When U.S. Olympic team members Jason Kidd, left, Kobe Bryant, center, and Dwyane Wade weren’t playing blackjack, shopping for Ferrari merchandise or enjoying Las Vegas’ other entertainment options, they found time for a little basketball.
Monday, July 28, 2008 | 2 a.m.
Sun Expanded Sports Coverage
A guy walked by the high-roller lounge at Wynn the other night, with his four kids in tow, and stopped in his tracks when he saw who was playing blackjack at the $500-minimum table.
“Look,” said the man, peeking in, “that’s Jason Kidd.”
The veteran NBA guard and U.S. national team spark, who has made more than $136 million in his career, sat just inside the parlor, to the left, with his back to the casino floor.
Every few seconds, Kidd shot a glance to his left or right, curious about who might be spying on him.
Three guys at a bar looked at Kidd and watched Team USA forward Carmelo Anthony walk by with a mini-posse.
“There are a lot of other places they could have gone to practice,” said one of the bar patrons. “I like college kids playing in the Olympics. They appreciate it. I don’t think these guys appreciate it.”
Occasionally, pockets of two, three and four kids strolled by. They wore basketball shorts almost to their ankles and T-shirts from their hometowns or touting their favorite teams.
Forget that the Wynn has an age restriction. Minors must be accompanied by an adult, a sign near parking garage reads.
These kids were playing in the three Under-17 summer prep tournaments being staged all over town, but they’ve already learned that certain rules do not apply to them.
If they play their cards right, maybe they, too, soon will be ogled by the public as they play high-stakes blackjack.
Those scenes played out all over town over the past 2 1/2 weeks, when a confluence of events turned Las Vegas into the epicenter of basketball.
The senses were overwhelmed by plaid shorts and fans who shouldn’t wearing basketball jerseys, by nachos and chicken fingers, and by wild-eyed, screaming parents.
Prep prospect Shawn Kemp Jr., wearing braces and almost whispering, talked matter-of-factly about overcoming playing with the burden of that name.
Arsaland Kamazi, who has an Energizer-bunny motor and an infectious laugh, must disarm peers at his North Carolina high school when they query him about Iran. He landed in the States five months ago and is an impressive player and person.
Top recruit Derrick Favors, who mentioned only about 20 schools when asked about his “list,” said he and his teammates mostly played video games at their South Point headquarters during their down time.
At the NBA Summer League, O.J. Mayo, Kevin Love and Jerryd Bayless fared well, but only 30 percent of the players from those 21 teams will draw NBA paychecks this season.
The reality of those 10 days was that more than 400 scouts, agents, general managers and coaches from Europe, Asia and South America were there to stock their teams.
Sinking a baseline jumper or having a good game — or not — determined whether someone would get a rich contract in Russia or leftovers for a second-division squad in Argentina.
Former UNLV swingman Romel Beck played in Italy last season and might go to Croatia or Russia this season.
“All it takes is one game to catch someone’s eye,” he said. “If you come out here and play well, you could set yourself up with the possibility of making a lot of money.”
Team USA stayed at the Wynn and trained at Valley High, a quaint venue for such a prestigious team preparing for the Olympics in China. But Michael Redd beamed about the high school’s amenities.
All of the Americans raved about Las Vegas, where they practiced for a total of 87 days the previous two summers.
The U.S. went 10-0, winning by an average score of 117-77, at the FIBA Americas tournament a year ago and thrashed Canada, 120-65, at the Thomas & Mack Center on Friday night in its last Olympic tuneup on home soil.
Dwyane Wade received massages, rested and ate at fine restaurants. He shuffled down to the Wynn blackjack tables every other day to play for about an hour.
At the $15 tables?
“Yeah, something like that,” said Wade, smiling. “Nothing like Charles Barkley. I’ll leave it at that.”
He didn’t mingle at the Ferrari dealership with the red F430, worth about $175,000, at its entrance. Wade has made more than $25 million from the Miami Heat over the past five years.
“Not going in there,” he said. “Can’t afford one of them cars.”
Derrick Rose, on the select team that scrimmaged against Team USA, bought a little black leather wallet, bearing Ferrari’s famous horse logo, for $130. Nice guy, said a clerk.
Chris Paul raved about “O” at Bellagio. He walked the Strip with his girlfriend, dined with her and his parents, rested and played “a little” blackjack.
“I love it here,” he said. “I come to Las Vegas all the time. I love to get away from it all.”
The young bucks seem just as savvy about the city.
Kenny Boynton, the standout guard from Florida whose team stayed at Circus Circus and won the Reebok title, came to Las Vegas for a sixth consecutive summer.
As a 12-year-old, against older and bigger foes, he pelted 45 points on a team from Oregon. He has an unconscious shooting range and the Globetrotters would covet his dribbling skills.
He spent the final seconds of Sunday’s championship game at Foothill High making a poor defender look silly by dribbling around his back and through his legs, while whirling like a dervish.
“But I want people who read this to know that I showed I could play defense, that I’m not just a shooting guard,” Boynton said. “And I’m a winner.”
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