THE SPORT COUNT

The Sport Count makes no qualms about the fact that we aren’t fans of the European brand of our favourite game, however last night when watching the Dream Team beat the ‘World Champion’ Greeks (duh, it’s the Celtics) to within an inch of their jump shooting lives, there was a glimmer of hope for the land mass that thus far these games has brought us a fair slice of racism and clinical, charmless play.

Sophocles: Philosophizing The Low Post

Midway through the first quarter, the Greeks subbed in Ruben Studdard. Or so it seemed. In fact they’d subbed in someone who took my breath away in the best possible way, making me re-think my long held prejudices about the Continent of Picasso, Jumpshots and Cowardice.

When 6 foot 9 inches and 300+ lbs of Sophoklis Schotsanitis hit the floor, I was mesmerised. His 3 points, 3 turnovers and 4 personal fouls consituted the best 12 minutes of European basketball I’ve ever seen – and made me hope and pray that an NBA team out there will take a chance on the big man (surely, in Shaq’s prime, someone would’ve given $2m per season for those personal fouls).

I’ll be watching every Greece game for the remainder of the tournament now. I hope you will too.

Posted by: James