Stephen Buttigieg's - Take it to the hole!

My friend Cikku had a pair of chopsticks in his hand and was clicking them together. I asked him what he was doing and he said he was going through some old videos and came across the video Karate Kid. What chopsticks had to do with karate I could not fathom so I allowed him to continue with his explanation, which he interspersed with the odd click of chopsticks.

Apparently, the hero of the film was asked to try to catch a fly with chopsticks, a feat that is apparently quite impossible. The hero of the film thought so too and wasn't very happy with his task until he actually managed to catch a fly! (we all know that heroes somehow always manage to do the impossible!).

Cikku was laughing at the ridiculousness of the whole scene as he kept up the click, click, click of his chopsticks. All of a sudden the sound changed from a click to a muffled squishy sound. Cikku looked at his chopsticks then slowly dropped his lower jaw as he looked at me; there, caught between his chopsticks, was a perfect example of a green bottle (type of fly)!

Impossible

Do little green men live on strange planets, can pigs fly, can kids called Cikku catch flies with chopsticks, can a USA basketball team laden with NBA stars lose a basketball match... nothing is impossible, never say never! That is why I claimed that there was the remotest of possibilities that the USA would lose a game in the World Championships currently being played in Indiana.

Although I did write about the possibility I obviously did not really believe it would happen, I mean the USA have not lost a game since NBA players were allowed to represent the country. I had felt that the gap between the USA and the rest of the world was narrowing but it still was quite a gap. Nevertheless someone has managed to build a bridge wide enough to cross the chasm.

Don't cry for us we're Argentina

Argentina 87 USA 80

Read the above paragraph slowly and savour a moment of sporting history.

Argentina 87 USA 80

It is a seven-point deficit that will make people around the world rethink their concept of global basketball.

Argentina 87 USA 80

Is a score that will remain a nightmare for the members of Dream Team V (a name this version of the American national basketball team never really deserved).

Argentina 87 USA 80

The image on the scoreboard will remain indelible in the minds of the players and coaching staff of the team that made the impossible possible, a team that proved what every coach should know; that the best team is not necessary made up of the ten best individuals.

Argentina 87 USA 80

I had to type it just one more time to let it all sink in!

So long

Despite this moment of basketball excitement I must admit that I cannot really savour it as much as I would have thought. The reason is that yesterday Mr. Anton Ciantar was laid to rest after a long battle with illness.

For those who do not know Anton, he was the President of Birkirkara Basketball Club a team that is now defunct. He was an enthusiastic follower of the Birkirkara team that I coached some years back and that produced a couple of surprises in a year when the team had just lost its top star. A member of that team was Anton's son Mark, who last year played for Mellieha. My condolences go to Mark and all the Ciantar family.

Getting connected

Last week I introduced a new online forum for basketball enthusiasts at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/maltahoops/ apparently some people have had a few problems with joining the group. Any queries may be sent to "mailto:maltahoops-owner@yahoogroups.com" This forum has already featured the first part of a series of articles by Brian McCormick an American coach who will be coaching in Sweden this season. These articles are a must for players and coaches alike so get online now.

Stephen Buttigieg may be contacted at footwork@keyworld.net