From Deseret News archives:

Utah Jazz: Olympic hopes still alive for Koufos

Published: Sunday, July 20, 2008 12:11 a.m. MDT
 |  E-MAIL | PRINT | FONT + - 
TAYLORSVILLE — Jazz rookie Kosta Koufos' hopes for playing in the Olympic Games remain alive, as do those of Jazz 2008 second-round draft choice Ante Tomic.

The American-born Koufos holds dual U.S.-Greek citizenship, but the 19-year-old chose to play for the Jazz's entry in the Rocky Mountain Revue NBA summer league rather than for Greece in the FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament in Athens.

Greece beat the Puerto Rican team of ex-Jazz point guard Carlos Arroyo 88-63 in a FIBA semifinal game Saturday, earning a berth at next month's Summer Games in Beijing. Croatia beat Germany 76-70 — despite a 30-point, 13-rebound showing from Dallas Mavericks star Dirk Nowitzki — in the other semi and qualified as well.

Puerto Rico, which according to an Associated Press report lost Orlando Magic free agent Arroyo to a torn leg muscle, will play Germany today for the last Olympic invite.

Koufos probably won't learn until sometime later this week if he'll be added to Greece's Olympic roster, though he has consistently said since the Jazz selected him out of Ohio State with the 23rd overall pick in last June's NBA Draft that the possibility remains open.

On one hand, he's widely regarded as Greece's best big man.

Story continues below
But, on the other, his age and his absence from the qualifying tourney could make him a national-club candidate only for the future.

"They're a great team," Koufos — who had a 12-point, 10-rebound double-double, but shot just 3-of-11 from the field, in Saturday's Revue loss to Atlanta — said of Greece's now Olympic-bound national squad. "I'm happy for them. I wish the best for them right now, and I know they'll make a great run in the Olympics.

"Right now my focus is on the Utah Jazz," he added Saturday.

"I'm not thinking about Greece right now. But Greece has been a wonderful opportunity for me."

Tomic, meanwhile, didn't play for Croatia's entry in the qualifier — at least in part, it's believed, because he went to New York to prepare for last month's draft rather than remain with the national team. But indications Saturday were that it's still possible Croatia will add the 7-foot-1 center to its roster now that it is Olympic-qualified.

Utah has no plans to bring Tomic to the NBA next season, incidentally, and officials from his KK Zagreb club in Croatia reportedly said in the draft's immediate aftermath that it wants to keep him under contract for two more years.

He's not playing in the Revue. The Jazz already have three Olympians: Team USA teammates Deron Williams and Carlos Boozer, and Russian star Andrei Kirilenko.

Comments

You can be the first to comment on this story.

Image
Douglas C. Pizac, Associated Press

Iranian fans cheer the country's national Olympic basketball team during the Rocky Mountain Revue.

previousnext

Latest comments

Wow, I am curious if you actually believe what your saying or if your just a...

Letters: Founders not extremists

"The Fact is, they were Progressive, Against the Status Quo,...

Barzee to plead guilty

"Jacob Baker" 1:39 p.m...........Wow, you must not have heard of too many...

Thank you anonymous for finally putting my thoughts into words. All of you...

This was the decent thing to do. Thank you for sparing Elizabeth and her...

I repeat where is your evidence? empty rhetoric is not going to cut it.

Is someone having a little too much "oregano" on the all-natural brownies?

The UTES get spanked by TCU, drop below BYU in the polls, and yet they're...

2 stranded hikers rescued

I enjoy the outdoors. I'm in my late 40s and in better shape than most men...

Wounded Utes limp home

Utah goes to the Las Vegas bowl on off years, BYU goes there on good years.

Advertisements
Advertisement