USA basketball

Jim Eichenhofer

Zion Williamson will turn 21 years of age this summer on July 6. Although the exact dates for participation are still being finalized, it’s possible the NBA All-Star forward will be celebrating that milestone birthday alongside a contingent of American basketball players, including New Orleans teammate Brandon Ingram.

Williamson and Ingram, 23, have been selected as two of the 57 USA Basketball candidates to play for the 2021 U.S. Olympic Men’s Team. Ingram was previously named among 42 finalists on Feb. 10, 2020, while Williamson was part of a 15-player group officially announced Thursday morning.

“With the postponement of the Tokyo Olympics from 2020 to 2021, it’s important that we continue to remain flexible and consider all players who can contribute to our efforts to field the best USA team possible,” said USAB managing director Jerry Colangelo in a press release. “These additions we are announcing today will help ensure that we are doing that.”

Per USAB, the rescheduled Summer Games are being held July 23-Aug. 8 in Tokyo, Japan, which will create a quick turnaround for NBA players whose teams advance deep into the playoffs. For example, the NBA Finals are scheduled to conclude July 22 if that series goes the full seven games. NBA teams that advance a round or two will be competing into June, adding to the need for USAB to maintain flexibility in putting together its roster.

Team USA is scheduled to open Olympic preliminary round game action July 25 vs. France.

zion-williamson-joins-brandon-ingram-as-usa-basketball-olympic-finalist

Zion Williamson joins Brandon Ingram as USA Basketball Olympic finalist

Pelicans.com

Colorado Springs, CO – Headed by three-time Olympic medalist LeBron James (Los Angeles Lakers), and including nine members of the gold medalist 2016 U.S. Olympic Team, seven gold medalists from the 2012 U.S. Olympic Team and all 12 members of the USA’s 2019 FIBA World Cup Team, 44 athletes were announced by USA Basketball today as finalists for the 2020 U.S. Olympic Men’s Basketball Team. The player selections were approved by the USA Basketball Board of Directors. The official 12-member 2020 U.S. Olympic Men’s Basketball Team roster will be announced later this year.

Featuring 29 players who have played for the USA in Olympic and/or FIBA World Cup competitions and who together have collected 31 Olympic or FIBA Basketball World Cup gold medals and four bronze medals, the 44 finalists for the 2020 U.S. Olympic Team include: Bam Adebayo (Miami Heat); LaMarcus Aldridge (San Antonio Spurs); Harrison Barnes (Sacramento Kings); Bradley Beal (Washington Wizards); Devin Booker (Phoenix Suns); Malcolm Brogdon (Indiana Pacers); Jaylen Brown (Boston Celtics); Jimmy Butler (Miami Heat); Mike Conley (Utah Jazz); Stephen Curry (Golden State Warriors); Anthony Davis (Los Angeles Lakers); DeMar DeRozan (San Antonio Spurs); Andre Drummond (Cleveland Cavaliers); Kevin Durant (Brooklyn Nets); Paul George (L.A. Clippers); Draymond Green (Golden State Warriors); James Harden (Houston Rockets); Montrezl Harrell (L.A. Clippers); Joe Harris (Brooklyn Nets); Tobias Harris (Philadelphia 76ers); Gordon Hayward (Boston Celtics); Dwight Howard (Los Angeles Lakers); Brandon Ingram (New Orleans Pelicans); Kyrie Irving (Brooklyn Nets); LeBron James (Los Angeles Lakers); Kyle Kuzma (Los Angeles Lakers); Kawhi Leonard (L.A. Clippers); Damian Lillard (Portland Trail Blazers); Brook Lopez (Milwaukee Bucks); Kevin Love (Cleveland Cavaliers); Kyle Lowry (Toronto Raptors); JaVale McGree (Los Angeles Lakers); Khris Middleton (Milwaukee Bucks); Donovan Mitchell (Utah Jazz); Victor Oladipo (Indiana Pacers); Chris Paul (Oklahoma City Thunder); Mason Plumlee (Denver Nuggets); Marcus Smart (Boston Celtics); Jayson Tatum (Boston Celtics); Klay Thompson (Golden State Warriors); Myles Turner (Indiana Pacers); Kemba Walker (Boston Celtics); Russell Westbrook (Houston Rockets); and Derrick White (San Antonio Spurs).

