While based in China as a chief photographer in the early 1990s I had the good fortune to make the acquaintance of a sports journalist and in turn an entire family with a remarkable basketball legacy. So much so that official government film documentaries were produced highlighting their sporting achievements. Aunts, uncles, nephews, nieces have all competed at college level, professionally or on a national team.

My journalist friend’s accomplishments were impressive. Starting at the age of 2-1/2 her parents had to place her, for the next three years, in the national sports committee’s boarding kindergarten. It was a place where China’s sporting elite could leave their children while they competed for the Party and national pride.

With few options available my friend was separated from her family again at age 11 to enter into the government’s athlete mill. Gruelling workouts, stark living conditions, military-style coaching were all in a day’s work. She spent her entire teens and early 20s being honed into a world class athlete. Looking to finally wrap up her career, the sports committee eventually, but reluctantly, permitted her to leave the game. She left with five national basketball championships to her credit.

Heading this family dynasty were two towering and statuesque brothers, Ju Fen Geng and the younger Ju Fen Kang, who were members of China’s first national team formed post-1949. They were so striking in appearance that they could easily have been the inspiration for the valorous, chisel-jawed comrades overcoming adversity in the ubiquitous propaganda posters of the Communist era. The brothers criss-crossed the Soviet-bloc and socialist countries of Europe proudly representing the People’s Republic throughout the 50s. Their journals overflow with black and white photographs of the smartly dressed young men visiting and competing in places that were strictly off limits to the West during the depths of the Cold War.

In 1956 the younger brother had been selected to the Olympic basketball team to compete in Melbourne. Uniforms, jerseys and suits had already been issued – personally approved by Premier Zhou Enlai himself. The team’s roster had even been published in the press. With weeks to go and while finalising their training in Guangdong province the team were notified that China had pulled out of the Games in protest at the inclusion of the Republic of China. His Olympic dream had been dashed. Following their playing careers the two brothers went on to enjoy success as coaches at the national and professional levels.

The journalist used the strength of body and mind she acquired in the Chinese sports system to become a PGA golf professional. Sadly, the older brother Ju Fen Geng passed away in 2006 but the younger Ju Fen Kang will soon realise his dream of attending the Olympics - as a spectator in Beijing. Accompanying him to the basketball venue will be family members including his daughter Ju Dan (the journalist) and her 3-year-old son, to watch China’s present day superstars like Yao Ming and Yi Jianlian battle the world.

I too will be attending the 2008 Olympics but from behind the scenes with Reuters as a photo editor, firmly tucked away in the main press center. I’ll be busy editing through thousands of daily images along with my colleagues so will be unable to join them at the basketball. However I will be relatively close by, feeling very honoured to be a part of this remarkable family. And if you haven’t guessed, I married that journalist (right).

Pictures from top:  Ju Fen Kang (R) shakes hands with Chinese Premier Zhou Enlai after the team defeated Czechoslovakia in Beijing in this 1956 family handout photo. Chinese national basketball team members Ju Fenkang (3rd L), Yang Buo Yong (L) and Wang Yi Cheng pose with East German players in East Berlin in this 1955 family handout photo. The team was in East Berlin to train with the East German team. Ju Fen Kang (standing 3rd R) and members of China’s 1956 Olympic basketball team pose in their newly issued Olympic uniforms in Guangzhou, Guangdong province in this 1956 family handout photo. And my wife Ju Dan. 

Spanish sport is living a golden age, a magical year or a unique two months, depending on how long a view you’re taking. But will it continue on into Beijing?

Rafael Nadal’s victory over Nicolas Lapentti in Cincinnati means the 22-year-old is now certain to depose Roger Federer as world number one in tennis by August 18 at the latest.

Nadal’s twin victories in the French Open and at Wimbledon were just two of the highlights in a remarkable sporting summer for his country.

Carlos Sastre won the Tour de France last month, giving Spain their third victory in three years. Alberto Contador, last year’s winner, followed up his triumph with success in the Giro d’Italia.

The biggest success of all was Spain’s victory at Euro 2008, their first major tournament title in 44 years.

Now, there’s no way Spain are going to finish top of the medals table in Beijing. Sports minister Jaime Lissavetzky recently said the target was six golds at best.

Those medal hopes include Nadal, of course, as well as athletes like double champion Gervasio Deferr in gymnastics, synchronised swimmers Andrea Fuentes and Gemma Mengual and the walker Paquillo Fernandez.

I suspect the gold most Spaniards really want is basketball.

Spain are the world champions and they have a formidable team including Pau Gasol, his brother Marc, Jose Calderon and the 17-year-old Ricky Rubio, someone you may not have heard of yet but destined to be one of the big names in the sport.

Spain beat Argentina, the reigning Olympic champions, in two recent warm-up games and their strong defence will make them one of the toughest teams to beat.

