By Chris Sheridan, .c The Associated Press
July 19
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) - When it came time to play the United States, the Cuban basketball team was missing four players.
Lazaro Borrell, a 26-year-old center; Roberto Herrera, 24, a guard; Angel Cabellero, 28, a guard; and 23-year-old center Hector Pino appeared to have defected.
Herrera is the son of Cuban Basketball Federation president Ruperto Herrera. His brother, Ruperto Jr., defected in Argentina in May.
``We don't know if they defected or if they are with some Puerto Rican women,'' coach Miguel Calderon said. ``What I can say is that they are not in the arena.''
A spokeswoman for the Immigration and Naturalization Service in Washington said she had no information on any Cuban defections in San Juan.
None of the Cuban players would comment before the game. One of them, center Amiel Vega, drew his finger across his mouth when asked what had happened. Two other Cuban players walked away when approached by a reporter.
The Pan American basketball federation confirmed four missing players. No one could immediately say for certain they had indeed defected.
Said Tomas Herrera, president of the Cuban delegation: ``It would be a disgrace if we talk about these players as defectors and then they appear. When they appear, then a statement will be made.''
Cuba has a history of defections at sports events, especially in baseball and often in Puerto Rico.
In 1993, basketball player Andres Guibert defected at a tournament in Ponce. He later played briefly for the Minnesota Timberwolves. He now plays in Europe and is attending the qualifying games in San Juan.
``I wasn't surprised that they defected, but I was surprised at the players who defected,'' Guibert said, referring to Borrell and Caballero. ``They seemed to me like very disciplined guys.''
Two other Cuban basketball players defected during the 1994 world championships in Toronto.
The most prominent baseball defector is Orlando ``El Duque'' Hernandez, who fled Cuba in December 1997 and signed with the New York Yankees. There was also Hernandez' half-brother, Livan Hernandez of the Florida Marlins and major leaguers Rene Arocha, Osvaldo Fernandez, Rey Ordonez, Ariel Prieto
and Rolando Arrojo.
In May, Cuban baseball coach Rigoberto Betancourt Herrera defected to the United States during the national team's visit to Baltimore for an exhibition game against the Orioles.
Cuba had only eight players in uniform for its 88-52 loss to the United States in the Olympic qualifying tournament.
Borrell was averaging 21.3 points in the tournament, and Herrera and Cabellero were the third- and fourth-leading scorers for Cuba.
``The defections make you think about how lucky we are to live the way we live while members of the opposite team are trying to leave their country,'' U.S. forward Tom Gugliotta said.
The Pan American basketball federation confirmed four missing players. No one could immediately say for certain that they defected.
Cuba's coach waved the federation's press release at reporters after the game.
``Why is everyone asking about this? What is the big deal?'' Calderon said. ``I came here to do a technical analysis of the game, not to talk about this.''
AP-NY-07-19-99 0434EDT
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