Want to know if the U.S. men's Olympic basketball team goes for the jugular each time out? Interested in who will give the Dream Teamers the toughest time Down Under? How do the American hoopsters handle criticism over being too good?
Who better to ask than the men paid to think about these questions -- the coaches. So, The Japan Times cornered Larry Brown and Tubby Smith -- two of Team USA's three assistant coaches (Purdue's Gene Keady is the other) -- during last week's practice for the Super Dream Games in Saitama. The pair were happy to sit down and share their insights on basketball, the Olympics and anything else we asked about.
Before we go any further, let's clarify one thing here and now. The term "assistant coach" is a bit of a misnomer when used to describe Brown and Smith. Both have been in the business for years and have enjoyed immense success everywhere they've worked. In his 29 years as a head coach, Brown -- currently the Philadelphia 76ers boss -- has led nine teams at the college and professional levels. In 1988, he guided the Kansas Jayhawks to the NCAA title.