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COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (July 12, 2006) – Chicago Bulls 6-3 guard Kirk Hinrich has been named to the 2006-08 USA Basketball Men's Senior National Team roster, USA Basketball Men's Senior National Team Managing Director Jerry Colangelo announced today. The 2006-08 USA Senior National Team roster now features 24 players.
"We're happy to add Kirk. He is a great competitor who should excel in international play. His game continues to progress and we believe he will fit in well with the style of play we anticipate playing," said Colangelo.
"Kirk is a terrific addition to our USA Senior Team," commented USA head coach Mike Krzyzewski. "He is an excellent passer and the kind of guard who excels in an up-tempo offense. He just completed his third NBA season and it is obvious he is getting better each season and his best is yet to be seen."
"It's an honor to be invited to represent the United States and play for USA Basketball. Our team has incredible talent and I look forward to doing anything I can to contribute to make the team as good as it can be. I love my country and the opportunity to bring home a gold medal is a dream come true," said Hinrich.
Hinrich, completing in 2005-06 his third NBA season with the Chicago Bulls, played and started in a career best 81 games and averaged a career high 15.9 points per game, as well as 6.3 assists (15th highest in the NBA), 3.6 rebounds and 1.16 steals per game, while shooting career highs of 41.8 percent from the field, 81.5 percent from the foul line and 37.0 percent from 3-point. During Chicago's six playoff games in 2006, Hinrich upped his numbers to 20.5 ppg., 7.7 apg. and 1.33 spg.
An All-American third team selection as a senior (2002-03), Hinrich played four seasons (1999-2000 through 2002-03) at the University of Kansas and was the number seven overall selection in the 2003 NBA Draft.
He currently ranks as Kansas' third all-time leader in 3-point field goal percentage (.429), third in 3-point field goals made (235) and attempted (546), third in minutes played (4187), fourth in assists (668), fourth in steals (206), fourth in games played (141), fifth in free throw percentage (.776), eighth in games started (118), ninth in scoring (1,753), 11th in field goals attempted (1247) and 12th in field goals made (615).
Hinrich played one prior time for USA Basketball, as a member of the 1999 USA Basketball Junior National Select Team that defeated a World Select Team 107-95 in the 1999 Nike Hoop Summit in Tampa, Fla. He recorded seven points and added two assists and one steal in 10 minutes of action.
Hinrich joins the 23 players USA Basketball named earlier to its historic 2006-2008 USA Basketball Men's Senior National Team program. Previously named to the 2006-08 USA Men's Senior National Team were: Carmelo Anthony (Denver Nuggets); Gilbert Arenas (Washington Wizards); Shane Battier (Memphis Grizzlies); Chauncey Billups (Detroit Pistons); Chris Bosh (Toronto Raptors); Bruce Bowen (San Antonio Spurs); Elton Brand (Los Angeles Clippers); Kobe Bryant (Los Angeles Lakers); Dwight Howard (Orlando Magic); LeBron James (Cleveland Cavaliers); Antawn Jamison (Washington Wizards); Joe Johnson (Atlanta Hawks); Shawn Marion (Phoenix Suns); Brad Miller (Sacramento Kings); Adam Morrison (Charlotte Bobcats/Gonzaga University); Lamar Odom (Los Angeles Lakers); Chris Paul (New Orleans/Oklahoma City Hornets); Paul Pierce (Boston Celtics); Michael Redd (Milwaukee Bucks); J.J. Redick (Orlando Magic/Duke University); Luke Ridnour (Seattle SuperSonics); Amaré Stoudemire (Phoenix Suns); and Dwyane Wade (Miami Heat).
Krzyzewski was named on Oct. 26, 2005, head coach of the USA Senior Team program for 2006-2008, and named assistant coaches were Syracuse University (N.Y.) and Hall of Fame mentor Jim Boeheim, Phoenix Suns head mentor Mike D'Antoni and Portland Trail Blazers head coach Nate McMillan.
The USA Basketball Men's Senior National Team will open training in Las Vegas on July 19 and train through July 25 with the 24 members of the 2006-08 USA Basketball Men's Senior National Team.
Following a five-day break, finalists for the USA World Championship Team will reconvene in Las Vegas on July 31 for the start of the second phase of the team's domestic training. The USA will train July 31-Aug. 2 and meet Puerto Rico in an exhibition game at the Thomas & Mack Center on Aug. 3 at 8 p.m. (PDT).
The USA's training will move to Guangzhou, China, where the team will train Aug. 6, and play two games as part of the China Basketball Challenge, facing China on Aug. 7 and Brazil on Aug. 8.
From Aug. 11-15 the USA will participate in the five-team World Basketball Challenge 2006 that will be held in Seoul, Korea, at the site of the 1988 Olympic Games basketball competition - Jamsil Gymnasium. The Challenge features national teams from the United States, Italy, Korea, Lithuania and Turkey.
