Okafor Begins Training For Olympics

Bobcats first-round draft pick Emeka Okafor began preparing for the 2004 Summer Olympic Games this week in Los Angeles, where he is there taking part in individual workouts over the next two weeks with former University of Rhode Island coach Jerry DiGregorio. Okafor will miss the Minnesota Summer League and Rocky Mountain Revue in order to hone his skills for the Olympics and the Bobcats season this fall.

“Emeka is in Los Angeles working on some of his individual skills and we've worked with Emeka to devise some workout plans that would be best for him,” said Bobcats General Manager and Head Coach Bernie Bickerstaff. “After seeing the Olympic schedule, we knew that he could get some work in with us -- it’s a possibility that he could come back and work out some more in Charlotte -- and still prepare with the Olympic team for the games.”

Okafor will report for USA Basketball team training at the University of North Florida in Jacksonville, Florida, on July 25 and go through workouts from July 26-31. That week of practice will be followed by a game against Olympic qualifier Puerto Rico at the Jacksonville Veterans Memorial Arena on Saturday, July 31, at 1 p.m. in an exhibition that will be televised by ESPN2.

Preparations for the Olympics will also keep Okafor busy the first two weeks of August leading up to the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens, Greece from August 13-29.

Joining Okafor on the 2004 USA Basketball Men’s Senior National Team are Tim Duncan, Allen Iverson, LeBron James, Richard Jefferson, Stephon Marbury, Shawn Marion and Amare Stoudemire. The team is coached by Larry Brown of the NBA Champion Detroit Pistons.

Emeka’s Olympic Schedule
July 26-30: Team training in Jacksonville, FL
July 31: Game vs. Olympic qualifier Puerto Rico in Jacksonville, FL
August 1-2: Team training in Cologne, Germany
August 3: Game vs. Olympic qualifer Italy at the Kolnarena in Germany
August 4: Game vs. Germany at the Kolnarena in Germany
August 5: Team training at the Belgrade Arena in Belgrade, Serbia and Montenegro
August 6: Game vs. Olympic qualifier Serbia and Montenegro at the Belgrade Arena
August 7, 9, 11, 12: Team training at the Abdi Ipekci Arena in Istanbul, Turkey
August 8: Game vs. Turkey at the Abdi Ipekci Arena
August 10: Game vs. Turkey at the Abdi Ipekci Arena
August 13-29: 2004 Olympic Games in Athens, Greece