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Tide turns on Dream Team Carter, others drawing boos for fiery attitude
SYDNEY, Australia -- Vince Carter is clearly more comfortable in the air than on water. The high-flying Dream Teamer took a boat ride around Sydney Harbour for a television interview last week and quickly found his stomach doing more flips than a Romanian gymnast. "I nearly lost my lunch," he said. "Twice." It wouldn't be surprising if USA Basketball officials have been similarly queasy while watching Carter's occasional flare-ups toward opponents. He had minor altercations with Australians Andrew Gaze and Shane Heal during a warmup game for the Olympics, exchanged elbows with a couple of Lithuanian players during a preliminary-round game and went nose-to-nose with Russian guard Yevgeny Pachutin as the teams left the floor at halftime of Thursday night's quarterfinal game, which was won by the U.S. 85-70. Carter has also celebrated a bit too demonstratively for the taste of some of the spectators, which is why, although he usually receives the biggest ovation of any U.S. player during introductions, he also has been far and away the most booed member of the squad. In fact, this year's version has been the first of the three NBA-stocked U.S. Olympic teams to be booed in any noticeable way. "Some people want to boo? Fine. Who cares?" Carter said after the Russia game. "I'm not going to lose sleep over a boo."
"We've been very happy with the way our players have represented the U.S. on and off the court," said Russ Granik, the president of USA Basketball's board of directors. "As far as Vince goes, other than when he got pulled to the ground by Andrew Gaze and [when] Shane Heal popped him, what's he done? Some things are going to happen in the heat of competition, but by and large, we have no problem with the way our players have carried themselves." The incident against the Russians was the latest to draw the wrath of the crowd on Carter. He was in the air late in the first half when Pachutin bumped him, causing Carter to land awkwardly and grab his midsection in pain. When the teams left the court at halftime, Carter made his displeasure known to the Russians and had to be pulled away. Pachutin also had to be bear-hugged by teammates. "It was a low blow," Carter said. "I felt he deliberately undercut me and threw a cheap elbow in my groin. I just told him we didn't need any of that out there." Matters calmed down in the second half, as the U.S. pulled away to set up a semifinal meeting with Lithuania. Since the Lithuanians lost by only nine points to the U.S. earlier in the Games, the Americans could again be tested. The question is, will they get testy?
Sports Illustrated senior writer Phil Taylor is in Sydney covering the men's basketball competition for the magazine and CNNSI.com. Check back daily to read Taylor's behind-the-scene reports from Down Under.
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