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Suns learn new fight songs at soccer match Laurel D'Antoni's Suns Diary
By Laurel D'Antoni
For the East Valley Tribune
Oct. 8, 2006
ROME, Italy – We weren’t done with dinner — and celebrating our win over Lottomatica Roma — until after 2 a.m. Saturday. But that didn’t keep several players and wives from being among the more than 70 members who were on the buses at 9 a.m. for our tour of Rome.
After another police escort (man, I could get used to that!), we were treated to a private tour of the Vatican Gardens and of the incredible Basilica of St. Peter, the largest church in the world. It can seat up to 60,000 people, and was built with the idea of showing how small and insignificant you are in the vastness of the world. It does a great job of getting the point across.
The tour also included a visit to gardens tended by the monks of Santa Croce (Holy Cross), an order that has been around since 300 A.D. Our group met the only American monk in the order, Father David from Bellevue, Wash., who was happy to serve as a guide.
Saturday night, Steve Nash led a group of five or six players who watched the Italian National Soccer Team beat the Ukraine. Our guys came into the hotel lobby singing the songs they picked up sitting with the fans. They also razzed Boris Diaw, who came in from a Saturday night date dressed elegantly in an impeccable suit and tie.
After midnight, the guys saw Mike and I heading for the hotel elevator and said they were just going to go out for a little gelato before calling it a night. Yeah, right.
With Philadelphia losing in Spain and the Los Angeles Clippers losing in Moscow, I guess it’s up to the Suns and Spurs to come home unbeaten and carry the flag for the NBA. First, we have to get by the 76ers on Tuesday. I’ll be watching from home because I’m heading back to the states soon to see my son and get back to a more normal life.
I’m happy and sad all at once, because this was truly a trip to remember, spent with great old friends — and great new ones as well.
Laurel D’Antoni, wife of Suns coach Mike D’Antoni, is providing the Tribune an inside look at Phoenix’s trip to Treviso, Rome (Italy) and Cologne (Germany) for training camp.
COPYRIGHT 2006, EAST VALLEY TRIBUNE. Used with permission.