It's completely reasonable to ask if Jamaal Magloire (pictured) should get booed in his hometown when his New Jersey Nets come to town to face the Raptors.Leo Rautins, who coaches the Canadian men's basketball team, called out the league's lone Torontonian this afternoon on The FAN 590. Rautins said it took Magloire three months to return a call asking him if he was interested in playing for Canada at the FIBA Americas Olympic qualifier that took place in late August in Las Vegas
Rautins said that Steve Nash called back promptly to say he couldn't play. Philadephia 76ers big man Samuel Dalembert was quick to reply that he was good to go -- even though Dalembert was still trying to get his Canadian citizenship so he could play.
Magloire's had his issues with the national team and Rautins made it crystal-clear that he respected his decision not to play; he just wanted a yes or no. In Rautins' telling, they had a meeting set up and Magloire blew it off. The next day Rautins read in the Toronto Sun that Magloire wasn't going to play, but that he might in the Olympics if Canada qualified (which is a long shot after a fifth-place finish at the Vegas qualifier).
Rautins related that Magloire would only be welcome back into the fold if the players want him back. They can't be blamed for feeling snubbed: Oh, I'm only gonna play if you guys are in the Olympics.... and good luck, by the way.
Rautins was putting his own spin on it, of course, but is it too much to ask of Magloire and his camp to show so friggin' common courtesy? The plot thickens even more considering that Rautins does TV work for the Raptors and Magloire is now playing for the rival Nets. The feeling here is that some of the bile Raptors fans reserve for Vince Carter should be spent on Magloire.
The only reason it probably won't is that Canada Basketball has a pretty low profile, even among the 19,800 who pack the ACC when the Nets come to town.
That's all for now. Send your thoughts to neatesager@yahoo.ca.
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1 comment:
1. Leo Rautins has no idea what the rift is between Magloire and basketball Canada.
2. Magloire has never said "I'll play with you if you make the olympics" That is a lie. In fact Rautins has known all along that Magloire would not play.
Rautins, stop trying to create a story. It is such a shame when you drum up "Canadian Pride" by finding a villian that everone can hate.
If you didn't constantly villianize Magloire, NO ONE would give a sh*t about the goings on of Canada Basketball.
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