one of the best in Europe, Vassilis Spanoulis was bound for the Houston Rockets and Dimitris Diamantidis a steady leader.If they could protect the ball and pound it inside to 6-foot-10 Sofoklis Schortsianitis -- nicknamed Baby Shaq -- the U.S. transition game would be stalled.Some of the teams are afraid, but some other teams dont have the guards to protect the ball, Yannakis said. Dont give them the opportunity to use their hands, because USA players, they use a lot of their hands on the ball. Thats the reason we used three guards. All of them, they had the skills to control the ball.---The U.S. led by 12 in the first half, but Greece stormed ahead by making 25-of-33 shots (76 percent) in the second and third quarters. Carving the Americans up on the pick-and-roll, the Greeks got 22 points from Spanoulis, 12 assists from Papaloukas and plenty of help from the U.S., which made 59 percent of its free throws.Most of the U.S. players quickly retreated to the locker room as the Greeks danced at midcourt.I just remember the end of the game, Anthony said, and just standing on the court and Greece fans are going crazy, their team is going crazy.---Yannakis believed his team could do it -- We had the faith to play with anyone, he said -- but Sacramento Kings center Kosta Koufos, who will play for Greece this week but was then a high schooler in the U.S. who stayed up well past 3 a.m. to watch, was surprised.Youve got to understand Team USAs dominance through the years and that was definitely an upset for them, he said.Colangelos take?Would I consider it an upset at the time? Oh, for sure I would have. I still do, he said. I think we mightve played that team 10 times and won nine of those 10. But that was back to the old adage that on any given night.---Greece couldnt duplicate its effort in the final, getting blown out by Spain. The Americans beat Argentina for bronze, then went home to build a better team. Jason Kidd and Deron Williams were added to bolster a backcourt that would include Bryant the next year, when they powered through an Olympic qualifier they were forced to play in by not winning the worlds.The teams would then meet again in Beijing, the Americans cruising to a 92-69 victory. But they would never forget the game two years earlier.I mean, the stars were aligned for Greece that night and I chose and still do, as much it pains me, to say out of adversity comes opportunity, Colangelo said. And I think we were emboldened by the fact that we paid a price early, that we were potentially vulnerable and I think that helped prepare us for our future success.---Follow Brian Mahoney on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/Briancmahoney Swell Schweiz . -- Kyrie Irvings last-minute 3-pointer helped seal another victory for Cleveland -- and the Cavaliers longest winning streak since LeBron James left. Swell Flasche Kaufen . The (11-11-4) Jets are seventh in the Central Division with 26 points. Fifth place Dallas and sixth-seeded Nashville also have 26 points, but the Stars have three games in hand on Winnipeg while Nashville has two. http://www.swellflascheschweiz.ch/hydro-flask-flasche-schweiz.html . Once again, DeLaet finished tied for second at a PGA Tour stop on the weekend, this time at the Waste Management Phoenix Open. The pride of Weyburn, Sask. Swell Flasche 500 Ml .C. -- Rodney Hood connected from all over the court while freshman Jabari Parker was busy swatting shots and scoring in transition. Swell Bottle Schweiz Kaufen . The incident occurred at 19:56 of the second period of the Kings 4-2 road win over Edmonton on Sunday. Nolan punched Oilers forward Jesse Joensuu in the jaw in front of the Kings goal during a scrum.Alex Hammond looks ahead to the opening English Classics and thinks Marcel has an each-way chance in the Qipco 2000 Guineas. Richard Johnson was finally crowned champion jockey for the first time on Saturday; do you think anyone can wrestle his shiny new trophy off him in the next few years?I dont think there is a single racing fan or professional in the game who would begrudge Richard Johnson his first title. He has had to wait over 20 years to get his hands on the trophy; and a new trophy at that as the last one was quite rightly given to Sir Anthony McCoy. Over the years there have been a handful of jockeys, both Flat and jumping, that you have huge sympathy for as they were top class, but never champion. Like Johnson until now, they were born in the wrong era. We all have our own thoughts on that, but Adrian Maguire was a close second to Richard Dunwoody and was a prodigious talent. Dickie said that the championship was his biggest achievement; he has said that if he had gone his whole career without getting his name on the roll of honour it would be his one regret. Thats how much it means to these sporting heroes, they travel thousands of miles each year, day in day out, in the quest to be the best of a very good bunch. You can see that Johnson is buzzing with the accomplishment; you can see he has no intention of giving up the accolade any time soon. Like the colossus before him, you get the impression that while he is riding, he wants to be the best. Aidan Coleman put up the closest fight, but even he was 105 winners behind the new champ. Without the firepower of John Ferguson, who provided him with 59 of those winners, its going to be even harder for him in the future. Our new champ has the hunger and drive, and barring injury, he should keep a tight grip on the title for a few seasons to come. Paul Nicholls just edged out Willie Mullins in the UK trainers championship in the end, how do you see this battle developing next year?As