06132017 sports

SPORTS SECTION E

Redskins

Legends, page 2

TUESDAY, JUNE 13, 2017

Revenge is Golden

BAHAMIAN PLAYERS TO HEADLINE BATTLE 4 ATLANTIS

Warriors beat Cavaliers to win NBA title

By RENALDO DORSETT Tribune Sports Reporter rdorsett@tribunemedia.net

WITH Dwight Coleby’s decision to join the University of Western Kentucky Hilltoppers, it created the potential for yet another matchup of Bahamian players going head-to-head in the Battle 4 Atlantis.

The Hilltoppers will represent Conference-USA in the eight-team field, which also includes fellow Bahamian DeAndre Ayton and his Arizona Wildcats out of the PAC 12.

Already touted as one of the top early season tournaments in NCAA basketball, this year’s Battle 4 Atlantis marks the fourth consecutive time Bahamians will participate in the tournament, all set to be hosted November 23-25 in the Imperial Arena at the Atlantis resort on Paradise Island.

The 2017 tournament field will also include the 2013 champion Villanova Wildcats (Big East), Purdue Boilermakers (Big 10),

SEE PAGE 5

ROBERTS ADVANCES TO MAIN DRAW IN SPAIN

By BRENT STUBBS Senior Sports Reporter bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

WE ARE THE CHAMPIONS — TOP: Golden State Warriors players, coaches and owners hold up the Larry O’Brien NBA Championship Trophy last night after Game 5 of the NBA Finals between the Warriors and the Cleveland Cavaliers in Oakland, California. The Warriors won 129-120 to win the title. ABOVE: Shown (l-r) are Warriors guard Klay Thompson, guard Stephen Curry and forward Kevin Durant.

(AP Photos/Marcio Jose Sanchez) SEE THE FULL STORY AND MORE PHOTOS ON PAGE 8

Quartet to represent Bahamas in Fed Cup

By BRENT STUBBS Senior Sports Reporter bstubbs@tribunemedia.net BASED on their performances in the 2016 Giorgio Baldacci Open Tennis Tournament, Iesha Shepherd, Sydney Clarke, Sierra Donaldson and Elana Mackey will represent the Bahamas in the Americas Zone II Fed Cup next month.

The quartet, coached

by Chelsea Russell, will compete in Panama City, Panama July 19-22 against teams from Barbados, Bermuda, Costa Rica, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Panama, Peru, Puerto Rico, Trinidad & Tobago and Uruguay.

The teams will be split into one pool of three and

three pools of four. The winners of each pool will advance to the playoffs against another pool winner to determine which two nations are promoted to Americas Zone Group One in 2018.

Only the nation finishing fourth in Pool C will not be allowed to compete in the positional playoffs.

Elwood Donaldson, president of the Bahamas Lawn Tennis Association, said while the team was selected in December, they have just begun their team preparation and they are eager to represent the country.

“The team is a young junior team,” he said. “Iesha and Sierra have been on it before. Although

SEE PAGE 4

TEAM BAHAMAS: Fed Cup team members (l-r) Elana Mackey, Sydney Clarke, Iesha Shepherd and Sierra Donaldson are expected to represent the Bahamas in the Americas Zone II Fed Cup next month.

AFTER completing a successful year at the University of South Florida as a member of their Bulls men’s tennis team, Justin Roberts is hoping that he can take the momentum over to the International Tennis Federation’s Futures Tour.

In his second straight tournament in Spain, Roberts advanced to the main draw of singles in Martos, Spain, over the weekend.

He got a bye in the first round last week but pulled off a 6-3, 6-0 decision over Philip Sikman from Great Britain and 1-6, 6-4, 7-6 (4) over Vidit Vaghela of Indiana to get into the main draw.

“The first Futures, I had a rough loss in the last round of the qualifying, but this one was much better,” Roberts said. “It was good for me to flip the script this week and play much better than I did last week.

It’s good to have some progress.”

The week before, Rob-

SEE PAGE 4

LJ Rose takes part in a workout with the LA Lakers

by RENALDO DORSETT Tribune Sports Reporter rdorsett@tribunemedia.net

FOLLOWING an injury-shortened final collegiate season, LJ Rose has shifted his sights to the professional ranks and had an opportunity to attend a pre-draft workout for one of the NBA’s most storied franchises.

Rose participated in a workout for the Lakers last Friday at the training facility in El Segundo, California.

Following high-profile workouts featuring projected lottery picks Josh Jackson and Lonzo Ball last week and ahead of another lottery pick, De’Aaron Fox today, Rose worked out with a

group of lower tier prospects projected as second round picks.

Rose’s group included Sindarius Thornwell of South Carolina, Damyean Dotson of Houston, P.J. Dozier of South Carolina, Johnathan Motley of Baylor and Semi Ojeleye of SMU. Lakers President of Basketball Operations Magic Johnson and General Manager Rob Pelinka did not attend the workouts, however, Lakers head coach Luke Walton and his staff were in attendance.

The Lakers hold the No.2 and the No.28 pick in the first round of this year’s draft, but do not have a second-round choice.

In recent years, the franchise has selected late first round and

LJ ROSE

second round picks that have been pegged as building blocks of the future.

Jordan Clarkson was chosen as the 46th pick in the second round in 2014, followed by Larry Nance with the 27th pick in the first round in 2015 and Ivica Zubac as the 32nd pick in the second round last year.

Rose moved from one “Cougar” programme to another for the third stop of his NCAA basketball career when he transferred as a post-graduate from the University of Houston to BYU. Following an injury-plagued senior season with the Houston Cougars, where he appeared in just two games, Rose looked to conclude his collegiate career on

a strong note.

He started 25 games in his lone season with BYU and led the team with 4.5 assists per game to go along with 5.5 points and 4.6 rebounds. His season was cut short when he had surgery in February to repair a torn meniscus in his right knee.

Although he played sparingly as a senior in his final season in Houston, as a junior Rose averaged 9.8 points and 5.3 assists in a starting role when relatively healthy. In that season he became the 17th player in Houston history to register multiple seasons with at least 100 assists, dishing out 101 in 19 games.