The USA National Team coaching staff is led by San Antonio Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich, and serving as USA assistant coaches are Golden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr, Atlanta Hawks head coach Lloyd Pierce and Villanova University head coach Jay Wright.

“This is the first step in USA Basketball identifying the 12 players who will represent the United States as members of the 2020 U.S. Olympic Men’s Basketball Team in Tokyo,” said Jerry Colangelo, who has served as the managing director of the USA Basketball Men’s National Team since 2005.

“The commitment, desire and excitement of all of our athletes to represent their country is genuine and remarkable. All of the finalists are exceptionally gifted athletes who offer us amazing versatility and depth, and the group of finalists features a range of players from those who are very experienced and accomplished in international basketball to players who will be future international stars.

“Over the course of the remainder of the NBA season we’ll continue to monitor all of the athletes. Selecting the 12-man USA roster will obviously be an extremely challenging and difficult process, and we will again attempt to select the very best team possible to represent our country and who we hope will be successful in our difficult mission of repeating as Olympic champions for a fourth consecutive Olympics.”
Five-time NBA champion and longtime San Antonio Spurs head coach Popovich was announced on Oct. 23, 2015, head coach of the USA Basketball Men’s National Team for the 2017-20 quadrennium.  Now in his 24th season as the Spurs head coach, Popovich also boasts of full resume of international coaching experience.

“I’m looking forward to coaching the U.S. Olympic Team, and I’m excited about the potential and possibilities this team has,” said USA mentor Popovich.  “Anyone who follows international basketball knows there are many really good players from all around the world, and therefore there are many excellent national teams. International basketball has improved so much from the days of the Dream Team. The Olympics in 2020 will be a true competition, and there are many teams that will have a legitimate shot at capturing gold.”

James is a three-time Olympic medalist (2004 bronze and 2008 and 2012 gold) who is attempting to make a historic fourth U.S. Olympic men’s team. A fourth Olympic appearances would tie James with Carmelo Anthony for the most by any U.S. male basketball player. Durant (2012 and 2016) and Paul (2008 and 2012) are seeking to become three-time Olympians and join Anthony, James and David Robinson as the USA’s only three-time U.S. Olympic male basketball players.

Nine players from the gold medal winning 2016 U.S. Olympic team that went 8-0 in Rio remain in contention for the 2020 U.S. Olympic squad, including Barnes, Butler, DeRozan, Durant, George, Green, Irving, Lowry and Thompson. Davis, Durant, Harden, James, Love, Paul and Westbrook were members of the 2012 U.S. Olympic team that compiled an unblemished record of 8-0 and captured gold in London, while Howard, James and Paul were gold medalists with the 2008 U.S. Olympic Team. Additionally, James earned a bronze medal at the 2004 Athens Olympics.

All 12 members of the USA’s 2019 World Cup Team are finalists and include Barnes, Brown, Joe Harris, Lopez, Middleton, Mitchell, Plumlee, Smart, Tatum, Turner, Walker and White. Eight members of the 2014 USA World Cup Team that finished 9-0 and captured gold in Spain are among the finalists including, including Curry, Davis, DeRozan, Drummond, Harden, World Cup MVP Irving, Plumlee and Thompson. Six finalists were members of the 2010 USA World Championship squad that went 9-0 and captured gold in Istanbul, Turkey: Curry, World Cup MVP Durant, Love and Westbrook; and Howard, James and Paul earned a bronze medal at the 2006 FIBA World Championship in Japan.

