Aug. 25, 2008
ATLANTA – Former Georgia Tech basketball star Chris Bosh became the first Yellow Jacket cager to capture an Olympic gold medal early Sunday morning when the United States defeated Spain, 118-107, in the finals of the basketball competition in Beijing, China.
The win completed a stirring run which saw the USA defeat Australia, 116-85, and Argentina, 101-81, top reach the gold medal game.
Bosh, a second-team all-Atlantic Coast Conference performer who led Tech to the third round of the NIT in 2003, came off the bench in all eight USA games and consistently provided rebounding and defense. The Lancaster, Texas, native averaged 9.1 points and 6.1 rebounds, shot a team-high 77.4 percent from the floor, 86.2 percent from the free throw line and blocked six shots.
USA went undefeated in pool play, winning its five games by an average of 32 points, and its 11-point win over Spain in the gold medal game was its closest margin of victory. In that game, Bosh scored eight points, going 6-for-6 from the foul line, and grabbed seven rebounds in 23 minutes.
“All that work we put in, all those days, starting from 2006 we’ve been thinking about it. It’s been a great experience,” Bosh said. “I’ve been dreaming about a gold medal ever since I saw the ’92 Dream Team play. I never thought it could be possible. My dream started back then and this is a long time in the making.”
Bosh is the first player, but not the first Yellow Jacket to capture a basketball gold medal in the Olympics, however. Former head coach Bobby Cremins was an assistant coach in the USA team which won a gold medal in the 1996 Atlanta Games. Stephon Marbury, who played for Tech in the 1995-96 season, was on the United States team that took home a bronze medal in the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens, Greece.
Other Tech players have helped the USA win gold medals at other international competitions: Dion Glover – 1998 Goodwill Games Tom Hammonds – 1986 World Championships Mark Price – 1983 Pan American Games, 1984 and 1994 World Championships Pete Silas – 1955 Pan American Games
TECH ADDS TWO WALK-ONS
Georgia Tech added a pair of walk-on guards to the team when school began Monday – 6-4 Derek Craig of Spring, Texas, and 6-3 Nick Foreman of Bellaire, Texas.
Foreman led Bellaire High School to a pair district championships and earned all-district honors. Craig helped Klein Collins High School to two district titles as well, and earned academic all-state honors.
MORROW, BYNUM SIGN NBA CONTRACTS
Former Georgia Tech stars Anthony Morrow and Will Bynum signed NBA contracts with Golden State and Detroit, respectively, after impressive performances in their teams’ summer league games.
If they are able to stick, Tech could have as many as eight alumni in the NBA next season.
Morrow, a 6-5 guard from Charlotte, N.C., played seven games for the Warriors, averaging 18.1 points and 4.7 rebounds. Morrow shot 54.9 percent from the floor overall (50-91 FG) and 73.9 percent from three-point range (17-23 3FG). Morrow’s performance at the Rocky Mountain Revue (21.0 points, 6.5 rebounds per game, 11-16 3FGs) led earned him MVP honors.
Bynum averaged 11.8 points, 2.0 rebounds and 3.2 assists with the Pistons at the 2008 NBA Las Vegas Summer League. The Chicago native played last season for Maccabi Tel Aviv of the Israeli League where he averaged 10.6 points, 1.9 rebounds and 3.0 assists per game.
The 6-foot, 185-pound guard played 15 games with the Golden State Warriors during the 2005-06 season, averaging 3.6 points and 1.3 assists per game. He was named 2005-06 NBA Development League Rookie of the Year after leading the league in scoring at 24.0 points per game with the Roanoke Dazzle.
VINSON JOINS CLIPPERS STAFF
Former Georgia Tech guard Fred Vinson has joined the staff of the Los Angeles Clippers as assistant coach and director of player programs. He was a player development consultant for the Clippers last year.
Vinson played for Tech from 1992-94 and averaged 4.5 points in 61 games, hitting 38.3 percent of his three-point shots. He went on to play briefly in the NBA and played extensively overseas.
