They posed for photographs, hamming it up while displaying their medals. They beamed with pride as the National Anthem was played. And some of them even cried.

Then, they reflected on what they had accomplished: a seventh straight Olympic Gold medal and the type of rare dynastic run that makes them one of the most legendary teams in basketball history. The only outfit with more consecutive championships is the Boston Celtics, which captured eight consecutive NBA crowns from 1959-66. But since Bill Russell and his compadres weren’t taking on the whole world, an argument can be made that the U.S. Women’s National Team is the most dominant hoops squad ever.

The 2021 win over Japan in the Tokyo Olympic Games captured the Gold and extended the U.S. winning streak to a remarkable 55 games. There have been no hiccups or off nights. The team has operated as a thresher, ripping through every opponent and maintaining a rare focus that has produced legendary results.

“Our sustained success occurs because of the sacrifice of our players,” said 2021 head coach Dawn Staley, who played on three of the seven victorious teams. “We always have the best of the best.”

That makes Sue Bird and Diana Taurasi the best of the best of the best. They captured their fifth Gold medals in Tokyo and provided the kind of veteran leadership that has been a hallmark of the women’s team during the streak. Sylvia Fowles earned her fourth Gold with the victory. Out of the three, only Taurasi is playing in this year’s Games.

“There is an ultimate honor and pride with wearing this jersey,” said Taurasi. “I hope the next generation feels that same pride, that same respect, that same responsibility to make sure to come out here and play the right way. There’s nothing like it. There’s nothing like playing in the Olympics…When you put that USA on your chest, you’re playing for everyone who loves basketball in our country, and that responsibility that weighs heavy on us. That’s probably one thing we won’t miss.”

Although women’s basketball did not become an Olympic sport until 1976, the relationship between USA Basketball and the nation’s top female players dates back much further. U.S. teams have competed in World Championship/Cup and Pan American Games competitions since the 1950s. The women’s game has been an important—and highly successful—part of USA Basketball, and the continued success and domination of U.S. teams shows how robust the sport is in this country.

U.S. women have won nine Olympic Gold medals and 11 World Cup titles. They have featured the nation’s best players and some of its most legendary coaches. During its 50 years of existence, USA Basketball has strived to be the standard for the sport worldwide, and thanks to the success of its women’s teams, that goal has become a reality.

“This just doesn’t happen overnight,” Taurasi said after the Tokyo Gold medal game. “This is a process that happens over the years.”

EARLY DAYS

For many people, their first glimpse of women’s basketball was in the Association for Intercollegiate Athletics for Women (AIAW) college game or the first time the International Olympic Committee allowed women’s basketball to be contested. But U.S. women’s basketball goes back well before that. In 1926, the AAU began holding national championship tournaments, and 27 years later, in Santiago, Chile, the U.S. captured its first-ever world title.

Led by Katherine Washington, the 1953 team was made of seven members of the Nashville Business College team, one future member and another player, and it dumped the host Chile team, 49-36, in the final. Washington was again outstanding four years later, when the U.S. went to Rio and blitzed to a 6-0 record and a second-straight title. A 51-48 victory over the Soviet Union in the final game clinched the Gold.

That would be the U.S. team’s last victory over the USSR for a long time. The Soviets won the next four World Championship tournaments and went a perfect 23-0 in the process. When the teams met in the first Olympic women’s competition, the 1976 Games in Montreal, the USSR ripped the U.S. team, 112-77, in the group stage. A variety of circumstances kept the teams apart after that. The USSR did not participate in the 1979 World Championships, held in Seoul, because the nation did not have diplomatic relations with South Korea.

The United States boycotted the 1980 Moscow Olympics, which meant the teams’ meeting in the ’83 World Championships in Sao Paulo, Brazil, was their first in seven years. The result was a crushing, 84-82 American loss in the Gold medal game.

But that was it for any level of American disappointment. Big things were ahead, and the U.S. women were about to show the world how the sport was played.

STEPPING FORWARD

When the U.S. team arrived in Montreal in ’76 for the first-ever Olympics to include a women’s competition, they found a two-bedroom apartment waiting for them. That meant 12 players would have to cram into bunk beds and avoid tripping over each other. Those modest beginnings helped create the strong spine that has driven the U.S. teams in international play.