The finalists represent 21 different NBA teams, with the Boston Celtics (Brown, Hayward, Smart, Tatum and Walker) and the Los Angeles Lakers (Davis, Howard, James, Kuzma and McGee) leading the way with five players each. The Brooklyn Nets (Durant, Joe Harris and Irving), Golden State Warriors (Curry, Green and Thompson), Indiana Pacers (Brogdon, Oladipo and Turner), L.A. Clippers (George, Harrell and Leonard) and the San Antonio Spurs (Aldridge, DeRozan and White) each feature three players. The Cleveland Cavaliers (Drummond and Love), Houston Rockets (Harden and Westbrook), Miami Heat (Adebayo and Butler), Milwaukee Bucks (Lopez and Middleton) and Utah Jazz (Conley and Mitchell) each have two players among the 44 finalists; and the Denver Nuggets (Plumlee), New Orleans Pelicans (Ingram), Oklahoma City Thunder (Paul), Philadelphia 76ers (Tobias Harris), Phoenix Suns (Booker), Portland Trail Blazers (Lillard), Sacramento Kings (Barnes), Toronto Raptors (Lowry) and the Washington Wizards (Beal) each are represented by one player.

All 44 finalists possess international or USA Basketball National Team experience with James leading the way with 68 games of international experience under his belt. He is followed by Paul (50), Durant (44), Curry (40), Howard (38), Thompson (38), Irving (33), Plumlee (31), Love (28), Westbrook (28), Tatum (26), Barnes (25), Davis (25), Harden (25), Drummond (25), Green (22), Smart (21), Lopez (19), Turner (19), Brown (18), Walker (18), Beal (16), DeRozan (16), White (15), Harrell (14), Butler (13), George (13), Joe Harris (13), Lowry (13), Middleton (13), Mitchell (13), Hayward (12), Conley (6), Brogdon (5), Kuzma (3), Lillard (3), Adebayo (1), Ingram (1), Leonard (1) and Oladipo (1). Additionally, Aldridge, Booker, Tobias Harris and McGee have participated in previous USA National Team training camps.
The USA National Team’s complete training schedule for 2020 will be announced at a later date.

2020 Tokyo Olympic Games
The 2020 Summer Olympic Games are being held July 24-Aug. 9 in Tokyo, Japan. Twelve nations will compete in the 2020 Olympic men’s basketball competition that will be held at the Saitama Super Arena. In addition to host Japan, nations qualified for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics men's basketball competition include Argentina, Australia, France, Iran, Nigeria, Spain and the United States.

The final four teams for the Tokyo Olympics will qualify through four FIBA's Olympic Qualifying Tournaments. Twenty-four team will compete in the four men's FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournaments, which will be held from June 23-28, 2020, in Canada, Croatia, Lithuania and Serbia. The winner of each tournament will qualify for the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games.

The six teams competing in Belgrade, Serbia, include in Group A: Dominican Republic, New Zealand and host Serbia; while Group B is comprised of Italy, Puerto Rico and Senegal. The Kaunas, Lithuania, Olympic qualifying site features in Group A, host Lithuania, South Korea and Venezuela; and Group B includes Angola, Poland and Slovenia. The Split, Croatia, Olympic qualifying game site will feature in Group A: Germany, Mexico and Russia; and in Group B: Brazil, host Croatia and Tunisia. The fourth and final Olympic qualifying competition site is Victoria, Canada, and features in Group A, host Canada, China and Greece; and Group B includes Czech Republic, Turkey and Uruguay.

The men’s basketball preliminary group play at the ’20 Olympics, which will see the 12 teams divided into three preliminary round groups of four teams each, will be held July 26-Aug. 2. The quarterfinals, featuring teams placed first and second in each preliminary group and the two best third-placed teams in the Group phase, is scheduled for Aug. 4. Semifinals action will be played on Aug. 6. The gold medal game is scheduled for 11:30 a.m. (Tokyo time), with the bronze medal game slated for 8 p.m. (Tokyo time) on Aug. 8.

The U.S. men have collected a medal in all 18 Olympics in which they have competed, including 15 gold medals, one silver and two bronze medals. The Americans own an impressive 138-5 all-time, win-loss record (.963 winning percentage) in Olympic action, and since NBA players began representing the United States in 1992, the USA is 53-3 in seven Olympics, capturing six gold medals and one bronze medal.

