Nash playing basketball in London

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Steve Nash will play London game



By RYAN PYETTE, Free Press Sports Reporter

London's surprising summer of sports exhibitions isn't over yet.

First, it was national volleyball star Paul Duerden's homecoming celebration. Then, it was the Canadian Football League's Toronto-Hamilton pigskin party.

Now, make way for the Steve Nash national hoops bash.

Nash, the popular Canadian basketballer and NBA all-star guard with the Dallas Mavericks, will lead Canada's senior national men's basketball team into London for a tuneup tilt against New Zealand on Tuesday, Aug. 20.

London is the first stop in a three-game summer series designed to help the Canadian team prepare for the world basketball championships, which will be held one week later (Aug. 29-Sept. 8) in Indianapolis.

"Nash is confirmed, he will play in London unless he gets hurt or something unforeseen happens," said Tim Maloney, Canada Basketball's marketing and events co-ordinator. "So will (New Jersey Nets centre and Winnipegger) Todd MacCulloch and maybe Charlotte Hornets forward (and Toronto native) Jamaal Magloire."

This will not mark the first Forest City visit for Nash. Last August, the 28-year-old Victoria, B.C., native sneaked into town to deliver a quick pep talk to the British Columbia contingent at the Canada Summer Games.

His Canadian mates, currently ranked No. 7 in the world, will be favoured to beat New Zealand, which includes former Toronto Raptors big body Sean Marks.

The national team has played in London a few times before, but not since Nash and Co. shocked the hoops world by engineering stunning victories over host Australia, Yugoslavia and Russia at the 2000 Olympics in Sydney.

If Canada's head coach Jay Triano sticks to form, former Western star Andy Kwiatkowski also will suit up for the national side.

Kwiatkowski, the Canadian university player of the year, helped Canada qualify for the world tournament last summer. The six-foot-seven forward worked out with the Raptors last week.

After the Forest City stop, Canada and New Zealand will play the following evening (Aug. 21) at Laurier University in Waterloo. That game was intended for Brock University in St. Catharines, but the school's gym will not be available that night.

The mini-tour wraps up with Canada facing Russia on Friday, Aug. 23 at Toronto's Air Canada Centre.

Next month, after training camp (July 22-28 at Brock), Canada heads to Turkey for a tournament July 29-Aug. 5.

They return home to face China and its seven-foot-five centre Yao Ming, the top pick in this week's NBA draft, in the aptly named Steve's InterNashional Shootout in Vancouver Aug. 16 before flying here.

GAME GLANCE

What: International men's basketball exhibition game between Canada vs. New Zealand

When: Tuesday, Aug. 20, 7 p.m. at Western's 2,000-seat Alumni Hall

Tickets: $20 each, available starting Tuesday at Masonville Place customer service; Groups of 15 or more: fill out Internet order form at www.basketball.ca (click on "summer series" and fax to (416) 614-9570. Tickets are $18, plus $10 service charge for the group (Visa payment only).

[Drbio]

I sure hope he doesn't get hurt.[img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-sad.gif[/img]

[Nellie]

<< I sure hope he doesn't get hurt.[img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-sad.gif[/img] >>



Based on this new info, I think the NVE trade stock might lower a percent or two.