SEE PAGE 4

PAGE 2, Tuesday, June 13, 2017

THE TRIBUNE

BAHAMAS SCORES EXTRA POINTS WITH REDSKINS ALUMNI AND FANS NASSAU, Bahamas — The three-day inaugural Doug Williams and Legends Weekend held in Nassau, Bahamas, June 8-11 was a tremendous success and players and Washington Redskins fans are already looking forward to next year’s event.

The event is in partnership with the Islands of The Bahamas and aims to promote the islands while giving fans of the Redskins a chance to experience the country. The goal is to attract as many of the hundreds of thousands of Washington Redskins fans as possible.

“The main focus of sports tourism is for us to find new avenues to get what we call heads in beds in The Bahamas and having this Doug Williams Celebrity Weekend is a great way to get the word out about The Bahamas. We were able to work with a local marketing group who, along with the Redskins, put together a package to create an event for the players and some of the fans just to enjoy some fun in The Bahamas,” said Jeffrey Rodgers, senior manager of sports tourism for Bahamas Tourist Office in Washington.

The weekend included a welcome reception and Junkanoo social at The Pier, a golf tournament at

Baha Mar’s Royal Blue golf course, a city tour, a golf and cheerleading clinic with Doug Williams and the Legends and a Sunset Cruise.

Doug Williams, Redskins Super Bowl XXII MVP, said he’s grateful for the opportunity to spread the word of what The Bahamas has to offer.

“Well, I think number one when you talk about The Bahamas you think about tourism. You want to do some things here that you can go back and share what you did, the fun that we had here and hopefully we can get more people to come down and visit The Bahamas and enjoy all the good that life has to offer,” Williams said.

Williams added that it is his wish that the inaugural weekend will get more people interested so that the event grows next year, and he feels confident it will.

“I think we had about 90 people that came down to enjoy. We had people come from Louisiana and a lot of people come from Denver, Houston, people from Washing DC area. Hopefully we can build this next year and the year after that so it can be one of the weekends that a lot of people want to take part in.”

Dexter Manley, first time visitor and Redskins alum-

WASHINGTON Redskins fans and players are already looking forward to next year’s Doug Williams and Legends Weekend. This year’s event, held in Nassau, Bahamas June 8-11, was deemed a tremendous success.

Photos: Kemuel Stubbs/MOT ni, said The Bahamas is a great venue and the event should happen year-round.

“I think it’s a great place, they should do this yearround. Doug Williams was MVP of the Superbowl XXII and I think there’s

some sort of relationship with the tourism. I’ve never seen such a beautiful place and beautiful people so this is God’s country to me,” Manley said.

Jeff Bostic, Redskins alumni, said the event could not get any better than it was. “If it was any better, I would not know how to act.

Beautiful weather, beautiful beaches, beautiful water, friendly people, great restaurants. If you want to come to a place that has it

all, it’s The Bahamas,” Bostic said.

Richard “Doc” Walker, alumni of the Redskins, said although he has visited The Bahamas before, he was looking forward to the waters.

“I’m looking forward to

the water, the beautiful water, the fact that you can see your toes in the water and it hasn’t been polluted and it’s been respected. I’m also looking forward to the great food, the people, we don’t have this and that’s why it’s special,” he said.

THE TRIBUNE

Tuesday, June 13, 2017, PAGE 3

Rumours swirl around Lakers and No. 2 pick Lonzo Ball WITH pre-draft rumours continuing to swirl around the Lakers and their second overall pick, here are some rumours that may actually pan out if the Lakers decide to pass on LA native and UCLA star point guard Lonzo Ball.

Lonzo So So With a report surfacing Sunday that the Los Angeles Lakers thought Lonzo Ball looked “out of shape” during his workout with the team, David Aldridge of NBA.com confirmed the report on Monday morning, when he wrote: “a few sources tell me that Ball has not had great pre-draft workouts.”

None of this is surprising. As various teams and agents try to get the players they want at this time of year, there are always going to be these types of leaks.

The best thing to do to stay sane during the silly season is to remember that every leak has a motivation, this stuff almost never happens by accident.

That being said, according to two other separate reports of Ball not looking great in his workouts isn’t necessarily a great look for him after how much bombast his family entered the draft process with.

Both reports stated that Ball shouldn’t be expected to look great in a one-onone workout, and there is also the fact that he might have had his conditioning set back by a late-season hamstring injury, but it’s still not ideal that he went into potentially the biggest job interviews in his life reportedly looking less than his best.

All of this still doesn’t really mean anything until June 22 when we’ll know

THE

PRESS BOX ZELAYA

BY INIGO ‘NAUGHTY’ ZENICA

what reports about the Lakers’ interest were smoke, and which were fire.

If not Lonzo ?????

As rumours swirl over which player the Los Angeles Lakers will select with the No. 2 pick in the 2017 NBA Draft, a report has surfaced that they may have already decided.

According to reports from Phoenix-based sports talk show host John Gambadoro of Arizona Sports 98.7, Kansas forward Josh Jackson “has been promised” and that said promise “likely” came from the Lakers, although Gambadoro himself notes it’s possible it came from the Philadelphia 76ers.

Does this mean the Lakers are for sure drafting Josh Jackson?

Absolutely not!

A lot of this stuff around draft time is theory-based, and it’s likely that this information or idea is coming from the Suns or someone around the Suns in this case. That person (or persons) don’t necessarily have knowledge on the Lakers’ thinking, they could just be connecting dots based on the information they have.

It’s also worth noting here that the Lakers are reportedly interested in confusing teams behind them in the draft, so this could be the results of that effort.

Possible ‘Dark Horse’ on the horizon NC State point guard Dennis Smith Jr’s workout sounds like it went extremely well. The Lakers brass were “very impressed” with what they saw from Smith, with one source adding that the Lakers “have some tough decisions to make.”

Smith himself said that Lakers head coach Luke Walton called his group “the hardest working group, out of all that we’ve hosted” and Mark Medina of the Southern California News Group reported that Smith posted a staggering 48-inch vertical leap when the team tested him.

All due praise to Smith aside, this doesn’t mean Ball getting selected is necessarily in jeopardy. Smith being impressive and Ball still being the better prospect can both be true.

It’s reportedly known that the Lakers want the rest of the league in the dark about who they’re picking, so all this could be smoke in order to make sure that a team that really wants Jackson or Smith has to try and trade up.

