For Immediate Release
USA Basketball Announces Nominees For 2012 U.S. Olympic Men’s Basketball Team
7/7/12
Las Vegas, Nev. (July 7, 2012) - Following two USA Basketball Men’s National Team training sessions, USA Basketball chairman Jerry Colangelo today announced the official nominees for the12-man U.S. Olympic Team men’s basketball roster. The U.S. hoops roster is pending final approval by the U.S. Olympic Committee.
“We projected we would have difficulty getting down to a roster of 12, regardless of the number of injuries that have taken place, because they are such an outstanding group of people and athletes,” Colangelo said. “The final selections keep us in concert with our game plan to have athleticism, versatility and strong depth on our roster. I think our final roster epitomizes all of that.”
“We have benefited so much from having a pool of outstanding players who are committed, and as a result the selection is difficult. But it’s the best challenge that you could have because everyone has been so committed,” Krzyzewski said. “The guys who were not selected are in our pool, and if someone did get hurt, they are already part of our team and could be seamlessly woven in at a later date. We really appreciate the commitment of all of these guys.”
Nominated for the 2012 U.S. Olympic Team were: Carmelo Anthony (New York Knicks); Kobe Bryant (Los Angeles Lakers); Tyson Chandler (New York Knicks); Kevin Durant (Oklahoma City Thunder); Blake Griffin (Los Angeles Clippers); James Harden (Oklahoma City Thunder); Andre Iguodala (Philadelphia 76ers); LeBron James (Miami Heat); Kevin Love (Minnesota Timberwolves); Chris Paul (Los Angeles Clippers); Russell Westbrook (Oklahoma City Thunder); and Deron Williams (Brooklyn Nets).
The USA roster features five members of the 2008 gold medalist U.S. Olympic Team (Anthony, Bryant, James, Paul and Williams), five members of the gold medalist 2010 World Championship team (Chandler, Durant, Iguodala, Love and Westbrook), and two newcomers (Griffin and Harden).
The average age of the 12 U.S. players is 26.1 years of age.
The 2012 USA coaching staff is led by Duke University Hall of Fame mentor Krzyzewski, who has led the USA Basketball Men’s National Team to gold medal finishes at the 2010 FIBA World Championship and 2008 Beijing Olympics. Assisting Krzyzewski is Syracuse University and Hall of Fame coach Jim Boeheim, and former NBA head coaches Mike D’Antoni and Nate McMillan.
The USA National Team is currently training through July12 in Las Vegas, Nev. The Americans’ Las Vegas training concludes July 12 (6:00 p.m. local time) with the USA Basketball Showcase that features the USA facing the Dominican Republic at UNLV’s Thomas & Mack Center. Tickets for the exhibition game can be purchased by calling 702-739-FANS or online at https://www.UNLVtickets.com/eventInfo/spe/310/usa-basketball/.
Following the USA’s training and exhibition contest in Las Vegas, the USA will move on to the nation’s capital, Washington, D.C., to train July 13-15 and play an exhibition contest versus Brazil at the Verizon Center on July 16 (8 p.m. local time). The game will be part of a doubleheader with the USA Basketball Women’s National Team, which will face Brazil’s Women’s National Team (5:30 p.m. local time).
The USA men will continue their preparations July 17-18 in Manchester, England, and on July 19 (7:30 p.m. local time) will play Great Britain at the Manchester Arena. The USA women will square off against the Great Britain women at the Manchester Arena on July 18 (7:30 p.m. local time). Tickets for both the USA men’s and women’s national team games against their respective Great Britain counterparts are available by calling +44 (0) 844 847 8000 or at www.ticketmaster.co.uk.
Twenty years after the USA Dream Team made its debut in Barcelona, Spain, the U.S. returns and will conclude its tour with a pair of exhibition games against FIBA’s No. 2 and No. 3 ranked world powers. Facing No. 3 ranked Argentina on July 22 (9:30 p.m. local time) at the Palau Sant Jordi in Barcelona, the USA will close out its exhibition tour against FIBA’s No. 2 ranked power Spain on July 24 (9:30 p.m. local time) at the Palau Sant Jordi. Tickets for the games in Barcelona are available at www.entradas.com/entradas/comprar-entradas-torneo-usa-espana-argentina.
2012 USA Basketball Men’s National Team
The USA Basketball Men's National Team Program in 2010-12 is again headed by Colangelo, who has served as managing director of the USA Men’s National Team since 2005.
USA Basketball initiated its historic men’s national team program in 2005 and capped the 2005-2008 quad competitions with a magnificent gold medal run. Since Colangelo and Krzyzewski became involved in the USA National Team, the U.S. has compiled a sterling 49-1 record (.980 winning percentage), and just as importantly reestablished the USA national team and its members as positive ambassadors for the United States and the sport.
In 2010, Colangelo and Krzyzewski assembled a USA World Championship squad that finished 9-0 and captured gold in Istanbul, Turkey. It was the USA’s first gold medal finish at the FIBA World Championship since 1994.
Since first fielding a USA Basketball team of legendary NBA stars in 1992, USA Basketball National Teams comprised of NBA players have claimed gold medals in 11 of 14 major international basketball competitions, while compiling an impressive 109-7 overall record (.940 winning percentage) in those competitions and a record of 37-1
(.974 winning percentage) in exhibition games.
The USA, gold medalists in 13 of the 16 Olympics in which it has played, has a remarkable 122-5 win-loss record for a 96.1 winning percentage. U.S. Olympic teams featuring NBA players are 37-3 in Olympic play and the U.S. has won four of the last five Olympic titles when NBA players have participated (1992, 1996, 2000 and 2008).
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.
Since 2008, USA Basketball men’s and women’s teams have compiled a sterling 134-6 win-loss record in FIBA or FIBA Americas competitions. USA teams are the current men’s and women’s champions of the Olympics and the FIBA World Championships; FIBA women’s U19 world champions; the men’s and women’s title holders for the FIBA U17 World Championships; and the men’s and women’s U18 and U16 FIBA Americas champions. USA Basketball currently ranks No. 1 in all five of FIBA's world ranking categories, including combined, men's, women's, boys and girls.
For further information about USA Basketball, go to the official Web site of USA Basketball at www.usabasketball.com and connect with us on facebook.com/usabasketball, twitter.com/usabasketball and www.youtube.com/therealusabasketball.
2012 U.S. Olympic Men's Basketball Team