NEW YORK -- Like teammate Paul Pierce (and Baron Davis), Antoine Walker has no chance of being asked to play on the 2004 U.S. Olympic team. Taunting Larry Brown last season, among other coaches, has come back to haunt him.
Being passed over for the Olympic job greatly upset Lakers coach Phil Jackson. In fact, when it got out that Brown was the prohibitive favorite, Laker executive Jeannie Buss (daughter of team owner Jerry Buss) contacted specific Selection Committee members to campaign for her boyfriend.
When various elite players (excluding Shaq and Kobe) were informally polled about whom the committee was considering as coach, they all said they would love to play for Brown.