Alternatively, all of these reports could be accurate reflections of the Lakers’ thinking, and maybe that will really lead to them picking another player besides Ball. Perhaps they would even trade down and take

Miles Maura, 9, wins title at Summer Slam tennis tournament MILES Maura, a 9-yearold third-grade student of Lyford Cay International School, won the Orange Ball 10 & Under Division at the Rick Macci Summer Slam Tennis Tournament in Boca Raton, Florida.

The United States Tennis Association level 7 tournament was held May 27-28.

Maura advanced to the round-robin final after winning his two matches in Saturday’s preliminary round-robin. In the final round-robin play on Sunday, Maura defeated Alexander Khairi 4-0, 4-0 and Jerrid Gaines 4-3, 4-0 to clinch the division championship.

NINE-year-old Miles Maura in action.

NPSA PLAYERS OF THE WEEK STEAL THE SPOTLIGHT THE New Providence Softball Association has released its Players of the Week for the third week of their regular season from games played in the Banker’s Field at the Baillou Hills Sporting Complex.

The recipients are as follows: Ladies’ Division - Chandra Mackey of the Sunshine Auto Wildcats. She went 3-for-5 with two RBI and three runs scored.

Men’s Division - Keron Sands of the

BTC Warriors. He went 3-for-4 with four RBI and two runs scored.

The NPSA Players of the Week winners for the second week are as follows: Ladies’ Division - Rebecca Moss of the Sunshine Auto Wildcats. She went 3-for-3 with a RBI and four runs scored.

Men’s Division - Jordan Gibson of the BTC Warriors. He went 2-for-3 with five RBI and two runs scored.

CHANDRA MACKEY

REBECCA MOSS

KERON SANDS

JORDAN GIBSON

UNIVERSITY of California Los Angeles guard Lonzo Ball relaxes after a closed Lakers pre-draft workout in El Segundo, California.

(AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes) Smith (who is projected to go 10th overall by Draft Express) and get an extra asset if they really like him.

Again we really won’t know until June 22, although it won’t stop everyone from trying to guess until then.

This should tide you rabid Laker fans over until next week’s hot NBA Draft rumours.

I’m off to watch game 5 of the NBA Finals where, if my prediction stands the test, the Warriors will be NBA champions in 5!!

• Naughty presents ‘Mischief and Mayhem in da AM’ from 6am to 10am, Monday to Friday and ‘The Press Box’ sports talk show on Sunday from 10am to 1pm, on KISS FM 96.1.

Comments and questions to naughty@tribunemedia.net

PAGE 4, Tuesday, June 13, 2017

THE TRIBUNE

Quartet to represent Bahamas in Fed Cup FROM PAGE 1 they are juniors, they have some experience. The others are going for the first time. So it’s a young team.

“But we are hoping that the exposure that Iesha and Sierra got before will help them and while Sydney and Elana have represented the country at the junior level, this is the first time that they will be competing at the senior level.”

Last year, Shepherd and Donaldson, along with Gabriela Donaldson and Lauryn Daxon, represented the Bahamas in Puerto Rico where the team suffered four defeats to Puerto Rico, Guatemala, Dominican Republic and Uruguay.

However, Donaldson said the Fed Cup is going through a resurgence as they have not been able to get more of the seasoned players.

“The girls are training hard and getting better, but it will be a year or two before we see the development of these players,” he stressed. “We’re still hoping that the more seasoned players will eventually come home to compete for their spot on the team again.”

Donaldson said they are hoping that players like Simone Pratt, Danielle

Thompson, and Kerrie Cartwright will eventually be available to come back and play on the team in the future.

“These players were on the team the last time that we were in zone one,” Donaldson said.

“But in the meantime, we have to work with our younger players and on our base.”

The Bahamas has played in the Fed Cup and reached the Americas Zone Group One a couple of times.

Versatile Larikah Russell has posted a 31-17 record and a 14-8 showing in singles titles with Kerrie Cartwright, who is 14-6.

Russell also has the most doubles wins with a 17-9 record and she has teamed up with Nikita Fountain for the best performances by a team with an 11-9 showing.

Fountain has played in the most ties with 36 in a span of 10 years.

Going into the tie, the Bahamas is ranked at number 75 in the world with 167.5 points.

In preparation for the tie, the team will continue practicing at the National Tennis Centre on Thursdays from 4 to 6pm, Saturdays from 1 to 3pm and Sundays from 7 to 9am up until it’s time for them to travel.

NEW BASEBALL GEAR FOR MARIO FORD SUMMER CAMP REMAINING committed to the advancement of sports in The Bahamas, BTC decided to sponsor The Mario Ford Baseball Camp’s 31st annual summer session.

This camp provides a wholesome and safe environment for the youth of the inner-city, teaching them the key fundamentals of baseball.

Mario Ford, founder and camp coordinator, was presented with a cheque to assist with purchasing baseball gear such as helmets, mitts, bats and cleats.

“Equipment is so expensive and this sponsorship has been very beneficial. I am very happy that BTC is continuing to support

AJNA DARLING, public relations associate at BTC, presents Mario Ford, founder of the Mario Ford Baseball Camp, with a cheque.

The Mario Ford Baseball Camp,” said Ford.

The crucial principle

that Ford focuses on with his campers is the discipline and sportsmanship of

baseball.

“We try to keep them motivated and show them there is more to life than recreational baseball, there are avenues to go to the professional league,” said Ford.

BTC will continue to support other summer camp initiatives that cultivates the development of the sports community in The Bahamas.

“We are very happy to support this annual summer camp and any other camps that provide our children with honourable activities to participate in, while actively maintaining their health,” said Indira Collie, public relations manager at BTC.

JUSTIN ROBERTS ADVANCES TO MAIN DRAW IN SPAIN FROM PAGE 1 erts got eliminated in the qualifying round after he lost 6-1, 6-4 to Jose Maria Martin de Olivia Carr in Huelva, Spain.

“In these types of tournaments, the environment is quite different. For the most part, it’s individual and that is what I like to do,” he stressed. “I enjoy myself when I’m playing in these type of tourna-

ments.”

