Olympians Edge NBA Stars; Scoreboard Falls

A couple of reputations got scuffed up Friday. A few hours before the gala opening of the new state-of-the-art $52-million Charlotte Coliseum, the $3-million scoreboard with its eight video screens hurtled to the ground while being moved and was completely destroyed, ruining the basketball floor.

Nobody was underneath the scoreboard, fortunately, and then, after emergency repairs to the court, the U.S. Olympic men’s basketball team spent the night getting its head handed to it by some out-of-shape National Basketball Assn. vacationers. The pros led by 11 points at the half and by 7 with 2:08 left, but the Olympians rallied to win, 81-80, on Brian Shaw’s three-point play with :26 left.

Some Cinderella story, huh? Shaw, the one-time unknown from UC Santa Barbara, stole the ball from Sleepy Floyd at midcourt, took it in for a layup, was fouled by Floyd, and made the free throw.

Well, it’s not the Cinderella story it was a couple of months ago. Coming out of the trials, Shaw looked as if he was in the running for No. 1 point guard. The Celtics took him in the first round of the draft, one pick ahead of the Lakers, who were dying for him and had to settle for David Rivers. Brian Shaw was happening.

Now, however, imtimates of U.S. Coach John Thompson say Shaw’s stock has dropped, that the coaches are down on his ballhandling, that point guard is now being contested between Little Charles Smith and Vernell (Bimbo) Coles. Shaw is on the bubble just to make the squad.

With his team throwing up brick after brick against the NBA zones, Thompson kept Danny Manning and Big Charles Smith, his two top offensive players thus far, resting on the bench near him. Manning got 16 minutes all night, and Big Charles got 10. Downtown Hersey Hawkins, thought to be the leader at off-guard, got 9 minutes, in which he scored 8 points.

Thompson exposed a wide variety of his players to the mercies of the NBA players, like the one and only Charles Barkley, in fine summer fettle at about 275 pounds.

He pushed Danny Manning from the low post to the concession stands, knocked Dan Majerle off balance on the free throw line with an elbow and was called for elbowing Little Charles Smith after Little Charlie took the ball off him and went down for a layup.

With 1:41 left and the NBA up, 78-74, a Barkley pass set up Alton Lister, who was fouled going to the hoop. Lister, however, missed both free throws, and at the other end, David Robinson (18 minutes, 8 rebounds, 6 points) scored on an offensive rebound.

The pros made it 80-76 on Mark Jackson’s short jumper in traffic, but the Olympains closed to 80-78 on a 16-footer by slumping Mitch Richmond. Then Shaw met Sleepy Floyd bringing the ball up and the youth of America prevailed once more.

The U.S. women’s basketball team had a more pleasant night, destroying what was left of Cuba, 119-58.

The Cubans, who received their visas only Thursday, flew out of Havana at 5 a.m. Friday morning and didn’t arrive here until 11 a.m. That was their problem. U.S. Coach Kay Yow rotated three units at the Cubans and played pressure defense until they cracked, which didn’t take long.

“We were hungry for a game,” said Cynthia Cooper, the U.S. guard from USC, who scored 17 points, second high to Katrina McClain’s 20.