The Soviets boycotted the ’84 Los Angeles Games, but the talented U.S. team that won Gold featured standouts like Cheryl Miller and Lynette Woodard and was coached by the legendary Pat Summitt. While the USSR’s absence led many to debate whether the Americans could have defeated their main rivals, the ’88 Seoul Olympics answered any questions.

The U.S. won Gold and whipped the Soviets, 102-88, in the semifinals. The trio of Katrina McClain, Teresa Edwards and Cynthia Cooper led the team and made the Americans practically invincible. That wasn’t the case four years later, in Barcelona. While the men’s Dream Team stomped its way to Gold, the women could only manage a Bronze, thanks to a semifinal loss to the Unified Team, as the former Soviet Union was then known. That would be the last time the women’s team would stand on something other than the top level of the rostrum. Beginning in Atlanta, the U.S. became unstoppable.

The ’96 women’s team was a perfect 8-0, and no team came within 15 points of it. Led by coach Tara VanDerveer, the U.S. featured a deep, versatile team with Lisa Leslie, who averaged 19.5 ppg, McClain, Sheryl Swoopes and Ruthie Brown. The team’s 111-87 rout of Brazil in the Gold medal game featured 71.9 percent field-goal shooting in the first half. Simply put, the Brazilians didn’t have a chance.

As the rest of the world found out over the next six Olympiads, neither did anyone else.

TOTAL DOMINANCE

The numbers at the 2000 Olympics were extremely impressive. First off, the U.S. was 8-0 in the tournament and outscored its opposition by 21.7 ppg. Yes, the team was an offensive juggernaut, defeating teams like New Zealand by 50-plus points and shooting an average 50.8 percent from the field, but it also stifled its rivals, holding them to 37.7 percent success. Leslie and Swoopes again led the way, with Yolanda Griffith providing another strong offensive option. One of the biggest stories was Teresa Edwards’ decision to step away from international play after setting the record for most points scored in all competitions by a U.S. player and playing in five different Olympiads.

When the U.S. team went to Greece for the ’04 Games, things weren’t quite as easy, but that didn’t mean the Americans didn’t prevail. Their first six contests didn’t produce too much stress, although a 71-58 win over Spain had some moments of concern. Defeating Russia, 66-62, in the semifinals wasn’t easy, and the United States found itself matched up with Australia in the Gold medal game. Still, thanks to the team’s depth and talent, the U.S. prevailed, 74-63, for its third-straight Olympic Gold.

The story of the team was Leslie, who led everyone in scoring (15.6 ppg) and rebounding (8.0 rpg). It would be the standout’s third Olympic Games, and when the competition was over, she was the all-time U.S. leader in points, rebounds and blocked shots in Olympic play.

Although Leslie did not play as big a role in 2008 in Beijing, she was still formidable (10.1 ppg, 7.0 rpg). But Sylvia Fowles, Tina Thompson and Diana Taurasi took the lead as the Americans put together their most dominating performance to date, whipping their eight opponents by an average of 37.6 ppg for the fourth Gold in their seven-Olympiad streak. Even the final against Australia (again) wasn’t competitive, with the United States romping, 92-65.

Leslie joined Edwards as the only athlete, male or female, to win four Olympic basketball Golds.

Gold medal number five in the string was captured in London, with France providing the opposition in the final game. In what was becoming a ritual, the U.S. skunked its rivals by more than 30 points a game (34.4) and only had one team come within 25 points. Bird and Taurasi teamed with Tamika Catchings as captains, and all three were key contributors. Taurasi led the team with 12.4 ppg, Bird handed out 4.5 apg and Catchings was stout on the boards and the defensive end. The world may not have liked it, but the U.S. was rolling, and there was nothing anyone could do about it.

That was certainly the case in Rio, when the U.S. topped the century mark in six of its eight wins. The final was a 101-72 rout of Spain, and the team’s average margin of victory was 37.2 ppg. The Taurasi-Catchings-Bird triumvirate again provided the necessary leadership, but the team was filled with so many stars that it was difficult to imagine a need for someone to be out front. Any of the team members could have—and did—fill that role.

The triumph demonstrated the growing breadth of USA Basketball’s developmental abilities. It’s likely that a team of 12 other American players could have won Gold, had the squad that tore through Rio stayed home. A sport that didn’t gain Olympic acceptance until 40 years after the men’s version debuted had surpassed its male counterpart in terms of dominance. That shocked some—although it shouldn’t have—the women’s professional game has been quite mature and widespread internationally for decades.