As he waits for his first round main draw match this week, Roberts said he’s going to take it one match and one point at a time and see if he can continue his string of victories in both singles and doubles.

“My collegiate season was very good. It has given me a lot of confidence,” he said. “I got injured at the end, but my first tournament back wasn’t what I had hoped for. But I got

my confidence back in the qualifying singles here after beating two quality players.

“So if I can just stay in the moment and not get ahead of myself, I should be okay. I’m looking forward to doing really well here in this tournament this week. Hopefully, I can be successful in winning all of my matches.”

The 20-year-old Roberts is currently ranked at 1,393 in singles, a little higher

than 1,202 he was pegged at in 2016.

Roberts, coached by Ashley Fisher at USF, helped the Bulls to their fourth straight conference title with a 6-4, 6-4 win over Danny Kerznerman of UCF. He also helped the Bulls to an upset over No.16 Mississippi State with a 2-6, 6-4, 6-4 win at No.2, earning him the American Athletic Conference Player of the Week.

LJ Rose takes part in a workout with the LA Lakers FROM PAGE 1 He was named to the Las Vegas Class All-tournament team that season, and was an American Athletic Conference honour roll nominee in February 2013.

In his sophomore year, and first with the Houston programme, he averaged 8.9 points and 5.5 assists per game.

At the national level for Team Bahamas, Rose was the starting point guard for the Bahamas

when they won gold at the 2014 Caribbean Basketball Confederation Championships. However, he suffered an injury in the opening game of the tournament and was relegated to the sidelines.

At 6’4”, 195 pounds, and a true point guard with a pass-first mentality, Rose was the ninth-ranked point guard in the class of 2012 by ESPN.com coming out of Westbury Christian Academy. He chose Baylor over Arizona, Memphis and Georgetown.

In his freshman season with the

Bears, he posted 0.9 points and 1.2 assists, in sparse playing time, prompting his transfer to Houston the following year where he gave the Cougars a strong Bahamian connection on the court with Rose, Mikhail McLean and Danrad Knowles.

Rose is the son of Lynden Sr and Marilyn Rose and comes from a strong basketball bloodline following the success of his father and his uncle, the late Cecil Rose.

Lynden Sr played collegiately

at Houston, where he was a member of Phi Slama Jama, and was selected by the Los Angeles Lakers in the sixth round of the 1982 NBA Draft. He went on to play professionally in the CBA and Europe and, at the national level, he played for the Bahamas in the 1991 Pan American Games.

At Houston, Lynden Sr played alongside current BYU coach Dave Rose on the Phi Slama Jama squads at Houston from 1980-82.

LJ Rose is also the cousin of former BYU guard Archie Rose,

who averaged 1.3 points and 0.3 assists per game in two seasons for the Cougars after transferring from Lee College.

Cecil Rose also played collegiately for Houston where he scored more than 1,200 points for the programme. He was selected in the 1978 Draft by the New Jersey Nets.

Cecil was a member of the famous “Miami Jackson Five” which included Mychal Thompson and played for the Bahamas at the 1977 Pan Am Games.

THE TRIBUNE

Tuesday, June 13, 2017, PAGE 5

JAMES SPECTACULAR AGAIN, BUT HIS EFFORTS NOT ENOUGH FOR CAVALIERS

By JOSH DUBOW AP Sports Writer OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) — LeBron James and Kyrie Irving were their usual brilliant selves. JR Smith and Tristan Thompson made big contributions.

Despite all that firepower, there would be no dramatic NBA Finals comeback this season.

Kevin Durant and the star-laden Golden State Warriors made sure of that.

James had 41 points, 13 rebounds and eight assists and Irving added 26 points but the Cavs never could dig out of a hole created by a second-quarter barrage and ended their season with a 129-120 loss to the Warriors

in Game 5 of the NBA Finals last night.

Cleveland has now lost two of the three showdowns in this Finals trilogy. Their one title came last year when the Cavs became the first NBA team to rally from a 3-1 Finals deficit to deliver the city its first major championship since 1964.

The Cavs managed to stave off elimination once in this series with a 137-116 win in Game 4 at home but couldn’t pull off another improbable comeback this year.

James had a spectacular series, averaging 33.6 points, 12 rebounds, and 10 assists but it wasn’t enough.

When it was over, James went straight to Durant and

gave a long embrace to his rival, who got revenge for losing the title with Oklahoma City to James’ Miami Heat five years ago.

Cleveland got off to a fast start and built a 41-33 lead on a dunk by James early in the second quarter. Durant appeared to commit his third foul on the play, but the officials let it go and the game quickly turned.

The Warriors responded with a 28-4 run for a lead they never gave up after that. The Cavs offence stagnated during that stretch as Cleveland missed 9 of 11 shots from the field, turned the ball over three times and had two missed free throws from Kevin Love.

The game-changing spurt

ended with a scuffle when Golden State’s David West shoved Irving as he tried to grab the ball away. Thompson and Smith confronted West and all three of those players got technical fouls.

James hit a 3-pointer on the next possession and the Cavs didn’t go away, cutting a 17-point deficit to three in the opening minute of the fourth quarter with help from Smith’s 25 points.

But unlike last year’s comeback when they took advantage of Harrison Barnes’ offensive struggles, Durant answered every charge during a 39-point night and Cleveland will need to find new answers if these teams meet in a fourth straight Finals next season.

CLEVELAND Cavaliers forward LeBron James reacts during the second half of Game 5 of the NBA Finals against the Golden State Warriors last night.

(AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)

LEBRON SAYS HE’D WANT MAGIC, JORDAN AS HIS 3-ON-3 TEAMMATES

By DOUG FEINBERG AP Basketball Writer LEBRON James most likely won’t be playing in the new 3-on-3 competition at the 2020 Olympics.

And it’s even less likely that Michael Jordan or Magic Johnson will participate.

But a trio of MJ, Magic and LeBron in a 3-on-3 tournament would be, let’s just say, formidable.

The Cleveland Cavaliers star didn’t hesitate when asked by The Associated Press who his dream teammates would be for the Tokyo Games. That’s right, Michael and Magic — the leaders of the 1992 Dream Team.

When asked by the AP which current players he’d love to team with, James was a bit more cautious.

