Mike Gorman's takeaways from Rio


If you tuned into any of the non-USA basketball games in the past two weeks, there was a decent chance you heard the familiar voice of Celtics' play-by-play announce Mike Gorman. Although, similarly to a large percentage of American announcers, Gorman did not make the trip to Rio. Rather, he called the games from a studio in Connecticut.

The biggest adjustment for Gorman was working with an international feed. Essentially he was watching the game just like you or I would, but having to "play catch up" while also having no say on where the camera would head next. This challenged, however, paled in comparison to his handball-calling tour of the 2012 Olympics where the first game he ever witnessed, he was also announcing.

Gorman, speaking to Boston.com's Hayden Bird, gave some insight into what he noted about the international game, some of the more recognizable foreign players and the how the U.S. stacks up.

He pointed out that the international game is more physical in a sense that it takes more than the run-of-the-mill NBA bump to draw a foul. He suggested this was a major adjustment for the American's, as most of the squad is accustomed to drawing easy fouls. Gorman made a very reader-relatable comparison when he described the physicality:

It’s a very tough game. It’s kind of like watching very good ballplayers playing in a Y[MCA]. You don’t get calls. Nobody complains. You just keep playing.

The lack of foul calls at the international, according to Gorman, heightens Cavaliers' guard Matthew Dellavedova's game. He often finds himself in foul trouble in the NBA but has more freedom to fly around utilizing his gnat-like defense prowess. Dellavedova lead a talented Australia team to the bronze medal game where they fell to Spain in a hard-fought, albeit controversial game.


Photo Credit: Jean Nagy - Boston.com


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