As the Paris Games dawn, it is clear USA Basketball has perfected the formula for success in the women’s realm. The game is ripening every year at the prep, college and WNBA levels, providing an endless stream of talent for the national team. There’s no guarantee of Gold in the coming Olympiad—or any other—but it’s hard to imagine another country with the resources and commitment necessary to usurp the U.S.

In other words, fans of the U.S. women’s team should get ready for another celebration this summer. 

SLAM PRESENTS USA BASKETBALL IS AVAILABLE NOW

Photos via Getty Images.

The post The Best of the Best: A Journey Through the USA Women’s National Team’s Historical Dominance Over the Years appeared first on SLAM.

When the 1992 Olympic Dream Team used a ridiculous, 46-1 first-half run to turn its opening game against Angola into an emphatic statement of what was ahead for the rest of the world in Barcelona, it did more than just validate forward Charles Barkley’s prediction that Angola was “in trouble.”

It began a brand-new era for USA Basketball. After decades of sending the nation’s top collegians up against the world’s best, it was time to show everybody just how Dr. Naismith’s invention was meant to be played. From that point on, NBA stars populated teams that played in—and most of the time won—the biggest competitions.

But U.S. basketball domination didn’t start in ’92, and USA Basketball’s tradition isn’t just about the Dream Team. The country’s hoops governing body has created a legacy of success that has featured some of the game’s greatest players and most exciting results. The U.S. first stepped onto the international stage in 1936, when the sport was initially contested at the Olympics, and since that time it has been the world leader in the sport. As the nation’s governing body, USA Basketball has been the north star for the sport and has played a role in bringing basketball to America and the world. It has also provided an opportunity for U.S. fans to experience the game’s best playing together, as part of a vibrant red, white and blue tradition. 

In 1974, the Amateur Basketball Federation of the United States of America (ABAUSA) was formed to bring all of the nation’s various organizations under the same governing body. Fifteen years later, the ABAUSA changed its name to USA Basketball, but its mission remained clear: provide the best possible support and leadership for U.S. teams to compete and win on the world’s biggest basketball stages, while also growing the game throughout the country. To say that it has been successful in that mission is a gigantic understatement. 

Under USA Basketball’s leadership, the nation’s top players and coaches continue to dominate. The Men’s National Team has won nine of the last 11 Olympic Gold medals (the U.S. did not participate in the 1980 Moscow Games) and the last four. It has also captured four world championships over the last three-plus decades—in 1986, 1994, 2010 and 2014—and another in 1954. There have been numerous titles in competitions like the Pan Am Games and other tournaments worldwide. As the Paris Olympic Games approach, the U.S. is heavily favored to defend its Gold-medal status, thanks to a team of 12 NBA All-Stars that includes four MVPs and six NBA champions. It’s another example of the strong relationship between USA Basketball and the country’s greatest players, whose desire to represent their country is deep, and whose talent is overwhelming. Former NBA All-Star and 1996 Gold medalist Grant Hill, now USA Basketball’s Men’s Team Managing Director, selected the team and filled it with versatile standouts. 

“The United States is home to some of the best basketball players in the world, and I appreciate the vast interest in being part of this roster,” Hill said. “These decisions weren’t easy, but it was a pleasure to go through the process and reach this outcome.”

EARLY DOMINANCE

More than 40 years after Naismith invented his game, the International Basketball Federation (originally known as FIBB) was born in 1932, and plans were made for the sport to be part of the 1936 Berlin Olympics. A field of 22 squads played, but it was really only about one team: the United States, which finished the competition 4-0 (there were no medal rounds) to claim the Gold. 

Six straight Golds followed for the U.S., which was rarely challenged. The nation’s best collegians and recent graduates took on the world. Rival teams were often comprised of much older players, some of whom were paid—although no country would ever admit to it. It didn’t matter. From 1936-68, the U.S. went 55-0 in Olympic play, the type of dominance many expected from the country that invented the sport.

Among the standouts during that stretch were center Joe Fortenberry, who averaged 14.5 ppg in 1936, forward Clyde Lovellette (13.9 ppg) on the ’52 team, San Francisco big man Bill Russell (14.1 ppg) in 1956, 1960 standouts Oscar Robertson and Jerry Lucas, both of whom averaged 17.0 ppg, and Spencer Haywood, whose 16.1 ppg led the 1968 squad to Gold.

