SPORTS | Striving for excellence
25 June 2008
Roster for U.S. Men’s Olympic Basketball Team Announced
Coach Mike Krzyzewski is preparing the team for Beijing
Washington -- When the 2008 U.S. Men’s Olympic Basketball team hits the court in Beijing this August, it will feature several experienced Olympians leading the way as the United States begins its quest to recapture the gold medal.
The 12-player U.S. team, which was announced June 23, will include Olympic gold medalist and veteran team leader Jason Kidd, who plays professional basketball for the Dallas Mavericks. Kidd was a member of the 2000 Olympic team that earned the gold at the Sydney Games. Four additional members of this year’s squad have previous Olympic experience: Carmelo Anthony of the Denver Nuggets, Carlos Boozer of the Utah Jazz, Cleveland Cavaliers superstar LeBron James and Dwyane Wade of the Miami Heat all were members of the 2004 team that won the bronze medal in Athens, Greece.
“The 12 players selected have incredible talent, and more importantly, we think this team has excellent leadership, great versatility and balance, and very good chemistry, which are critical parts in building a great team,” said USA Basketball Men’s Senior National Team Managing Director Jerry Colangelo. “I believe this team is a team all Americans can and will be proud of.”
As leader of the 2008 U.S. Olympic team, Duke University Hall of Fame coach Mike Krzyzewski will attempt to steer the team through stiff international competition. Making the path to gold more difficult for the United States is the presence of National Basketball Association (NBA) superstars like Dirk Nowitzki (Germany) and Yao Ming (China) on other nation’s Olympic teams.
After finishing third in Athens, USA Basketball created a new system to select players and field an Olympic team. This year’s 12-man team was selected from a pool of 33 NBA players that has competed as the USA Senior National Team since 2006, earning a combined overall record of 23-1.
“The past two summers’ experiences will definitely help our team,” said Krzyzewski. “As we have learned, the international teams we will face in Beijing are also extremely talented and they play very well as a team. Our Senior National Team program has helped us achieve confidence, continuity and excellent chemistry too. This summer’s Olympics are going to be an unbelievable competition.”
The players will continue to practice and play together as a team over the next few months. Players will participate in a mini-camp at the end of June, attend a five-day training session in July and play an exhibition game against Canada before heading to Beijing for the Summer Olympics, which run from August 8 to August 24.
Also on the 2008 Olympic team are Chris Bosh (Toronto Raptors), Kobe Bryant (Los Angeles Lakers), Dwight Howard (Orlando Magic), Chris Paul (New Orleans Hornets), Tayshaun Prince (Detroit Pistons), Michael Redd (Milwaukee Bucks) and Deron Williams (Utah Jazz).