The question is whether they can overcome the Americans, who continued their warm-up with a 114-82 win over Turkey. The U.S. will be the favourites, but the way the year is going it would be unwise to rule out the Spanish.

PHOTO: Nadal on his way to the world number one slot, August 1, 2008. REUTERS/Jay LaPrete

You’d have to have a heart of stone not to feel for Dirk Nowitzki. After 12 years of spending his summer holidays playing basketball for Germany in the hope of one day making it to the Olympics, the Dallas Mavericks forward led his country into the tournament when they got third place — and the last ticket to Beijing — in a qualifying tournament on Sunday in Athens. 

Nowitzki cried tears of joy after Germany beat Puerto Rico 96-82 in the match for third place after they had lost to Croatia on Saturday night. He  buried his face in a towel while walking off the court after scoring 32 points and cried and then sat in the locker-room and wept  some more as journalists watched and waited for the chance to talk to him. “I needed to be alone for a bit at first,” Nowitzki said later.

He may be one of the richest sportsmen ever in Germany, earning many millions of dollars each year. But his tears of happiness were a moving reminder that there is something larger at stake. Even if basketball isn’t a very big sport in Germany — far behind not only soccer but also ranking below motor racing, handball and even water polo on many sports pages — Nowitzki’s emotion-filled achievement was the big story on Monday. ”A dream has really come true,” Nowitzki said. “I still can’t believe it. It’s an incredible feeling because we’ve all waited so long for it. I’m so happy and so proud. I was really tired at the end and a bit emotional. I just came unglued.”

But Nowitzki and his teammates were all smiles again on Monday. They went to German Olympic headquarters to pick up some team uniforms for the Opening Ceremony but had a hard time finding suits that would fit. “I heard the shot putters were here before us and snatched away all the suits in our size,” Nowitzki said. “Now some of us are going to have to run around Beijing with a bare midriff.”

Germany has had one of the world’s top 10 basketball teams for years, in no small part due to Nowitzki. They won the bronze medal at the 2002 world championships in Indianapolis, second at the 2005 European championships and fourth in Europe in 2001. But they always came up tantalisingly short in the pre-Olympic years in the qualifying for Sydney and Athens. But Nowitzki never gave up dreaming about walking into an Olympic stadium for the Opening Ceremony, even after Germany failed once again to qualify in 2007. The tickets they collected on Sunday in Athens were their very last chance for Germany’s first Olympic qualification since 1992.

“I’ve been watching the Olympics on TV ever since I can remember,” Nowitzki said in a recent interview in Berlin after a tune-up match against Poland. “The Opening Ceremony, the Olympic flame, the whole thing just fascinates me.” With Nowitzki now bound for Beijing, the whole thing fascinates me even more. 

Pix from top: Nowitzki (R) tries to score against Puerto Rico’s Alex Falcon during their FIBA Olympic qualifying basketball game in Athens. And Nowitzki hugs Demond Greene next to Robert Garrett (2nd L). Photos by Yiorgos Karahalis.

Dirk Nowitzki says he’s been dreaming about going to the Olympics since he saw the 1988 Games on TV as a 10-year-old boy.

He’s spent the last 10 summers in the NBA off-season working hard to help Germany qualify for the Olympics again for the first time since 1992 — and the Dallas Mavericks’ all-star from Germany looked completely shattered when his team came up heartbreakingly short in the 2003 European Championships, the qualifier for the 2004 Olympics. 

Nowitzki and Germany again failed to qualify directly for the Olympics at last year’s European Championships as well — but they still could get tickets to Beijing if they finish in the top three at a 12-team tournament set for mid-July.  

It’s not like I really know how Nowitzki feels because I don’t. I’ve never been in the NBA nor have I played for Germany or any other country.

But in a way, I think I do understand.  

Ever since I first saw the 1968 Olympics on TV as an eight-year-old in Connecticut, I too started dreaming about going.

As Nowitzki said: ”The whole thing just fascinates me”.

My never-really-that promising high school basketball career ended at 18 and despite some modest success later on in local triathlons, I knew I didn’t have a prayer there either — and it wasn’t even yet an Olympic sport. 

 When I started working as a financial journalist at Reuters in 1990, I began looking into the “qualifiers” needed to get onto the Olympics reporting team. The competition was fierce. I nevertheless thought I might be getting close to a ticket to Sydney in 2000 but wasn’t nominated.

I felt even closer to making the squad in 2004 but again wasn’t picked, although I did make it on the “alternates” list.  I had pretty much given up hope when suddenly in mid July 2004 the phone rang. Someone on the team had become pregnant and couldn’t go. Was I still available?  

So I made it to Athens at the last minute and have been looking forward to Beijing ever since. I hope Nowitzki gets his mid-July invitation this time too.

Picture of Dallas Mavericks and Germany forward Dirk Nowitzki  by Mike Stone