Brand will be headed to Puerto Rico this summer. Rocky Widner/NBAE/Getty Images

Finalizing the 2003 USA Men's Senior National Team roster with the addition of three role players, USA Basketball officially announced that NBA All-Star Elton Brand will join Seattle SuperSonic and USA Basketball veteran Nick Collison and Richard Jefferson of the New Jersey Nets on the 2003 USA Senior National Team 12-man roster. The player selections were made by the USA Basketball Senior National Team Committee.

The 2003 USA Basketball Men's Senior National Team will participate in the 2003 FIBA Americas Olympic Qualifying Tournament that will be held Aug. 20-31, in San Juan, Puerto Rico.

"It's neat having three young players who are good kids and who can contribute to our team," said USA head coach Larry Brown. "It's wonderful for USA Basketball to be able to reward Nick for staying in college four years and for being so active with USA Basketball. Hopefully this is something other college players in the future can look forward to. Elton and Richard are two of the league's finest young players and they are the future of USA Basketball."

“We have now completed the 12-man roster for this year's Olympic qualifying team. We feel we have a deep and talented roster that is poised to accomplish our objectives of winning the gold medal at this summer's qualifying tournament and next year's 2004 Olympic Games,” stated USA Basketball President Tom Jernstedt. “I'm confident the 12 players will be outstanding on the basketball court and terrific representatives of USA Basketball.”

“The committee's selection of Elton Brand, Richard Jefferson and Nick Collison completes the roster for one of the most talented and exciting teams USA Basketball has ever assembled," said Stu Jackson, Chair of the USA Basketball Men's Senior National Team Committee. “It's great to see the college basketball community represented by Nick Collison, who is very deserving of his selection. In addition, Elton Brand has been a loyal contributor to USA Basketball since his high school and college days and will provide the team with scoring, rebounding and international experience. And in Richard Jefferson, the Senior Team has added one of the NBA's top young players, who will gain valuable international experience in his first appearance for USA Basketball.”

USA Basketball previously announced that Brown would serve as head coach of the USA senior team, and named as his assistant coaches were San Antonio Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich, recently hired Clemson University (S.C.) head mentor Oliver Purnell, and recently named University of North Carolina head coach Roy Williams.

Brand and Collison have previously played for USA Basketball teams, raising the number of Senior Team members who have prior USA Basketball experience to nine (Allen, Bibby, Brand, Collison, Duncan, Iverson, Kidd, Malone and O’Neal).

A veteran of four USA Basketball teams, Brand most recently was a member of the 2002 USA World Championship squad that finished in sixth place. Playing in eight of the USA’s nine World Championship games, and starting on five occasions, Brand averaged 6.9 ppg. and 4.1 rpg., while shooting a team best 58.1 percent from the floor. He was also one of three collegians selected for the 1999 USA Tournament of the Americas Olympic Qualifying Team that also featured nine NBA standouts. That USA Basketball team, coached by Brown as well, rolled to a spotless 10-0 record, won gold and qualified the United States for the 2000 Olympic Games and Brand posted averages of 2.0 ppg. and 1.7 rpg., in 7.8 minutes of action per game.

In 1998, Brand was a member of the gold medal winning 1998 USA Goodwill Games Team that was comprised of college players. He averaged a team second best 17.0 points a game, and added team bests of 7.6 rebounds, 1.2 blocked shots and shot 65.0 percent from the field. In the gold medal final against Australia, Brand finished with 15 points and nine rebounds to help the U.S. to its 93-85 overtime upset victory. For his outstanding performance at the ‘98 Goodwill Games, he was selected by USA Basketball as its 1998 Male Athlete of the Year. Brand made his USA Basketball debut in 1997 as a heralded high school senior with the USA Basketball Junior Select Team. The USA, behind Brand's 15 points and seven boards, defeated an International Select Team 97-90 in the Hoop Summit game.

Brand finished the 2002-03 regular season ranked first in the NBA in offensive rebounds per game (4.6 per game), fourth in blocked shots per game (2.55), fifth in double-doubles (44), eighth in efficiency ranking (24.42), 11th in field goal percentage (.502), 12th in minutes player per game (39.6) and 14th in total rebounds (703). Missing 20 games because of injuries, although he missed the minimum standards in other statistical categories, if he were ranked his averages would see him listed 32nd in scoring averaging 18.5 ppg., fourth in rebounds averaging 11.3 rpg., and tied for 48th in steals (1.15 spg.). Brand missed 18 games with a stress fracture (2/26/03 through 3/30/03) then returned for the Clippers’ final nine games of the season.

A four-member medical staff for the 2003 USA Basketball Men's Senior National Team was also announced by USA Basketball and included Clippers team physician Dr. Tony Daly, along with Minnesota Timberwolves medical director Dr. Sheldon Burns, San Antonio Spurs head athletic trainer Will Sevening and New Jersey Nets head athletic trainer Tim Walsh.

2003 USA Basketball Men's Senior National Team

 

ELTON BRAND
"It's an honor being named to the team and I'm very, very excited to represent my country again. I'm glad USA Basketball has given me the opportunity to represent our nation on this team. I'm looking forward to playing with the caliber of players already named to the team as well as getting to know the guys on the team off the court. It's just going to be a great experience. It's a real honor to have the opportunity to get the United States to the top of the basketball world again. I personally have extra motivation to play well considering I was a part of the World Championship team last year that lost and since I was injured for part of the tournament."

 

STU JACKSON ON ELTON BRAND
"We are very pleased to have Elton Brand back on another USA Basketball team. His tremendous work ethic, leadership and international experience will be welcome additions to the senior national team. Elton provides us with another offensive low post scorer and a solid defensive presence in the frontcourt."