“I don’t know, I have to think about it,” James said before practice Sunday as he prepared for Game 5 of the NBA Finals.

While James said fans shouldn’t expect to see him in the competition — it’s still unclear if the NBA will even allow its players to compete — he is happy the new hoops tournament was

added.

“It’s great for basketball,” he said. “For us to be able to add another category to the Olympics, another basketball category, I think it’s pretty great. I haven’t seen the full layout of how they plan on executing it ... are they going to use NBA guys, are they going to use college guys. I’m not quite sure.

“I’m not very good in a 3-on-3 thing. I’m more of a 5-on-5 guy. I stay out of the 1-on-1 matchups during our practice, the 2-on-2 and the 3-on-3s. So probably not. I probably won’t be a part of the 3-on-3 matchup.”

The new Olympic event was added Friday by the International Olympic Committee. There will be eight men’s teams and eight women’s teams competing.

As far as what teams are selected and how teams qualify, that’s still unclear.

“They don’t want just the basketball powers to compete in 3-on-3,” said USA Basketball CEO Jim Tooley.

“FIBA will get together and figure out how teams will qualify. They will definitely want to reward countries that have been doing a

THIS September 21, 1991 file photo shows Michael Jordan, left, and Earvin “Magic” Johnson holding their uniforms for the 1992 US Olympic Basketball team in Chicago. (AP) lot of 3-on-3 activities.”

The US has been pushing 3-on-3 over the past few years and held a national tournament last month.

The winners will head to the World Cup in France later this month.

“The last few years, we have made a major push in 3-on-3 basketball with our nationwide Dew NBA 3X tour and several international 3-on-3 competitions.

The Olympic stage will provide these elite athletes

BAHAMIAN PLAYERS TO HEADLINE THE BATTLE 4 ATLANTIS FROM PAGE 1 North Carolina State Wolfpack (ACC), Tennessee Volunteers (SEC), SMU Mustangs (AAC) and the Northern Iowa Panthers (MVC).

This means Bahamians will get an early look at Ayton, one of the sought after basketball prospects in America during what many expect to be his lone season of NCAA basketball and the final stop in Coleby’s collegiate career during his post-graduate season.

The 2016 tournament included the Michigan State Spartans and Bahamian guard Lourawls “Tum Tum” Nairn who enters his senior season with the Spartans this fall.

The remainder of the field included Louisville Cardinals, the Wichita State Shockers, St John’s Red Storm, Virginia Commonwealth University Rams, the eventual tournament champion Baylor Bears, LSU Tigers and Old Dominion Monarchs.

The 2016 field will also mark the second time the Cardinals played in the Battle 4 Atlantis following their appearance in 2012.

They fell to Duke in the tournament finale in Nassau but went on to win the NCAA national title.

The 2015 tournament featured another strong Bahamian presence with the Texas A and M Aggies’ Tavario Miller and Texas Longhorns’ Shaquille Cleare.

That year’s field also included the Gonzaga Bulldogs, Michigan Wolverines, UConn Huskies, Charlotte 49ers, Syracuse Orangemen and Washington Huskies.

Buddy Hield of the Oklahoma Sooners and Wannah Bail of the UCLA Bruins

became the first Bahamians to play in the tournament when they competed in 2014.

The Wisconsin Badgers went on to win the title in a field that also included the UAB Blazers, Florida Gators, Georgetown Hoyas, Butler Bulldogs and the North Carolina Tar Heels.

The tournament is staged at the 3,900-seat Imperial Arena, a ballroom converted into a basketball venue.

The event is televised live on ESPN and AXS TV. ESPN2 airs opening round games while ESPN airs the semi-finals, third place and championship games.

Ayton announced his decision to attend Arizona, in a press conference broadcasted live on ESPN’s Sportscenter.

The No.1 recruit for the class of 2017, he chose Arizona over Kentucky and Kansas. He became the first top overall recruit to commit to a Pac-12 team since Kevin Love did so for UCLA. Ayton began a recruitment run for Sean Miller and the Wildcats which saw them rise all the way to No.3 in the rankings for the class of 2017.

The star-studded 2017 class also includes Emmanuel Akot who was ranked No. 15 overall and as the No. 3 small forward in the 2018 class before he reclassified to this year. Sharpshooter Brandon Randolph will join them and four-star recruits Ira Lee and Alex Barcello.

“I made Arizona home at Hillcrest Prep,” Ayton said during his announcement. “My mom, my family can benefit coming to my games. We really trust their programme. I know they can help me get to the next level.”

During the course of the

regular season, Ayton averaged 30 points, 19 rebounds and 5.7 blocks for Hillcrest.

Coleby committed to the Hilltoppers as a graduate transfer from the University of Kansas and will become immediately eligible for the upcoming Fall 2017 campaign.

Last season a junior, Coleby averaged 1.7 points and 1.8 rebounds per game in his first season in a Jayhawks uniform.

Stansbury was previously linked to Coleby after he originally recruited him during his tenure at Mississippi State while Coleby attended the Piney Woods School in Mississippi.

A busy offseason for the Hilltoppers included signing JUCO star Jordan Brangers, Austin Peay transfer Jared Savage and has been highlighted by the highest rated incoming recruit in programme history, McDonald’s All-American and five-star prospect – Mitchell Robinson.

In his second year at the helm in Western Kentucky, head coach Rick Stansbury beat out teams for Robinson, the four-star Brangers, three stars Josh Anderson, Taveion Hollingsworth and Chris Duarte. He also added Marek Nelson, a small forward from Sunrise Christian Academy who reclassified from the 2018 class.

Both Ayton and Coleby have had experiences as members of the Bahamas senior men’s national teams.

Ayton made his Bahamian national team debut with the men’s Centrobasket team that finished seventh in Panama in July 2016 while Coleby was a member of the gold medal-winning CBC Championships team in the British Virgin Islands in 2014.

with the opportunity to further demonstrate their talents,” according to NBA Deputy Commissioner Mark Tatum.

NBA players grew up playing 3-on-3 and welcomed its addition, even if they don’t end up playing.

Draymond Green is one

those players, and said one reason he is in a favour of it is because “guys can win that are not pro athletes.”

