The German national basketball team got wind of the fact that Chris Kaman’s great grandparents are German earlier this year, and like any respectable organization desperate to qualify for the Beijing Games would do, they got him an expedited passport and a fresh jersey with “Deutschland” on the front.
Good thing, too, as Kaman terrorized poor Angola yesterday to the tune of 24 points in a laugher of a win for Team Germany. The only people who weren’t laughing afterwards were the Angolans and the L.A. Clippers’ front office.
According to Chris Kaman, his employer isn’t handling the fact that he found a way to participate in the Olympics very well. From Yahoo! Sports:
“The Clippers made it very difficult for me to get over here, with the (medical) insurance and them not wanting me to go,” Kaman said. “They lied to me a couple times. I didn’t appreciate it.”
“There’s a lot of stuff that went on that I had to fight about,” he said. “I’m just glad I’m here now … There are so many things surrounding the Clippers, so many controversies. There’s always something going on.”
Forget those bumbling Clippers, Chris, at least you have your family’s support in this.
“You’re not German,” LeRoy (Kaman’s father) told him. “You’re an American citizen.”
Uh, never mind. Tough break, kiddo. Better load up on that German beer to ease the pain.