USA Basketball
Based in Colorado Springs, Colorado, and chaired by retired Gen. Martin Dempsey, USA Basketball is a nonprofit organization and the national governing body for basketball in the United States. As the recognized governing body for basketball in the U.S. by the International Basketball Federation (FIBA) and the United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee (USOPC), USA Basketball is responsible for the selection, training and fielding of USA national teams that compete in FIBA-sponsored five-on-five and 3x3 international competitions, as well as for some national competitions and for the development of youth basketball.

brandon-ingram-named-finalist-for-2020-u-s-olympic-mens-team

Brandon Ingram named finalist for 2020 U.S. Olympic Men's Team

They combined to help USA Basketball win a gold medal at the FIBA World Cup in 2014. Along with being New Orleans Pelicans teammates for a year-plus, it’s now possible they’ll be together again in more international events in the near future.

On Friday, USAB announced that Anthony Davis and DeMarcus Cousins were among 35 players selected to be in the USA men’s national team pool. From that group, 12 players will be chosen to participate in the 2019 World Cup, as well as the 2020 Olympics.

During the ’14 World Cup, Davis was America’s third-leading scorer, averaging 12.3 points per game. Cousins was the third-leading rebounder for the squad, pulling down 5.7 boards, to go with 9.8 points a contest. Cousins was also a contributor to USAB’s Olympic gold medal team during the 2016 Olympics in Rio, which Davis missed while recovering from injury. Cousins averaged 9.1 points and 5.8 rebounds for Team USA in those ’16 Olympics.

anthony-davis-demarcus-cousins-once-again-chosen-for-usa-basketball-player-pool

Anthony Davis, DeMarcus Cousins once again chosen for USA Basketball player pool

NEW ORLEANS – It was announced earlier today by USA Basketball that New Orleans Pelicans forward Anthony Davis is one of 30 finalists to represent the United States on the senior men’s basketball team at the 2016 Summer Olympics which will take place in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

Davis, who participated in the USA Basketball minicamp that took place from August 11-13, 2015, was a member of the U.S. Men’s National Team that captured gold at the 2012 Summer Olympics in London as well as the 2014 FIBA World Cup in Spain.

Davis, 6-10, 253, has appeared in 34 games this season for New Orleans, averaging a team-high 22.8 points, 10.6 rebounds, 1.3 steals and 2.4 blocks per contest. The former number one overall pick and two-time All-Star holds career averages of 21.5 points, 10.3 rebounds and 2.7 blocks over 233 regular season games.

In addition to Davis, the list of finalists include LaMarcus Aldridge (San Antonio Spurs); Anthony; Harrison Barnes (Golden State Warriors); Bradley Beal (Washington Wizards); Jimmy Butler (Chicago Bulls); Mike Conley (Memphis Grizzlies); DeMarcus Cousins (Sacramento Kings); Stephen Curry (Golden State Warriors); DeMar DeRozan (Toronto Raptors); Andre Drummond (Detroit Pistons); Kevin Durant (Oklahoma City Thunder); Kenneth Faried (Denver Nuggets); Rudy Gay (Sacramento Kings); Paul George (Indiana Pacers); Draymond Green (Golden State Warriors); Blake Griffin (Los Angeles Clippers); James Harden (Houston Rockets); Gordon Hayward (Utah Jazz); Dwight Howard (Houston Rockets); Andre Iguodala (Golden State Warriors); Kyrie Irving (Cleveland Cavaliers); James; DeAndre Jordan (Los Angeles Clippers); Kawhi Leonard (San Antonio Spurs); Kevin Love (Cleveland Cavaliers); Chris Paul (Los Angeles Clippers); Klay Thompson (Golden State Warriors); John Wall (Washington Wizards); and Russell Westbrook (Oklahoma City Thunder).

Again leading the 2016 USA coaching staff is Duke University's Naismith Hall of Fame head coach Mike Krzyzewski. Serving as USA assistant coaches are Jim Boeheim (Syracuse University), Tom Thibodeau and Monty Williams (Oklahoma City Thunder).

