One scene, among many. Everyone is drifting towards their locker rooms, when Iranâs Mohammad Jamshidijafarabadi dares to ask Phoenix Sunsâ superstar guard Devin Booker for a photograph. There are gestures. Nods. Small talk. And then the pair are smiling and walking across the court together, shooting the breeze. It proves infectious. Seconds later Saeid Davarpanah is following suit, and soon he is sharing a pose with USAâs Damian Lillard.
The International Olympic Committee is often guilty of epic overreach when it harks on about the power of sport. All that guff and fluff about how it can unite and bind, lubricate and conjoin, and open doors that would otherwise remain bolted. But seeing two children of the 1979 revolution beaming away with their American counterparts was enough to melt the heart of even the iciest cynic.
Olympics 2021 Live: Medals, Schedule and Gymnastics nytimes.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from nytimes.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.