Haywood was the first college freshman ever invited to try out for the Olympic team, and the 19-year-old from tiny Trinidad State JC in Colorado proved he belonged. Not only did he score plenty—he had 21 in the Gold medal win over Yugoslavia—he also set an Olympic record for field-goal percentage (71.9) that still stands.

But Haywood, like so many of the great players who have represented the U.S. internationally, was part of a team. He could have scored even more, but he blended with other standouts to help continue a tradition that has defined USA Basketball: representing the United States.

For decades, the U.S. was the world’s supreme basketball powerhouse, but trouble was looming. The Soviet Union had invested heavily in its sports programs, with the goal of promoting Communism around the world. When Haywood stood on the podium and watched a giant American flag unfurl in the Mexico City arena, he could not have known the turbulence that lay ahead.

BIG CHANGES

The next 20-plus years were a time of great transformation for the nation’s top basketball organization. It all began in 1972, when the United States team suffered a crushing, 51-50 loss to the USSR in the Gold medal game in Munich. The contest featured enough confusion and controversy to fill an entire Olympiad. A U.S. protest was denied, and the American players refused to accept their Silver medals. It was the first Olympic loss in U.S. history, and it remains a dark chapter.

Two years later, the ABAUSA was created as a response to a decision by the international body (by then renamed FIBA) to revoke its recognition of the AAU, which had governed the sport in this country. The new organization brought together representatives from every amateur basketball confederation in the country and began its 50-year run of leading the nation’s basketball fortunes.

One of its first successes came in 1976 at the Montreal Olympiad, when the U.S. gained a measure of revenge for the ’72 debacle. The Americans rolled to a 7-0 record and the Gold medal. Although the final win came against Yugoslavia, which had upset the USSR in the semifinals, and not the Soviets, it was still a great first act on the largest international stage for America’s new governing body. 

Since the U.S. didn’t participate in the 1980 Moscow Olympics, and the USSR boycotted the ’84 Games in Los Angeles, the two basketball superpowers didn’t meet again until 1988, in South Korea. The matchup didn’t take place in the final round, rather in the semis, and the U.S. was unable to overcome a loaded Soviet team that included future NBA standouts Arvydas Sabonis and Sarunas Marciulionis and fell, 82-76. Although the Americans won the Bronze by routing Australia, it was clear changes needed to be made, since the U.S. was using college players against teams with much older—and professional—competitors. 

In April of 1989, FIBA made the historic decision to allow countries to use professional players on its international teams. Although the U.S. delegation voted against the change, the 56-13 decision was emphatic and created the opportunity for the U.S. to bring its best players to the world. Then-ABAUSA president Dave Gavitt declared the move necessary “in this new, worldwide era.” That October, the ABAUSA changed its name to USA Basketball.

FIBA had taken the big step. It was time for the United States to show basketball fans everywhere, from one side of the world to the other, what that meant.

STILL DREAMING

Barkley’s pre-Olympics prediction that Angola “was in trouble” could have applied to every opponent the Dream Team faced in 1992. The U.S. roster, comprised of 12 future Basketball Hall of Famers, blitzed to the Gold medal and won its eight games by a combined 43.8 ppg. Croatia’s 32-point defeat in the Gold medal game was the closest any rival came. Head coach Chuck Daly, who never called a timeout during the Olympics, put it well afterward.

“You will see a team of professionals in the Olympics again, but I don’t think you’ll see another team quite like this. This was a majestic team.”

Daly was right. There have been other teams filled with NBA stars that have brought Gold medals to the U.S. The ’96 version was nearly as dominant, winning its eight games by an average of 31.2 ppg. But the first squad, which included some of the best players to walk the planet (Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson, Larry Bird) and one of arguably the top five collegians of all time (Christian Laettner), remains the ultimate standard.

Yes, there was that hiccup in 2004 when the U.S. managed only a Bronze. But in every other Olympic competition since the Dream Team’s triumphant march onto the world’s court, the United States has been golden. The 2008 “Redeem Team” re-established the U.S. as the world’s best and began a run that American fans hope will continue this year in Paris.

