NBA
NBA notebook: Bronze-medal Olympic finish bothers Brown

By Knight Ridder Newspapers and The Associated Press

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PHILADELPHIA — Coach Larry Brown is back on the practice court, preparing the Detroit Pistons to defend their league championship. But it is easy to see that he is still a little bummed out by the culmination of his two weeks' work at the Olympics in Athens, Greece.

Brown coached the U.S. Olympic team to a bronze medal, an outcome that fell short of the mighty expectations for the squad of millionaire NBA players. He admitted that he hasn't gotten over it yet, and wondered "if I ever will."

But Brown has little tolerance for those who blame the players for what happened.

"These young kids have taken so much heat," Brown said recently. "They all agreed to go and sacrifice. It's not their fault. And whether anybody knows it or not, they got a medal. I don't like people taking shots at them."

Philadelphia 76ers guard Allen Iverson was one of the U.S. team's co-captains. At the Sixers' annual media day on Monday, he expressed satisfaction in his accomplishment.

"I feel bad about us not being able to get it done, but I feel good about our effort and about how we tried to get it done," Iverson said. "People always say, 'I wish you would have won the gold medal.' But I won a medal and I'm an Olympian and not too many guys in the world can say that."

The players Brown coached in Athens made up quite a different roster than the team that earned an Olympic berth at the 2003 qualifying tournament in Puerto Rico. Kevin Garnett, Tracy McGrady and the Sonics' Ray Allen, among others, pulled out of the Olympics for various reasons.

They were replaced with young players, such as LeBron James, Carmelo Anthony and Dwyane Wade, and Team USA couldn't cope with the teamwork exhibited by other squads. Argentina won the gold medal.

Brown said the Chinese team, coached by Dallas Mavericks assistant Del Harris, had 80 practices before its first Olympic game. Brown said his team had 10.
 
"The team that was originally selected would have been phenomenal," Brown said. "It wasn't the committee's fault that all those guys couldn't go. But thank those kids for going and sacrificing, and give the other teams some credit."

Malone pays

social visit to Lakers

SAN DIEGO — Karl Malone showed up at the Los Angeles Lakers' training camp to visit old teammates.

Malone's visit was social and had no bearing on whether he might play this season, team officials said.

"It's not a bad sign, but really it's not a sign either way," said Lakers general manager Mitch Kupchak, adding the team would welcome the power forward's presence on the court.

Malone, 41, is second to Kareem Abdul-Jabbar on the league's all-time scoring list. Malone underwent arthroscopic surgery on his right knee in late June. He opted out of his $1.65 million contract with the Lakers at season's end, making him a free agent.

Malone has said he is not ready to play but hasn't ruled out returning this season.

Note

• New Jersey guard Jason Kidd, who is undergoing rehabilitation on his surgically repaired left knee and is unable to practice, is going to attend both day and night practices during training camp rather than pay fines he feels are misguided.

The All-Star was fined by the Nets last week for missing night practices.