The official 12-man roster will be announced later this year.

anthony-davis-named-finalist-for-2016-united-states-mens-olympic-team

Anthony Davis Named Finalist for 2016 United States Men's Olympic Team

For many years, the USA Basketball men’s national team roster featured an ever-changing group of names, with players shuttling in and out of the program. En route to winning every gold medal in major international competitions recently, however, the transient nature of the team has been significantly reduced. Among the 12 American players who captured the FIBA World Cup championship in Spain last fall, 11 attended Tuesday’s opening day of USA Basketball training camp in Las Vegas, including Pelicans two-time All-Star forward Anthony Davis (Chicago guard Derrick Rose was the lone non-attendee). Even dating back to the 2012 Olympics, Davis and seven of the other 11 members of that gold medal-winning squad are on hand for workouts.

“You can’t just put a team together in two weeks, pick 12 guys and have a coaching staff that doesn’t really know each other,” USA Basketball head coach Mike Krzyzewski said during NBA TV “Real Training Camp” coverage. “As much as you might like (the players), you never give them time to trust. So continuity (is important) and has worked out well for us, and to have the continuity of commitment of players.”

This offseason marks the fourth consecutive summer that Davis has participated with USA Basketball in some form, dating back to winning his Olympic gold medal in London as a 19-year-old. He added a FIBA World Cup title at 21 and seems to be a consensus lock to be chosen to play on next year’s Olympic team, which will compete in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. He sat out Tuesday’s workouts in Las Vegas with a minor ankle injury.

Three of Davis’ USA teammates in 2012 – LeBron James, Chris Paul and Carmelo Anthony – will have a chance to win a third career Olympic gold medal in Rio. It’s the type of repeat and multi-year participation that has helped the Americans rule international hoops, after a period in the mid-2000s that showed the vulnerability of USA rosters that were given little preparation time.

“Many of these international teams had been playing together since they were 14 and 15 years old,” NBA TV analyst Stu Jackson said. “USA could no longer go out and compete (while using) a team that had been thrown together in two weeks, without galvanizing a team and having some continuity. No one would argue we didn’t have the most talented players, but the international teams had an advantage for a while (in chemistry).”

anthony-davis-at-forefront-of-recent-usa-basketball-roster-continuity

Anthony Davis at forefront of recent USA Basketball roster continuity

When Alvin Gentry was hired as the New Orleans Pelicans’ head coach in June, Anthony Davis immediately began thinking about Gentry’s recent Phoenix teams. The Suns of the previous decade relied heavily on the potent inside-outside duo of power forward Amar’e Stoudemire and point guard Steve Nash, en route to putting up prolific offensive numbers, regularly winning 50-plus games and playing one of the NBA’s most entertaining brands of basketball.

During NBA TV’s “Real Training Camp” coverage Tuesday of Day 1 of USA Basketball workouts in Las Vegas, the 22-year-old said he’s visualized doing similar things with the Pelicans’ stable of young and talented backcourt players.

“He’s an unbelievable coach – I used to watch him all the time in Phoenix,” Davis said of Gentry. “I used to watch what he did with Amar’e and Steve Nash, to see how they were so effective. The first thing I envisioned was me and Jrue (Holiday), me and Tyreke (Evans), me and Eric (Gordon), me and Norris (Cole).”

Davis (pictured above with Paul George and John Wall) smiled while discussing Gentry’s fast-paced offense. After Gentry took over the Suns as head coach midway through the 2008-09 season, Phoenix scored a staggering 140, 142 and 140 points in three straight victories. Gentry’s teams have consistently ranked near the top of the NBA in tempo, including the reigning champion Warriors, who were No. 1 in that statistic last season.

“First of all, I love Coach Gentry,” Davis said. “We talked a lot about what we want to do as far as offensive schemes and game plans. I love his style of play. He’s definitely going to bring a lot to our team. He’s definitely one of the coaches who says, ‘Let’s go play. I want to score 115 points.’ It’s a lot of running. He’s definitely going to benefit us.”

Davis good-naturedly pointed out Tuesday that he has been hearing often from other USA camp invitees about the lucrative contract extension he signed in July.

“All these guys keep bringing it up,” a smiling Davis related, “(saying) ‘I want to be like you.’

