Kobe, Magic and Duncan all have five NBA championships.

Let’s step Out of Bounds and talk about the sporting event with five rings 🏅 

Today’s Lineup

🏅 USA, South Sudan Dazzle at Olympics

The 2024 Paris Olympics had an ambitious opening ceremony featuring around 10,500 athletes sailing in 94 boats down the iconic Seine River. We loved seeing Giannis Antetokounmpo of Greece 🇬🇷 and Dennis Schroder of Germany 🇩🇪 holding their country’s flag for the ceremony and representing our beloved game 🏀 

For the red, white and blue 🇺🇸 LeBron James became the first men’s basketball player to carry the American flag for the Olympics. King James, alongside tennis star Coco Gauff, was at the helm in a white Ralph Lauren jacket while the other American Olympians wore equally clean navy outfits. The scene looked strikingly like a certain iconic painting. #LeCrossingTheDelaware.

LeBron becomes the first men’s player, as two female hoopers have done the honor. Before coaching South Carolina to three women’s NCAA Championships in a decade, Dawn Staley carried the stars and stripes for the 2004 Olympics in Athens. In 2021, WNBA all-time assist leader Sue Bird carried the flag in Tokyo. 

We also want to give another quick shoutout to South Sudan. After almost completing a historic upset in its 101-100 exhibition defeat against the US, South Sudan has officially put itself onto the basketball map. That’s saying something, considering they only put themselves on the world’s map in 2011 after achieving their independence. 

And yet at their first Olympics, the South Sudanese basketball team had perhaps the dopest outfits at the opening ceremonies. Their all-black suits were made by Rwandan designer Moshions 🔥 

🏐 Ex-NBA Player Vies for Volleyball Gold

Some might remember Chase Budinger as a solid roleplayer on the wing for the Rockets and Timberwolves during the early 2010s. In 2024, he is an Olympian—not for basketball, but for beach volleyball. 

That’s right. Before his 7-year NBA career, Budinger was a dual-sport star in high school and was even Volleyball Magazine’s National High School Player of the Year in 2005! His two-man team, with his partner Miles Evans, is ranked #13 in the world. 

How was Budinger able to make the transition? Well, despite the title of the great movie, this White Man Can Jump. Budinger participated in the 2012 NBA Dunk Contest and now uses those bunnies to spike the 💩 out of the volleyball down onto opponents. 

Hoops historians will know that Wilt Chamberlain is in the Volleyball Hall of Fame for his fabled post-basketball career in the sport. Will Chase Budinger go the same way? We have no clue, but we really want the message of this newsletter to be that Chase freakin’ Budinger is a modern day Wilt Chamberlain.

Panathinaikos, a Greek club, won the EuroLeague basketball title back in May and challenged the Celtics to a game to defend Boston’s claim as “World Champions.” We guess the Noah Lyles’ debate will never end 😂 

Look, obviously the Celtics should put Panathinaikos through the wringer, but we understand the Greeks’ point too. “World Champs” means you beat the world. 🤷‍♂️  

Regardless of where you stand on the whole “World Champs” issue, it would undoubtedly be amazing to see the NBA and Euroleague champs square off, similar to how the UEFA Euro Cup pins the Champions League and Europa League soccer title holders up against each other.

Signing Off

Take this Sunday to Enjoy the Olympics! As the event which brings nations together to compete for athletic excellence, it’s the best of international sports and, for that matter, some of the best of humanity. Until next time, Enjoyers 🫡 

-Conor Geelan