TEAM USA NOTES
SAN JUAN – Kenyon Martin apparently will just have to wait to get his contract done. And that wait likely will go to next summer, teammate Jason Kidd believes.
“I don’t think they’re going to get K-Mart done until next summer,” Kidd said last night before the U.S. Olympic qualifying team played Brazil here. “He made that decision, I think. I don’t know if they’re still talking now, but from what I understand they’re just going to wait till next season. He’s in no position to get it done right now.”
Martin, who can become a restricted free agent after this upcoming season, sought a maximum contract from the Nets, who re-upped Kidd for his max – six years, $103 million. But the Nets’ offer of about $65 million was well below the $87M Martin wanted.
Martin, added to the team here this week to replace Karl Malone, has declined comment on his contract. “This is not about Kenyon right now. It’s all about this [tournament],” he said. While the Nets figure to save several million, the danger they face is having an unhappy Martin all season.
Kidd also expressed his delight at the Nets officially signing Lucious Harris, his teammate back in Dallas. “It’s always good to have Lou back. He’s a true professional, a great teammate,” Kidd said.
* It took one game for the first major upset. Argentina, the top seed in Group B and the silver medal team at last summer’s World Championships, fell to unheralded Mexico, 91-89, in the FIBA Americas Olympic Qualifying Tournament.
Manu Ginobili, who picked up an NBA championship ring with the Spurs, missed a desperation 3-pointer at the buzzer as Mexico completed its stunning victory behind 20 points from Eduardo Najera of Dallas, 13 points from center Horacio Llamas, formerly of Phoenix, and about nine tons of Argentine overconfidence.
“No team should be overconfident,” Llamas said through an interpreter. “We’re playing qualifications for the Olympics.”
The Dominican Republic avoided an upset by hanging on to beat Venezuela, 78-76, as Franklin Western scored 25 points. Then home team Puerto Rico defeated Uruguay, 91-78, behind 20 points apiece from Utah’s Carlos Arroyo and Jose Ortiz.
Malone may have left the qualifying event because of his mother’s death, but he remains with the team through a strong message he delivered. “Karl, before he left, he gave us a great speech about how we had to work and ‘losing’ is not even in our vocabulary,” said Clipper Elton Brand. “I think everybody brings that into this qualifying round.”