Although the 2021 U.S. team dropped its first game to France, snapping its 25-game Olympic winning streak, it rebounded to roll into the Gold medal rematch with its group-stage nemesis. Thanks to 29 points from Kevin Durant, who averaged 20.7 for the tournament, the U.S. avenged its earlier loss and brought home a fourth-straight Gold medal, 87-82, over France. 

The tough road demonstrated how USA Basketball had helped spread the game across the planet. When Jordan, Magic and Bird formed the Dream Team and overwhelmed all comers in ’92, the sport of basketball was still germinating worldwide. Over the next 30 years, it has blossomed remarkably, with many different countries boasting the kind of talent capable of challenging the U.S. The game is now loved worldwide and its growth is encouraging, due in large part to USA Basketball’s ability to nurture it at home and export it around the globe.

THE FUTURE

The U.S. Olympic team may be the most visible part of the USA Basketball profile, but the organization promotes and grows the game at every level. That means sponsoring youth camps and clinics, coaching academies, regional and national tournaments and international teams that participate in a variety of competitions. 

It’s not all about winning. USA Basketball is committed to player development, safety and good sportsmanship. The organization continues to make sure the game thrives at all levels, and while it is fun to root on the U.S. teams against the world, it is also important to make sure all who play the game do so in environments that feature everything necessary for success and enjoyment of the sport.

As the 2024 Men’s National Team prepares for Paris, they carry with them all the years of training and development USA Basketball has given them. The world will be watching. And that includes the young athletes of USA Basketball’s development and junior teams, who might one day be a part of history.

SLAM PRESENTS USA BASKETBALL IS AVAILABLE NOW

Photos via Getty Images.

The post Winning Time: Chronicling the History of USA Basketball’s Men’s National Team appeared first on SLAM.

Let’s take it back to where it all started. Before you learned to play in a full-court setting, you had to get comfortable navigating the half-court. It’s the essence of basketball. From quick pickup games at famous courts like Rucker Park to the shell drill that every formidable basketball team practices, 3×3 basketball is the foundation of the high-flying, up-and-down 5×5 game we’ve grown to love.

For the second time in Olympic history, 3×3 basketball will be in full swing as countries compete for a medal, and for the first time in Olympic history, USA Basketball will have a team competing on the men’s side.

After winning Gold at the 2023 Pan Am Games and making themselves known on the FIBA 3×3 World Tour circuit, the U.S. 3×3 Men’s National Team automatically qualified for a spot at this year’s Paris Games, entering the field as the No.2 seed.

The four-player squad assembled has been playing together for a few years now, and that chemistry will be vital for any success they’re hoping to achieve. But while chemistry and togetherness are keys to Gold, the squad will still need some strong individual performances. Let’s meet the men who make up the first USA 3×3 Men’s Olympic Team in USA Basketball history.

There’s nobody better to represent the United States in 3×3 basketball than Jimmer Fredette, one of the nation’s most outstanding college basketball players of all time. He’s a star. He’s box office, and if he’s on your team, you always have a shot at winning. Very few can compete with Jimmer when it comes to putting the ball in the basket. He can catch fire like no other, and his ability to get buckets in bunches will prove valuable in Paris. Name a BYU or Mountain West Conference scoring/shooting record, and there’s a good chance Jimmer holds it.

The former NCAA leading scorer and Player of the Year knows that nothing comes easily, although his natural knack for scoring might lead you to think otherwise. Jimmer took the college basketball world by storm when he went on his remarkable individual run at BYU back in 2011. He’ll look to galvanize the country again—this time in pursuit of an Olympic Gold medal and the first in U.S. men’s 3×3 history. Jimmer has earned two Gold medals and one Silver medal in his 3×3 FIBA career, which began in late 2022. This time around, one could argue the stakes are higher than they’ve ever been. If there’s anything you need to know about Jimmer, know this: If you need a bucket, all you have to do is say the word, and it’ll get done.

“Defense wins championships.” It’s one of the most used adages in the history of team sports. As basketball continues to lean more and more in favor of offense, having a lockdown defender at your disposal who can offset offensive firepower is as pivotal as ever. That’s what Kareem Maddox brings to USA Basketball’s 3×3 Men’s National Team this summer. The Princeton alum and former Ivy League Defensive Player of the Year and All-Ivy League first-team selection (2011) is the squad’s anchor. Along with his defensive prowess, Maddox is a capable scorer with years of professional 3×3 experience, dating back to 2018 when he earned MVP at the USA Basketball 3×3 National Championship. Since then, he’s earned five Gold medals and one Silver during his FIBA 3×3 career.

