Cremins' gold rush of 1996

Coaches don't receive gold medals when the U.S. Olympic basketball team gathers before a planet-wide TV audience to hear its national anthem. But Bobby Cremins has a memento nearly as shiny from the 1996 Olympics.

"There's Charles Barkley, David Robinson and Gary Payton," the College of Charleston head coach said Thursday, pointing at the team photo signed by every member of Dream Team II. "There's Shaq. Of course, I had coached against Grant Hill when he was at Duke. I already knew Scottie Pippen. There's John Stockton ..."

The '96 gold medal winners hang on the wall inside Cremins' King Street office and linger among his favorite memories.

"The most exciting moment was putting 'USA' on my chest," Cremins said. "I remember when they handed out the gear. Very emotional."

Cremins was a natural pick to join Jerry Sloan and Clem Haskins on Lenny Wilkens' coaching staff. He had USA Basketball international experience, had led Georgia Tech to three Atlantic Coast Conference championships and the '96 Olympics were in Atlanta, where Cremins' silvery white hair was as well known as The Waffle House and Greg Maddux.

It wasn't easy.

"The biggest mistake I made was asking Lenny if he needed me to officiate the scrimmages," Cremins said. "He said, 'Sure,' and Karl Malone almost killed me. I called a foul on him and he got very upset.

He thought I was favoring Barkley. I asked Jerry Sloan, 'Is Karl serious?' And Jerry said, 'Oh, yeah, he's serious.' I decided it was best not to officiate any more games."

Glitz and terror

Cremins at times was a social chairman, and at others a student of pop culture.

Barkley and David Robinson leaned on the Atlanta connections.

"Yeah," Cremins said, "I was constantly getting tee times. That was one of my main responsibilities once we got to Atlanta."

And fighting through crowds.

"I started to realize I was with a rock group, that these guys were like rock stars," Cremins said. "Everywhere we went, people would attack the players. It was actually embarrassing at times."

South African leader Nelson Mandela was among the celebrities who stopped by to watch Dream Team II practice.

The Opening Ceremonies at what is now the Atlanta Braves' Turner Field was a thrill.

"Muhammad Ali came out to light the Olympic flame," Cremins recalled. "But what I remember most is so many other athletes coming over to get autographs from the basketball players."

Terror and tenderness also come to mind. The basketball team hotel was near the infamous Centennial Park bombing.

"After that," Cremins said, "security kind of doubled."

But he was touched by the reaction of Dream Team II players. Led by Barkley, they met with 14-year-old Fallon Stubbs, whose mother Alice Hawthorne was killed in the bombing.

"They spent time with her and gave her all kinds of gifts," Cremins said. "The sudden kindness was really something I'll never forget."

Smiles forever

Stung by failing to win gold at the 2004 Olympics in Athens, the USA Basketball operation has made the necessary adjustments, Cremins insists.

"Oh, they've learned," he said. "They're more of a team. (USA Basketball National Director) Jerry Colangelo and (head coach) Mike (Krzy-zewski) have put this team together very carefully. We'll win the gold."

It's up to Kobe Bryant, LeBron James, and Co.

There was pressure on the 1996 team, too. Dream Team I at Barcelona in 1992 was led by Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson and Larry Bird and was the first U.S. Olympic team including NBA players (plus Duke's Christian Laettner).

Dream Team II was supposed to similarly dominate.

It did, conquering Olympic foes by an average of 32.3 points per game capped by a 95-69 victory over Yugoslavia.

The smiles on the picture in Cremins' office tell the story.

Reach Gene Sapakoff at gsapakoff@postandcourier.com.

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