much as that must have been bad for the blood pressure of the protagonists, the trainers title going right down to the wire like that was a PR exercise that will be hard to beat in future campaigns. The only thing it may have done is whetted the Mullins appetite to try and win the British championship in future. Until the season was well into its autumn, Mullins didnt seem to take the title bid seriously, when he did it was almost too late. Still, a sliding door here and a change in luck there and it could easily have been reversed. It will be interesting to see how Irelands champion tackles the British season in future. I cant see him changing too much early on, but if things go well, then things may change from the New Year onwards. One thing is for sure, I wouldnt be lumping on Nicholls to win the 2016/17 season at the current prices as there is more than just Mullins snapping at his heels.The Flat season really cranks up a gear this weekend, give us three equine stars on the level to follow in the coming months.Im getting my head round the Flat season now and am really looking forward to seeing several horses over the coming months, its hard to narrow it down to three:Dartmouth (Sir Michael Stoute) - There are few trainers better at campaigning high class older horses than Sir Michael Stoute. Dartmouth is a Darley-bred colt, owned by The Queen, and he could give Her Majesty plenty to smile about in the year of her 90th birthday. This four-year-old progressed up the handicap ranks last season and started the 2016 season with a win at Chelmsford on a surface he doesnt really relish. That was in Newburys re-routed John Porter Stakes, which wasnt the strongest runnings of the contest in its history, but this looks like a horse that should continue to improve over middle distance trips.Gifted Master (Hugo Palmer) - I flagged this horse up after his win at Newmarkets Craven meeting and he looks capable of winning his share of races over the specialist trip of seven furlongs and he should be effective over six furlongs too which brings in the Commonwealth Cup at Royal Ascot.ddddddddddddOrder Of St George (Aidan OBrien) - Im a sucker for a Flat stayer/Cup horse and this horse looks a top-class performer to follow in that sphere. He won three of his four outings as a three year-old culminating in an unchallenged victory in the Irish Leger. It will be interesting to see what route his trainer takes to Royal Ascot for what will no doubt be his first big summer target, the Gold Cup, for which he is already 5/2 favourite with Sky Bet. He seems versatile on most ground conditions, so there shouldnt be too much concern whatever conditions are like in June.As I said, there are so many horses to look forward to, but Ill be disappointed if we dont see these three winning some nice prizes.Air Force Blue is the short-priced favourite for the QIPCO 2000 Guineas, will you be taking him on at prices around the 4/6 mark?I wont be backing Air Force Blue, but it doesnt mean he wont win the colts classic. It was interesting to hear Aidan OBrien expressing a slight doubt about this son of War Front staying the mile. His sire was top class over 6/7 furlongs and his dam was speedy too and this colt has plenty of toe, so there has to be an element of doubt. Having said that he won the Dewhurst well, staying on over the seven furlongs and is twice a winner over that trip. When you hear OBrien waxing lyrical about his latest superstar, it feels a bit like the boy who cried wolf. Yeah, yeah you think, as you hear about the best horse he has ever trained. Having said that, those superlatives tend to be backed up by performances on the track, so who am I to take those comments with a pinch of salt? So, he looks hard to beat on all known form, but for me the bet at the prices could be Marcel each-way. Peter Chapple-Hyam has produced horses to win on the big occasion many times in the past and this horse is proven over the mile having won the Racing Post Trophy last autumn. As it was snowing in various parts of the country this week and theres been rain around, the ground is unlikely to be fast and that would play into the hands of Marcel. Hes now 12/1, having been shortened in the last week and that still looks reasonable each-way value - you can also back him with Sky Bet in the market without Air Force Blue at 9/2.And finally, what do you fancy in the QIPCO 1000 Guineas on Sunday?Aidan OBrien looks to hold the key to this race too with Minding the ante-post favourite and Ballydoyle a pretty handy second string. Minding is bred in the purple being a daughter of Galileo out of a mare called Lillie Langtry, who won the Coronation Stakes and Matron Stakes at the highest level at three. Minding is already proven in Group One company having won the Moyglare Stud Stakes and Fillies Mile, the latter over this course and distance. Minding beat Ballydoyle in the Moyglare, but the latter is also a Group One winner having added her name to the list of Prix Marcel Boussac winners at Longchamp in October. Last year their head-to-head record read Minding 1 Ballydoyle 1. I think Ballydoyle looks like a real galloper and at current prices at the time of writing (11/2 with Sky Bet) I have backed Ballydoyle to cause a bit of an upset and beat her stablemate. The fly in the OBrien ointment could be Mark Johnstons Lumiere, who splits them in the market. She had three starts over six furlongs last season, winning the Cheveley Park Stakes, and has loads of speed. However she doesnt look like a one-trick pony and is bred to stay this trip. She could be vulnerable from the front though. Nathras win in the Nell Gwyn gave a form bo