It’s very hard—almost impossible—to win a Gold medal in 3×3 basketball without at least one sharpshooter on the team. Luckily for USA Basketball, shooting is Canyon Barry’s specialty. The 6-6, 215-pound guard is the son of Hall of Famer Rick Barry and is doing his part to carry on the Barry basketball tradition: winning. The younger Barry was a 1000-point scorer in college and averaged 20 points as a junior for Charleston before an injury cut his season short. He transferred to Florida the following season, where he earned 2017 SEC Sixth Man of the Year honors. Canyon is a steady guard who also brings experience to the table and a handful of hardware to show for it. He has four Gold medals and one Silver medal in FIBA 3×3 competition and earned the 2022 FIBA 3×3 AmeriCup MVP. If this year’s 3×3 Men’s National Team has any chance of securing the Gold in Paris, Canyon is going to have to tap into the bag he was in when he helped lead the Florida Gators to the Elite Eight in 2017. And based on the strong performances he’s had on the FIBA 3×3 circuit, there’s no reason to doubt he’ll be ready for the moment when it comes.

The last member of the group is Dylan Travis, a graduate of Florida Southern College. Travis is the only player on the 3×3 Men’s National Team who didn’t play at the Division I level, but any real hooper or hoops fan knows how it goes—the best Division II players in the country can compete at any level. As a junior in 2015, Travis led his team to a Division II National Championship before he played professionally overseas for several season. In 2022, Travis made his USA Basketball 3×3 debut, where he instantly made his presence felt. He’s a sniper who can also get to the cup under pressure and cause fits for defenders. Thus far in his FIBA career, he has two Gold medals and one Silver. So far…

As the 2024 Games are set to begin, the U.S. has, for the first time, qualified four basketball teams for the Olympics. The newest team, the 3×3 Men’s squad, will no doubt shine as bright as the Olympic flame, right at home on the courts of Paris.

SLAM PRESENTS USA BASKETBALL IS AVAILABLE NOW

Photos via Getty Images.

The post The 2024 USA 3×3 Men’s National Team Seeks Gold at the 2024 Paris Olympics appeared first on SLAM.

Do you know the first basketball players ever to win five Olympic Gold medals? Here’s a hint: they’re former college teammates, NCAA champions, best friends and, at one point during their careers, were super competitive rivals. But when they suited up alongside each other in the red, white and blue, they were magic. Did you figure out who it is yet? Nah, they’re not men. Think again.

“Sue joined the national team at the 2002 World Championship, and I joined in 2004. We were the young kids in Athens,” Diana Taurasi told USA Basketball. “It’s very special to have gone through it together, because we went through the same experiences at the same time.”

While Sue Bird retired from the game just two years ago, DT is still out there dropping buckets and taking names against any and every opponent in the WNBA as the League’s all-time leading scorer. She’s been hailed as the GOAT, a moniker that not only encompasses her career thus far on the Phoenix Mercury, but on the international stage, too: throughout the past 23 years she’s spent suiting up for USA Basketball, aside from Bird, she has the largest collection of Gold hardware, including five Olympic Golds, three FIBA World Cup Golds and a FIBA World Cup Bronze medal. It’s an honor she doesn’t take lightly, and in her own words, representing USA Basketball is a commitment that she holds to the highest regard.

“I just think we take this really seriously,” Taurasi told The Athletic. “We don’t look at it as a four-year thing. We look at it as a career.”

Taurasi is part of a illustrious legacy that the USA Basketball Women’s National Team has always embodied. Dating all the way back to 1984, when the women’s team won their first-ever Olympic Gold medal, they’ve consistently put together the most dominant and successful squads ever assembled. Look no further than the past seven consecutive Olympic Gold medals they’ve won, or the fact that the United States is already the favorite in Paris, currently ranked No. 1 in the 5×5 tournament and No. 2 going into the 3×3 tournament.