“It’s just an honor. All the guys who’ve helped me get to this point, coaches, friends, teammates, it’s an honor to have them in my life. It’s a blessing and I’m definitely humbled. Now it’s time to get that out of the way and get ready for the season.”

anthony-davis-discusses-excitement-to-team-with-alvin-gentry

Anthony Davis discusses excitement to team with Alvin Gentry

Anthony Davis was an Olympic gold medalist in 2012, a standout in USA Basketball’s workouts and showcase game in 2013, then a FIBA World Cup champion in 2014. So it came as no surprise Thursday when Davis was among the 34 players invited to participate in USAB’s training camp next week in Las Vegas.

The 34 players, who represent a total of 21 different NBA teams, have the option of participating in the workouts on UNLV’s campus, with 2015 being a summer without an Olympics or World Cup. The next major competition for the men’s senior national team will be in August 2016, when Brazil hosts the Summer Olympics. Players will train Aug. 11-12, followed by the USA Basketball showcase game on Thursday, Aug. 13 (9:30 p.m. Central).

anthony-davis-among-34-invitees-to-usa-camp-in-las-vegas

Anthony Davis among 34 invitees to USA camp in Las Vegas

After a hectic summer filled with USA Basketball practices and games, as well as a travel itinerary that took him across the country and halfway around the globe, no one would’ve blamed New Orleans Pelicans All-Star forward Anthony Davis for needing an extended breather. Instead, the 21-year-old opted to take only a week of “vacation,” before returning to his workout regimen Tuesday morning, a week prior to the Pelicans’ training camp opening on Sept. 30.

After a winning a gold medal in Spain on Sept. 14, Davis immediately headed to the Pelicans’ team headquarters and practice facility in Metairie. Over the past week-plus, he’s already participated in a USA Basketball press conference with head coach Monty Williams, as well as Tuesday’s alternate-uniform unveiling. While speaking to reporters in his brand-new red uni, Davis sounded eager to get back on the court with his NBA teammates.

“I had about a week off. (Pelicans coaches) wanted me to take more time off, but any basketball player who loves the game is going to be around the game,” he said. “Just being around the game is going to make you want to play. We have guys here who’ve been in the gym doing voluntary workouts, who don’t have to be there. Eric (Gordon’s) back, Jrue (Holiday’s) back, Ryan (Anderson), Tyreke (Evans). So we’re all just trying to work and get better.”

Although Davis has played a lot of basketball lately, he hasn’t suited up in a game for New Orleans since April 6, a span of nearly six months. He sat out the final five games of the regular season after aggravating a back injury.

“Just being back with the guys,” Davis said of what he’s enjoyed most since returning home from the FIBA World Cup in Spain. “We haven’t been playing with each other in four or five months. Just to be back with those guys, making each other better, those are the kind of things that you value. So I’m just happy to be back. Lord willing that we stay healthy, but it’s fun to see all of our guys playing with each other and playing as a unit. Hopefully we can stay healthy the whole season and make a push this year.”

After acquiring a true starting center in Omer Asik in June, Pelicans players believe they have the full complement of parts to compete for a playoff berth in the extremely competitive Western Conference. As a result of playing internationally recently, Williams has suggested that he may somewhat limit Asik’s and Davis’ minutes during preseason games, but the Pelicans will use the next few weeks to prepare for the Oct. 28 regular season opener vs. Orlando.

“We’ve got great talent – we’ve got all of the pieces that we need,” Davis said. “Now it’s about figuring everything out. Our coaching staff does a great job of doing that. When we have training camp and preseason, we’re going to use that to make sure when that first game comes around, we get the ball rolling. … I had a great time over there in Spain. Now it’s time to get back to work.”

anthony-davis-its-time-to-get-back-to-work

Anthony Davis: ‘It’s time to get back to work’

none

Presented By

Chevron

<a title="Pelicans Livestreams" href="https://www.nba.com/pelicans/live" target="_blank">LIVE: Pelicans End of Season Interviews with David Griffin, Willie Green | WATCH &gt;&gt;</a>