University of Miami - Ibis Yearbook (Coral Gables, FL)

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Michael DiBan 108 Sports Division

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Summer Olympics marred by drug scandal When all was said and done in the 24th Summer Olympic games in Seoul, Ko- rea, the United States Olym- pic team, though disappoint- ing to some, had captured 94 medals including 36 golds. These Olympic games would be remembered due to several outstanding individu- al performances. Swimmer Matt Biondi, who won seven medals including five gold; teenage swimmer Janet Evans, who brought home three golds; sprinter Flo- rence Griffith-Joyner, who took four medals and an Olympic record; and diver Greg Louganis, who for the second consecutive time, swept the diving events. These efforts helped to off- set the major disappoint- ment of the men ' s basketball team bringing home only the bronze and the men ' s gym- nastics team not winning any medals. Other teams, how- ever, fared much better win- NBA finally lands in South Florida On Saturday, November 5, professional basketball fi- nally landed in South Flori- da. The Miami Heat, one of two National Basketball As- sociation expansion teams, opened their inaugural sea- son in the Miami Arena with a 111-91 loss to the Los An- geles Clippers, a team that had won only 29 games in the past two seasons. The night began with a 40 minute pre-game party, in- cluding appearances by ce- lebrities such as Don John- son and Ben Vereen, cele- brating basketball in a football dominated city. A sellout crowd of 15,677 wit- nessed an electrifying event come alive in downtown Miami as the Heat took the court for the first time. The Miami Heat and the Charlotte Hornets, part of a four-team expansion plan created by Commissoner David Stern ' s office, each made their professional de- buts in November. In the following season, the NBA would expand to Minnesota with the installation of the Timberwolves. Florida would also become the host of its second NBA team in as many years as the Orlando Magic begin play. In beginning a team from the ground up, the Heat own- ers hired Ron Rothstein, a former assistant coach under Detroit ' s Chuck Daly, to coach the young team. With the aid of an expan- sion draft and a number eight pick in the regular NBA draft, Miami at- tempted to fill the roster around its number one pick 6-foot- 10-inch center Rony Seikaly from Syracuse Uni- versity. Seikaly was joined by such players as Billy Thompson, Jon Sundvold, Pearl Washington, Slyvester Gray, and veteran point guard Rory Sparrow. At the half-way point in the season, the Heat were on track to set a new record for futility in a season with a record of 4-37. In front of a sold-out crowd of 15,008 in tfie Miami Arena, the Miami Heat, one of two NBA expansion teams, fall to the defending world champion Los Angeles Lakers 138-91. ning a total of three golds. The women ' s basketball, baseball, and men ' s volley- ball teams each stood atop their respective worlds. The greatest controversy of the games came as a result of the men ' s 100-meter dash final. It was supposed to be the moment of the Olympics in the Games ' showcase event. However, 9.79 sec- onds later as Johnson crossed the finish line ahead of Lewis, it was all but over. Three days after his victory, the world was shocked at the report of his failed drug test. He was stripped of his gold medal when traces of ster- oids were found to be in his system. Lewis was presented with the gold and Johnson left Seoul without a medal, his eligibility, and having been banned from interna- tional competition for at least two years. Headlines 107

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