Carlesimo, Green Named to USA Basketball Select Team
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Carlesimo
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August 6, 2007
SEATTLE - Ten top young NBA players were named today by USA Basketball to a USA Basketball Men's Select Team that has been chosen to help prepare the 2007 USA Senior National Team for the Aug. 22-Sept. 3 FIBA Americas Championship that is being held in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Seattle’s Jeff Green, the No. 5 overall selection in the 2007 NBA Draft, was named to the USA Select Team. Newly named Sonics coach P.J. Carlesimo, who served as an assistant coach with the 1992 U.S. Olympic “Dream Team” and who has been a head or assistant coach of five other USA Basketball teams, has been chosen head coach of the USA Select Team.
“P.J. Carlesimo will coach the USA Select Team and is a perfect fit because he has so much USA Basketball experience,” said USA Basketball Men’s Senior National Team managing director Jerry Colangelo. “His willingness to do this is very much appreciated especially since he just accepted the Seattle SuperSonics head coaching job.”
Other players named to the USA Basketball Select Team include: LaMarcus Aldridge (Portland Trail Blazers); Aaron Brooks (Houston Rockets); Monta Ellis (Golden State Warriors); Channing Frye (Portland Trail Blazers); Devin Harris (Dallas Mavericks); Andre Iguodala (Philadelphia 76ers); Al Jefferson (Minnesota Timberwolves); Jason Kapono (Toronto Raptors); and David Lee (New York Knicks).
“We’re pleased that we’ll have a presence with USA Basketball as they prepare for the FIBA Americas Championship,” said Sonics General Manager Sam Presti. “We are honored that USAB is recognizing core members of our organization as they build teams for the future.”
The select squad will begin training Aug. 14 in Las Vegas and will scrimmage against the USA Senior National Team from Aug. 15-20.
The USA Senior National Team's Aug 15-21 training camp will be utilized to determine the 12-member USA squad that will compete Aug. 22-Sept. 2 in the FIBA Americas Championship 2007. Rosters for the FIBA Americas Championship must be submitted to FIBA Americas on July 21.
The FIBA Americas Championship, featuring 10 men's national teams, is one of five FIBA Olympic qualifying zone tournaments and will determine the two men's teams from the Americas zone who will earn a qualification spot for the 2008 Olympic Games that are being held Aug. 8-24 in Beijing, China.
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