The Golden State Warriors forward said “that could be really good. You see in these other sports where they go compete in the Olympics but they have regular day jobs. I think that can be like that for 3-on-3. So I think that can be great.”

While the new event may not have NBA guys competing, count Breanna Stewart as one WNBA player who would love the chance to play in both basketball events if possible.

“Sure, I’d love to do it,” said Stewart, who won her first Olympic gold medal at the Rio Games.

“Whenever I can put on a USA Basketball jersey ...

I’d be happy to.”

The US has never won a men’s gold medal while playing in the 3-on-3 World Cup, which began in 2012.

Serbia has won the title

twice and Qatar was the champion in 2014. The Americans won the silver in 2016 after finishing 14th in 2014.

The women won gold medals in 2012 and 2014 before settling for the bronze in 2016.

“Definitely I would play in it again if offered the opportunity,” said Bria Hartley, who was part of the first title team in 2012, pairing with fellow WNBA players Chiney Ogwumike, Skylar Diggins and Ann Strother.

“It was so much fun and it’s so fast-paced.”

The rules are made for up-tempo competition .

With one 10-minute period, the 3-on-3 is a lot quicker than its 5-on-5 counterpart.

A game can end even sooner if a team scores 21 points in less than 10 minutes. If the game is tied after 10 minutes, it goes into overtime with the first team scoring two points in OT wins.

Calling All High

SCHOOL STUDENTS

Every year in August THE TRIBUNE publishes a popular Back to School supplement as a guide to the following academic year.

In the supplement we feature the profiles of high school students across the Bahamas and Family Islands.

We want profiles from as many schools and students as possible to make this guide essential and informative.

Profiles must include 1. Name 2. Age 3. School 4. Grade 5. Parent name or names 6. Goals and aspirations, prizes won and honours awarded

7. Name of college they will be attending (if attending) Plus a suitable photograph in .jpeg format (graduation or any other image).

How to submit profiles Email to back2school@ tribunemedia.net with ‘Back To School’ in the subject field and photos in .jpeg format.

By post to Back To School, The Tribune, Shirley Street & Deveaux Streets, PO Box N-3207, Nassau.

By hand to The Tribune office The deadline for the profiles is June 30, 2017 and there is no cost involved. For any questions please contact Tribune Features at 5022380 or 502-2391.

THE TRIBUNE

Tuesday, June 13, 2017, PAGE 7

Kiwis clinch spot against Oracle Team USA in America’s Cup

By BERNIE WILSON AP Sports Writer IT’S on again, mates.

The 35th America’s Cup match will be another showdown between Oracle Team USA and Emirates Team New Zealand, a rematch of the epic 2013 regatta that was decided by one of the greatest comebacks — and collapses — in sports.

Emirates Team New Zealand earned its spot in the finals of sailing’s marquee regatta when it sped away from Sweden’s Artemis Racing on Bermuda’s Great Sound yesterday to clinch the challenger finals at 5-2.

It’s almost as if it were preordained that the scrappy Kiwis, now led by unflappable 26-year-old helmsman Peter Burling, would once again face the powerhouse US squad owned

by Silicon Valley maverick Larry Ellison, skippered by nails-tough Australian Jimmy Spithill and featuring few Americans on the race crew.

“We definitely feel like we’re in great shape to take on Oracle now,” Burling

said.

The match starts Saturday with Races 1 and 2.

Oracle Team USA needs to win seven races to keep the oldest trophy in international sports. Because Oracle won a bonus point by winning the qualifiers, Team New Zealand must win eight races.

In 2013, Oracle Team USA started at minus-2 after being penalised in the biggest cheating scandal in America’s Cup history. It still won.

Emirates Team New Zealand reached match point at 8-1 on San Francisco Bay. It had a big lead in what could have been the clinching race, but the breeze died and the time limit expired.

Later that day, Oracle Team USA began an eight-race winning streak that allowed it to retain the Auld Mug. On Monday in the challenger finals, a first attempt at Race 7 was abandoned at the 25-minute time limit with the boats crawling in barely a knot of wind.

In freshening breeze a few hours later, the Kiwis dominated. They finally

IN this photo provided by the America’s Cup Event Authority, Emirates Team New Zealand, left, competes against Sweden’s Artemis Racing on the third day of the best-of-nine America’s Cup challenger finals on Bermuda’s Great Sound yesterday. (AP) won a start against Artemis skipper Nathan Outteridge.

Their 50-foot catamaran rose up on hydrofoils and showed its incredible speed in a 56-second, wire-towire victory.

There were subdued celebrations aboard the Kiwi cat until a magnum of champagne arrived . Grinder-trimmer Blair Tuke, who teamed with Burling to win Olympic gold and silver

medals, popped the cork and sprayed his mates.

Their focus has to shift immediately to trying to atone for the mind-blowing loss in 2013.

“That’s why we came to Bermuda, that’s what we’re here to do is bring that Cup back home to New Zealand,” said Burling, who replaced the fired Dean Barker after the 2013 collapse.

“We feel like we’ve had

THE WEATHER REPORT

5-Day Forecast

TODAY

ORLANDO

High: 84° F/29° C Low: 71° F/22° C

TAMPA

TONIGHT

WEDNESDAY

THURSDAY

FRIDAY

SATURDAY

Clouds and sun with a shower or two

Partly cloudy, warm; a shower late

Some sun with a brief shower or two

Partly sunny with a shower or two

Mostly cloudy with a thunderstorm

A couple of afternoon showers

High: 93°

Low: 81°

High: 93° Low: 80°

High: 93° Low: 80°

High: 91° Low: 78°

High: 92° Low: 79°

AccuWeather RealFeel

AccuWeather RealFeel

AccuWeather RealFeel

AccuWeather RealFeel

AccuWeather RealFeel

AccuWeather RealFeel

100° F

86° F

100°-85° F

102°-86° F

101°-82° F

99°-83° F

High: 86° F/30° C Low: 76° F/24° C

The exclusive AccuWeather RealFeel Temperature® is an index that combines the effects of temperature, wind, humidity, sunshine intensity, cloudiness, precipitation, pressure and elevation on the human body—everything that affects how warm or cold a person feels. Temperatures reflect the high and the low for the day.