The World Basketball Challenge 2006 officially gets underway Friday, Aug. 11, when Korea plays Turkey (6 p.m., all times local). On Saturday, Aug. 12, Korea will take on Lithuania (2 p.m.), while Italy and Turkey (4 p.m.) will clash in the evening's second game. The USA opens its play on Sunday, Aug. 13, against Lithuania (2 p.m.), and Korea versus Italy (4 p.m.) caps the day's schedule. The Challenge concludes Tuesday, Aug. 15, with Korea meeting the U.S. (3 p.m. local time). The U.S. squad is also scheduled to train in Seoul on Aug. 11, 12, 14, and 16.
The USA's visit to China and Korea mark the first time that a USA men's senior national basketball team comprised of NBA players has visited either country.
The United States will depart on Aug.17 for Sapporo, Japan, where it will play its preliminary round games of the 2006 FIBA World Championship for Men from Aug. 19-24.
2006 FIBA World Championship For Men
FIBA, citing the improved level of play on a global level and the fact that basketball is the most widespread indoor team sport around the world, increased the number of men's teams competing in the 2006 Worlds from 16 to 24. The 24 qualified teams were placed into four preliminary round groups consisting of six teams each. The USA was placed into preliminary round Group D and was joined by Puerto Rico (wild card qualifier and ranked by FIBA #11), Slovenia (European Zone sixth place finisher and ranked by FIBA #22), Italy (wild card qualifier and ranked by FIBA #6), China (Asia Zone champion and ranked by FIBA #14) and Senegal (Africa Zone runner-up and ranked by FIBA #30). Group D will play its preliminary round games Aug. 19-24 in Sapporo City, Japan.
Each team at the '06 World Championship will play the other teams in its preliminary group, the top four finishing teams from each preliminary group will qualify for the Eighth-Finals. Winners of the Eighth-Finals games will advance to the quarterfinals, while losers are eliminated from the competition. Winners of the quarterfinals games will advance to the medal round semifinals, while the quarterfinals losers will play in the consolation round semifinals and play out for fifth-eighth places. Winners of the medal round semifinals advance to the Sept. 3 gold medal game, while medal round semifinals losers will meet in the Sept. 2 bronze medal game. All games from the Eighth-Finals to the Finals will be played on a one-game elimination basis for the gold medal. Games from the Eighth-Finals to the Finals will be played in Saitama City, Saitama, Japan.
Held every four years and considered international basketball's diamond event, the U.S. has had mixed results in World Championship play.
Placing sixth and finishing with a 6-3 record in 2002, the 1998 USA World Championship Team originally was to be a squad comprising NBA players. But when labor problems in the NBA prevented the use of NBA players, the USA team ended up comprising Americans who were playing professionally overseas, in the CBA or in college. Despite formulating the team just weeks in advance of the Worlds, the U.S. rolled to a surprising 7-2 finish and the bronze medal.
The U.S. last claimed World Championship gold in 1994 in Toronto, Canada. Behind the play of World Championship MVP Shaquille O'Neal, Reggie Miller, Dominique Wilkins, Joe Dumars and others, the U.S. finished 8-0 to take the gold medal and did so in dominating fashion, winning its eight games by an average of 37.7 points a game.
All told, the USA has won nine medals in World Championship play - three gold (1954, 1986 and 1994), three silver (1950, 1959 and 1982) and three bronze medals (1974, 1990 and 1998). Overall, USA teams have compiled a 97-26 win-loss record in the World Championships for a 78.9 winning percentage.
USA Basketball
Based in Colorado Springs, Colo., USA Basketball is a nonprofit organization and the national governing body for men's and women's basketball in the United States. As the recognized governing body for basketball in the United States by the International Basketball Federation (FIBA) and the United States Olympic Committee (USOC), USA Basketball is responsible for the selection, training and fielding of USA teams that compete in FIBA sponsored international basketball competitions, as well as for some national competitions.
USA Basketball is governed by a 10-member Executive Committee and 25-member Board of Directors, who are appointed and elected by active members. Val Ackerman, founding President of the WNBA, serves as President of USA Basketball for the 2005-2008 term.
Serving since January 2001 as USA Basketball's Executive Director is Jim Tooley. Tooley, who has been with USA Basketball since 1993, is responsible for overseeing all aspects of the organization's day-to-day operations and business operations.
USA Basketball is an organization made up of associations. The 15 member organizations have representation on USA Basketball's Board of Directors and various committees and ultimately determine how USA Basketball operates.
During the 2001-2004 quadrennium, more than 925 men and women players and 125 coaches participated in USA Basketball, including the USA Basketball men's and women's Youth Development Festivals, USA Basketball trials, and USA Basketball teams. Between 2001-2004 the USA competed in 22 major international events and won medals an astounding 19 times, including gold or top finishes 14 times, silver once and bronze medals four times.
The competitions in which USA teams regularly compete include the Olympics, World Championships, Pan American Games, World University Games, U21 World Championships, U19 World Championships, Nike Hoop Summit and Youth Development Festivals.
USA Basketball also sanctions U.S. basketball team tours of foreign countries and foreign basketball team tours of the U.S., as well as oversees the certification of FIBA and USA Basketball officials and the assignment of those officials to international competitions.