Adebayo And Fowles Represent Miami At Olympics

Miami FL

29 July, 2021

11:04 AM

Description

By Mark Stallworth, the Miami Times Jul 27, 2021 The delay of the XXXII Olympiad – taking place in Tokyo – is over after the Games were postponed for more than a year due to COVID-19. They began with tennis player Naomi Osaka lighting the Olympic cauldron during opening ceremonies last week in her native Japan. There are at least two locals to root for on Team USA. The Miami Heat's Bam Adebayo will be playing for the men's national basketball team and is hoping to become the fifth Miami Heat player to have an Olympic banner raised in the rafters in the FTX Arena back home. Alonzo Mourning and Tim Hardaway won their banners as members of the Heat at the 2000 Sydney Olympics; Dwyane Wade won at the 2008 Beijing Games; and LeBron James won at the 2012 London Games. Banners are reserved for those who win gold while members of the Heat. When asked about the banners Adebayo said, "Of course I want one of those … I'm going to the Olympics to represent my country. I'm also going to represent my city. The least I can do is go out and try to win my country a gold medal, win my city a gold medal." Taking home the gold now will be tougher after Team USA lost its opener against Team France 83-76, snapping a 25-game Olympic winning streak for the men's basketball Team. "This is the time for us to really lock in," said Adebayo. Liberty City native and WNBA player Sylvia Fowles is playing for the national women's basketball team. "Everything I do, I carry Miami-Dade with me, so when I'm out there on the court, my love and my passion for whatever I do directs me back to home," she said. Fowles is seeking her fourth consecutive gold medal, having won three in 2008 in Beijing, one in 2012 in London and again in 2016 in Rio. She is being coached by the legendary Dawn Staley, who has three consecutive gold medals herself, won in 2004, 2000 and 1996. Staley is the first Black head coach for the U.S. women's basketball Olympic team and seeks to guide its members to a seventh consecutive gold medal. The schedule for the men's and women's preliminary rounds is: July 28, USA vs. Iran – Men's Preliminary Round Group A at 12:40 a.m.; June 30, USA vs. Japan – Women's Preliminary Round Group B at 12:40 a.m.; July 31, Czech Republic vs. USA – Men's Preliminary Round Group A at 8 a.m.; Aug. 2, USA vs. France – Women's Preliminary Round Group B at 12:40 a.m. Quarterfinals for both the men's and women's teams will be Aug. 2 to Aug. 4. The men's semifinal will be Aug. 5. and the women's semifinal is happening Aug. 6. The men's gold medal game will be played Aug. 6 at 10:30 p.m.; the women's Aug. 7. The Games conclude Aug. 8. Due to the 13-hour time difference between Tokyo and Miami, many of the events can be viewed live early in the morning or late at night. The Miami Times is the largest Black-owned newspaper in the south serving Miami's Black community since 1923. The award-winning weekly is frequently recognized as the best Black newspaper in the country by the National Newspaper Publishers Association.