Ask the athlete

ASK THE ATHLETE


Q: What is basketball like in your home country?


Arvydas Sabonis, center, Portland Trail Blazers: "In Lithuania, the
crowds are very loud and act crazy. The crowds average 3,000 people
per game, and the gyms are not too big. Players like to imitate NBA
stars by doing dunks, particularly in warmups."


Vitaly Potapenko, center/forward, Cleveland Cavaliers: "In Ukraine,
games are slower than they are in the U.S. It's more of a halfcourt
game. There is more shooting from outside. Among kids, shooting
three-point shots is much more popular than dunking."


Gheorghe Muresan, center, Washington Bullets: "In Romania, people love
the sport. NBA games are broadcast at night on television. Many people
stay up to watch."


Luc Longley, center, Chicago Bulls: "Basketball in Australia is a
young sport. When I was 10 years old, my father played at the highest
level. He still had to buy his own shoes and wash his own uniform."