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Cavs not likely to give Ilgauskas permission to play in Olympics
By Brian Windhorst
Beacon Journal sportswriter
Published on Thursday, Apr 10, 2008
CLEVELAND: The Cavaliers are going to be getting some mail from Lithuania and it's going to be a thick package.
The Lithuanian Basketball Federation has started a petition to try to persuade the Cavs to allow Zydrunas Ilgauskas to play for his home country in the Olympics in China this summer. Ilgauskas has told the federation he wants to play for the first time in his career, believing this is his last chance and that his feet are healthy enough.
However, Ilgauskas is one of 14 players in the NBA who need permission from their team to play in international competition because of insurance clauses in their contracts. So far, the Cavs are withholding it and don't seem likely to change their minds, although there will be no official comment by the team until after the season.
Ilgauskas doesn't have insurance coverage on his back and feet, which means if he were to get hurt during the Olympics, the Cavs would have no protection on the millions they owe him. Not to mention the team would face the risk of losing one of its best players at a stage in his career when rest is most important.
The Lithuanian national team has offered to purchase insurance, but Ilgauskas said his latest back injury, which caused him to miss two weeks last month, has complicated things. He has a disk problem in his lower back that could be aggravated with extra play.
''I'm not sure they'll be able to get the insurance after what has happened with my back,'' Ilgauskas said. ''I am still hoping to play.''
The online version of the petition has nearly 24,000 signatures after being launched last Friday, when federation President Vladas Garastas was the first to sign. There also are petitions throughout Lithuania in sporting goods stores. The petitions are to be shipped to the Cavs in mid-May, according to the federation.
After finishing third in the European Championships last summer, the national team hopes to compete for a medal in Beijing. Ilgauskas could be one of the team's stars.
In the locker room
• Want to know how many glasses frames Mike Brown has? So does he. Brown has become known for his wide selection of glasses. He seemingly doesn't wear the same pair twice for games. The source is a designer who contacted Brown three years ago and told him she could help with his look and now provides the frames.
''She said the frames I was wearing made my head look too big,'' Brown said. ''I figured if she was professional enough to say that then she knew how to help.''
• The Cavs will give away $1 million in prizes at their final home game next week against the Detroit Pistons. Players also will give away their jerseys and shoes to selected fans.
Brian Windhorst can be reached at bwindhor@thebeaconjournal.com. Read his blog at http://www.ohiomm.com/blogs/cavs/.
CLEVELAND: The Cavaliers are going to be getting some mail from Lithuania and it's going to be a thick package.
Get the full article here.
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