ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Tuesday, July 23, 1996 TAG: 9607230058
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B-3 EDITION: METRO
DATELINE: ATLANTA
SOURCE: JACK BOGACZYK STAFF WRITER
First, ``Dream Team'' coach Lenny Wilkens was asked by one of his Olympic players whether he played in the NBA.
The quizzer was Shaquille O'Neal, who was told that not only is Wilkens, now the Atlanta Hawks' coach, the winningest coach in NBA history. He also is in the Basketball Hall of Fame as a guard.
Now, in the city of his employer, the Hawks' coach is finding out just how anonymous he really is. At a news conference, the name placard in front of Wilkens said ``Lenny Wilkins.''
``I have been coaching in this city for three years,'' Wilkens said, ``and I'd like to say my name is spelled W-I-L-K-E-N-S.''
BIG BREATH: Virginia native Tom Dolan, whose 400-meter individual medley victory in the pool brought the U.S. its first gold medal in the Atlanta Games, could turn his asthmatic breathing problems into cash.
Dolan, who has only 20 percent clearance of his windpipe compared to most people, has a sponsorship in negotiation with Breathe-Rite, the nose strip made familiar by NFL players.
He already has a Nike endorsement deal worth $100,000, after giving up his NCAA eligibility at Michigan, where he plans to graduate in two years. However, Dolan, of Arlington, wasn't on the medal stand because of his health problems.
``My swimming is all about competition,'' he said. ``That's what I'm all about as a person. I'm very competitive, whether it's swimming, drinking a glass of milk or washing the car. I want to beat whoever's next to me.''
He's also very matter-of-fact about his notoriety, and its roots in his lungs.
``Everyone loves a different story,'' said Dolan, also entered in the 200 individual medley and 400 freestyle. ``Not just Joe Schmoe who works his butt off every day and all of a sudden wins a gold medal. Everyone loves that roundabout way to get to the medal stand and not that straight and narrow.''
LONG BALL: There's no longer a question about the longest home run in the history of Atlanta Fulton County Stadium.
In Cuba's 10-inning Olympic baseball triumph over Japan on Sunday, bulging Orestes Kindelan hit a first-inning shot that was a missile into the loge level of left-center field. It was estimated at 500 feet.
Of course, Fred McGriff and Ryan Klesko might be able to reach those places swinging an aluminum bat, too. Kindelan has three homers in two games.
EXHAUST: Considering the rolling - or gridlocked - disaster that has plagued the Atlanta Games and drawn the ire of the International Olympic Committee, some members in the always cryptic media have given new meaning to the Atlanta Committee for the Olympic Games acronym.
ACOG could stand for Atlanta Can't Organize the Games.
THE MOST: As the host nation for the Atlanta Games, the U.S. has a team or individuals in every sport. Whether that translates into the lead in the medals race is still to be determined.
The U.S. has 658 athletes in the Games, or 6.1 percent of the Olympians. Germany, united since the Berlin Wall crumbled, is second with 493, followed by Australia (434), Russia (416), Italy (363), China (311) and South Korea (310).
Among the 50 states, Virginia ranks tied for 11th (with Washington and North Carolina) with 17 athletes.
STUFFING: If one of the U.S. women's basketball games gets lopsided, don't be surprised if 6-foot-5 Lisa Leslie provides an American first in Olympic history.
``When I get the chance, I'll attempt to dunk,'' said Leslie, whose team meets the Ukraine this afternoon at Morehouse College. ``But it hasn't taken away from my focus or the team's focus.''
CHAMPS: The boxing venue is Georgia Tech's basketball home, Alexander Memorial Coliseum, and fans there haven't spent all of their time watching the ring.
Regulars at every session through Monday afternoon have included Atlanta's own former heavyweight champ Evander Holyfield, one of his predecessors, Joe Frazier, and Cuba's three-time gold medal heavyweight Teofilo Stevenson.
NATIONALITY: The road uniforms worn by the Italian baseball team in Monday's 7-2 victory over Nicaragua looked familiar. They were gray, with ``Italia'' in script across the front in blue, with red numbers.
The Italians dressed just like the Los Angeles Dodgers. Then, perhaps a famous Dodger manager of Italian extraction helped his paisanos get a deal on them.
DUNKER: In the stands at the water polo action during Yugoslavia games has been a former participant in that sport, NBA center Vlade Divac.
Divac, traded two weeks by the Los Angeles Lakers to Charlotte, and his Yugoslav hoops teammates have been cheering on their countrymen.
Divac was among the most vocal and noticeable spectators at the Yugoslavia-Russia game on Sunday, removing his shirt and waving it and leading other Yugoslav fans in rhythmic clapping.
LENGTH: Medium: 92 linesby CNB