N

almanac

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High: 84° F/29° C Low: 80° F/27° C

7-14 knots

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WEST PALM BEACH High: 88° F/31° C Low: 77° F/25° C

6-12 knots

FT. LAUDERDALE E

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FREEPORT

High: 87° F/31° C Low: 79° F/26° C

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High: 87° F/31° C Low: 76° F/24° C

MIAMI

High: 88° F/31° C Low: 79° F/26° C

6-12 knots

KEY WEST

High: 88° F/31° C Low: 80° F/27° C

Statistics are for Nassau through 2 p.m. yesterday Temperature High ................................................... 90° F/32° C Low .................................................... 76° F/24° C Normal high ....................................... 87° F/30° C Normal low ........................................ 74° F/23° C Last year’s high ................................. 90° F/32° C Last year’s low ................................... 77° F/25° C Precipitation As of 2 p.m. yesterday ................................. 0.14” Year to date ................................................. 5.12” Normal year to date ................................... 10.63”

ELEUTHERA

NASSAU

High: 93° F/34° C Low: 81° F/27° C

Forecasts and graphics provided by AccuWeather, Inc. ©2017

High: 85° F/29° C Low: 80° F/27° C

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High: 85° F/29° C Low: 79° F/26° C

N

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ANDROS

Shown is today’s weather. Temperatures are today’s highs and tonight’s lows.

uV inDex toDay

The higher the AccuWeather UV IndexTM number, the greater the need for eye and skin protection.

tiDes For nassau High Today

Ht.(ft.)

Low

Ht.(ft.)

11:08 a.m.

11:26 p.m.

2.2 2.8

5:17 a.m.

5:07 p.m.

0.2 0.3

Wednesday 11:52 a.m.

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2.2 -----

5:57 a.m.

5:51 p.m.

0.3 0.4

Thursday

12:08 a.m.

12:39 p.m.

2.7 2.3

6:40 a.m.

6:41 p.m.

0.3 0.5

Friday

12:54 a.m.

1:31 p.m.

2.7 2.4

7:25 a.m.

7:36 p.m.

0.3 0.6

Saturday

1:45 a.m.

2:27 p.m.

2.6 2.5

8:15 a.m.

8:38 p.m.

0.2 0.5

Sunday

2:41 a.m.

3:26 p.m.

2.6 2.7

9:07 a.m.

9:42 p.m.

0.1 0.4

Monday

3:40 a.m.

4:25 p.m.

2.6 2.9

10:02 a.m. -0.1 10:46 p.m. 0.2

sun anD moon Sunrise Sunset

6:20 a.m.

8:00 p.m.

Moonrise Moonset

11:14 p.m.

9:45 a.m.

Last

New

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Jun. 17

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them was Outteridge falling overboard in Race 3 on Saturday.

It’s a bittersweet departure for Artemis. It had to regroup after the tragic death of Andrew “Bart” Simpson — Percy’s partner in winning Olympic gold and silver medals — when its 72-foot catamaran broke apart on San Francisco Bay in May 2013.

Percy said the sailors were “hugely disappointed. We felt we could go all the way this time, and we haven’t.”

But, he added, “We have climbed a huge, huge mountain together and got ourselves to a point where I think everyone can see undeniably we are right up there with the best of this great sport of sailing. So we do take pride from that.”

Team New Zealand first won the America’s Cup in 1995, with Russell Coutts skippering a 5-0 victory against Dennis Conner off San Diego.

It defended in 2000, lost it in 2003 and reached the match again in 2007 before losing.

an incredibly tough road to get here. We’ve gone through a lot of adversity with the things like the capsize and some tough races here and there. But one thing about this team is they’ve dug super deep to get us to this point, keep making the boat go faster while fixing the things that we’ve broken.”

The Kiwis capsized last Tuesday, throwing three sailors into the water and extensively damaging their catamaran. They came back two days later and clinched their semi-final against Britain.

Oracle Team USA beat Team New Zealand twice in the round-robins.

Artemis, led by Olympic gold medallists Outteridge of Australia and Iain Percy of Britain, looked good in practice races earlier this spring but didn’t find its stride until late in the trials. It rebounded from a 3-1 deficit to win four straight races against SoftBankTeam Japan to win its challenger semi-final, but too many unforced errors cost it against the Kiwis. Among

SAN SALVADOR

GREAT EXUMA

High: 85° F/29° C Low: 79° F/26° C

High: 85° F/29° C Low: 80° F/27° C

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High: 86° F/30° C Low: 81° F/27° C

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LONG ISLAND

insurance management tracking map

High: 86° F/30° C Low: 80° F/27° C

8-16 knots

MAYAGUANA High: 85° F/29° C Low: 80° F/27° C

Shown is today’s weather. Temperatures are today’s highs and

CROOKED ISLAND / ACKLINS

tonight’s lows.

RAGGED ISLAND High: 84° F/29° C Low: 80° F/27° C

H

High: 85° F/29° C Low: 80° F/27° C

GREAT INAGUA High: 87° F/31° C Low: 80° F/27° C

N

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8-16 knots

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marine Forecast ABACO ANDROS CAT ISLAND CROOKED ISLAND ELEUTHERA FREEPORT GREAT EXUMA GREAT INAGUA LONG ISLAND MAYAGUANA NASSAU RAGGED ISLAND SAN SALVADOR

Today: Wednesday: Today: Wednesday: Today: Wednesday: Today: Wednesday: Today: Wednesday: Today: Wednesday: Today: Wednesday: Today: Wednesday: Today: Wednesday: Today: Wednesday: Today: Wednesday: Today: Wednesday: Today: Wednesday:

WINDS SE at 6-12 Knots ESE at 6-12 Knots E at 8-16 Knots ESE at 7-14 Knots E at 8-16 Knots ESE at 7-14 Knots E at 8-16 Knots E at 8-16 Knots ESE at 7-14 Knots ESE at 7-14 Knots ESE at 6-12 Knots ESE at 6-12 Knots E at 8-16 Knots ESE at 7-14 Knots E at 8-16 Knots E at 8-16 Knots E at 8-16 Knots ESE at 7-14 Knots E at 8-16 Knots ESE at 8-16 Knots ESE at 6-12 Knots ESE at 6-12 Knots E at 8-16 Knots ESE at 7-14 Knots E at 8-16 Knots ESE at 7-14 Knots

