NBA Stars, Olympians Endorse Chicago 2016

Paul M. Banks a.k.a. The Sports Bank, NBC Chicago Street Team Only one NBA team, the Utah Jazz, contains two members of the 2008 Gold Medal winning Team USA Men’s basketball team on their roster. The “Redeem Team,” which conquered Beijing included Jazz point guard Deron Williams and power forward Carlos Boozer. As Chicago’s final bid for the Olympics became public a few days ago, I thought it the perfect time to revisit the exclusive conversations I had with each of them in Milwaukee recently. Shortly before the Jazz contest with the Milwaukee Bucks, both of them gave me their endorsement for Chicago’s 2016 Olympic Bid. “Huge sports town, great fans, very committed, great venue, great to have it here in the states, we haven’t had it since Atlanta. And I think it would be well received, we’d have a great turnout here I think, other countries love to come play here,” Boozer said of Chicago before later adding, “I had a chance to see the plan. They have a great plan for it too.” Boozer is one half of a powerful inside-outside combination that currently reminds Salt Lake City fans of past legends John Stockton and Karl Malone.

The dynamic duo’s other half is Deron Williams- the highest draft pick in Illinois basketball history and the best player the program has produced in modern history. “There’s a lot of Illinois fans in Chicago, so they treat me great. I love Chicago, it’s my second home. I love being there and spend a lot of time there in the summer. It’s a great city,” Williams said of The Chi.

D. Will told me about competing in the Olympics “It was a great experience, a chance to represent my country, my organization, my family and win a Gold medal, something I’ll cherish for the rest of my life,” and also endorsed Chicago’s prospects for 2016: “They’d be a great host, I saw the 3D plans for what they want to do with it, how they’re gonna change everything around, all the facilities, it looks amazing,” Williams responded.

See more of Paul M. Banks’ work at the Washington Times and The Sports Bank

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