WAVES 3-5 Feet 3-5 Feet 1-3 Feet 1-3 Feet 3-5 Feet 3-5 Feet 3-6 Feet 3-5 Feet 3-6 Feet 3-5 Feet 1-3 Feet 1-3 Feet 1-3 Feet 1-3 Feet 3-6 Feet 3-5 Feet 2-4 Feet 2-4 Feet 4-7 Feet 3-6 Feet 1-3 Feet 1-3 Feet 3-5 Feet 2-4 Feet 2-4 Feet 2-4 Feet

VISIBILITY 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 5 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 5 Miles 7 Miles 5 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 6 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 5 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 6 Miles 10 Miles 7 Miles 10 Miles 5 Miles 10 Miles

WATER TEMPS. 82° F 82° F 85° F 85° F 82° F 82° F 83° F 83° F 82° F 82° F 83° F 83° F 84° F 84° F 83° F 83° F 84° F 84° F 84° F 84° F 78° F 78° F 84° F 83° F 83° F 83° F

NBA CHAMPIONS

PAGE 8, Tuesday, June 13, 2017

THE TRIBUNE

GOLDEN State Warriors players, coaches and owners pose for photos last night after Game 5 of the NBA Finals against the Cleveland Cavaliers. The Warriors won 129-120 to win the NBA championship.

(AP Photos/Marcio Jose Sanchez)

Durant, Curry lead Warriors to title

By JANIE MCCAULEY AP Sports Writer OAKLAND, California (AP) — As the gold confetti fell and a fresh gray NBA champion cap sat a tad off-kilter on his head, Kevin Durant embraced mother Wanda. Then he moved across the podium and hugged Stephen Curry before accepting his shiny MVP trophy and hoisting it for everyone to see.

From the Bay all the way to OKC. Durant capped his spectacular first season with the Warriors by bringing home that coveted NBA championship he joined Golden State last July so determined to get, scoring 39 points in a fast-and-furious, Finals-clinching 129-120 victory over LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers in Game 5 last night.

“It’s just a great group of guys, great community, great arena, great fans,” Durant said. “I’m just so happy to be a part of it.”

Stephen Curry added 34 points, 10 assists, six rebounds and three steals as Golden State closed out its second title in three years after squandering a 3-1 lead a year ago to the Cavs to miss a repeat. That stung ever since, and even Durant understood, because he gave up the same lead to the Warriors a round earlier with Oklahoma City.

“We learned from everything we’ve been through,” Curry said during the trophy celebration. “Our perspective, being blessed to play on this stage three years in a row, it’s for these fans, for our organisation, for these families. To be back here, bring ol’ Larry back home, I’m just excited

SCENES around the court last night after the Warriors won the NBA title. to do something special.

I’m ready to do it again.”

James, who in 2012 with Miami beat the Thunder in Durant’s only other Finals, wound up with 41 points, 13 rebounds and eight assists.

“I left everything on the floor every game,” James said after averaging a tripledouble in his eighth Finals.

Kyrie Irving followed up his 40-point gem in Friday’s Game 4 with 26 points but shot 9 for 22.

This time, King James gave way to KD, who was the NBA Finals MVP 10 years after being picked second in the NBA draft behind Greg Oden.

“Well I’m not happy he won his first, I’m not happy at all,” James said. “... Getting that first championship for me was like having my first son.”

Durant drove left, right and down the middle, knocked down 3-pointers, dished and dunked. He hit

a 17-foot fadeaway over James early in the fourth quarter, then assisted on a 3-pointer by Andre Iguodala the next time down as the Warriors pulled away.

Iguodala, the 2015 Finals MVP, came up big again with his 2017 postseasonbest 20 points off the bench in a testy, tightly called finale to this trilogy Finals that everyone had stamped on the calendar from the moment Durant departed Oklahoma City to join Curry and Co. last July.

The Warriors won in 2015 before the Cavs made their historic comeback last year.

Then it was Golden State’s time again, with Durant as the prized addition.

Durant shot 14 for 20 and Curry — the two-time reigning MVP who took a backseat as the new big star got acclimated — finished off a brilliant postseason.

Not to mention a healthy one after his 2016 injuries.

Draymond Green stayed on the court in a game that featured three technicals on one play 3:08 before halftime. David West fought for the ball with Irving, then they got tangled up and Tristan Thompson entered the fray and he and West went at each other face-toface. West, Thompson and J.R. Smith received techs after a replay review.

Green had sat out this very game a year ago, suspended because of flagrant foul point accumulation after he swiped at James’ groin in Game 4. He had 10 points, 12 rebounds and five assists in the clincher.

“I had a letdown last year,” Green said. “If KD was the consolation prize to lose, thanks for that loss, and we’re champs this year.”

With a much-improved bench led by Iguodala, JaVale McGee, Shaun Livingston and West, that

“Strength In Numbers” slogan that has become such a staple the past two seasons shined all season long, from Durant’s 19-game absence late in the regular season with a left knee injury to assistant coach Mike Brown stepping in for 11 postseason games to lead the way while Steve Kerr was ailing.

During the trophy ceremony, Kerr said, “I want to say a special thank you to Mike Brown and my whole coaching staff.”

The reigning NBA Coach of the Year returned for Game 2 of the Finals following a six-week absence from the bench.

On Monday, Golden State used a 27-4 secondquarter run to take charge — just after it appeared Durant should have been called for a third foul on a basket by James — and got to celebrate right at home in Oakland surrounded by a deafening home crowd

waving yellow rally towels and holding up phones to shoot video and photos as the final minute of the clock ticked away.

The buzzer sounded and gold confetti began to fall.

The Warriors became the first Bay Area team to capture a championship at home since the A’s finished the Los Angeles Dodgers in Game 5 of the 1974 World Series.

A year ago, these Warriors fell short after a record-setting season that included a 24-0 start and 73 victories at the end to break the 1995-96 Chicago Bulls’ wins mark.

Durant even hugged James. And that was just the start.

Still on the court, he and Curry looked into each other’s eyes, did a little shake then slapped hands several times.

Two playful superstars who found a way to coexist through all the questions and constant scrutiny, together and smiling as champions.