This year’s roster is full of champions, MVPs, All-Stars, Rookies of the Year and legends. DT will suit up alongside fellow Olympic teammates and Gold medalists, including Chelsea Gray, Brittney Griner, Jewell Loyd, Napheesa Collier, Breanna Stewart and A’ja Wilson, as well as Kelsey Plum and Jackie Young (both of whom won Gold in the 3×3 tournament in 2021). The roster also includes a handful of standouts who will be making their Olympic debut: Alyssa Thomas, Kahleah Copper and Sabrina Ionescu. Led by a coaching staff that features some of the most brilliant minds in the game—head coach Cheryl Reeve, assistant coaches Kara Lawson, Joni Taylor, Mike Thibault, scouts Curt Miller and Tanisha Wright—the 2024 USA Women’s National Team is locked in and ready to run it back. Three years ago in Tokyo, the U.S. cooked the competition and defeated Japan, 90-75, to win Gold. DT was on that squad, as were Loyd, BG, Chelsea, Stewie and A’ja. Now, add Alyssa, Kahleah and Sab in the mix. That’s a whole lot of bucket-getters on one team.

How did all of these stars come together? The obvious answer is a multi-year selection process that includes training camps and games. But, in the words of Taurasi, there’s more to the roster than just names on a list. It’s about chemistry, problem solving and bringing together a group of competitors who can, and will, execute.

“Once you get to the second training camp, you kind of can see the Olympics from afar,” DT said in an episode of USA Basketball’s “The National Team” series, which is accurately titled, How the Sauce Gets Made. “At least, training camp has become that much more important. Trying to find groups that play well together, that figure out problems pretty quickly together. I think the one thing from all these Olympics that I’ve learned is it’s the best combination of players who can get to a certain place pretty quickly.”

Players are competing for a spot on the 12-person roster, which means setting aside egos and simply showing that you’ve got what it takes.

Taurasi elaborated: “You have to put your best foot forward, that’s the only way you can make an impact—by being here and by buying into what we’re trying to do as a team. Every person who’s put that jersey on so far has made that commitment, and I think that means a lot to the selection committee, to the coaches.”

The selection process is ultra competitive, and while there’s an abundance of talent in the WNBA, Taurasi is spot on. As selection committee chair Jennifer Rizzotti told the Associated Press in April: “We stick to our principles of talent, obviously, positional fit, loyalty and experience. It’s got to be a combination of an entire body of work.”

The final roster is the epitome of just that. Aside from DT, Griner is one of the most experienced Olympians on the team. A two-time Olympic Gold medalist, BG’s USA Basketball résumé also includes being named 2018 World Cup Gold medal game Player of the Game and named a 2014 FIBA World Cup All-Tournament Team honoree. A powerhouse in the paint and a shot blocker, BG’s presence on the team will also bring a sense of resiliency and strength that extends well beyond the hardwood. Then there’s Gray, who was drafted into the WNBA just a year after Griner, and has been a vocal leader. The three-time WNBA champion is the go-to voice on the Las Vegas Aces, even over head coach Becky Hammon. “I’m her assistant,” Hammon once told the media. “I tell them [the Aces] all the time, if Chelsea calls something and I call something, you listen to Chelsea.”

As for her game, Gray brings an unmatched versatility: she’s a scorer who can hit clutch shots, a playmaker with crazy court vision and a savant with a high basketball IQ who can make reads and set her teammates up. Oh, and she knows how to perform under pressure, as the world saw when the Aces went back-to-back and won another WNBA championship last year. What’s even scarier is that Gray will be suiting up alongside the very teammates she just won the ’chip with, including two-time MVP Wilson and All-Stars Young and Plum. If you think the Aces have slowed down at all since they dominated in 2023, think again. Wilson’s star power has only continued to ascend to another level this season and, as we went to press, she set a WNBA record against the Dallas Wings as the first player, ever, to have at least 35 points, 10 rebounds and 5 steals. Which, might we add, is her 10th career game with at least 30/10. She’s also the first to post at least 35 points and 5 steals in multiple games. Wilson is competitive, fearless and true to herself and what she’s about, on and off the court. Hammon said it best. Wilson is “the best in the world.” As for KP and Young, both are lethal guards who know what it takes to hold their own on the international stage. Back in 2021, they both won Gold in the U.S. Olympic 3×3 Women’s tournament. So, yeah, good luck to other countries that gotta go up against part of the Aces’ core.

The other most experienced Olympian is the reigning WNBA MVP. Stewie is a certified winner, so much so that she’s just one of the 11 players, ever, to have won an Olympic Gold medal, FIBA World Cup Gold medal, WNBA title and NCAA title in her career thus far (Griner and DT are also part of that list). Stewie’s been showing out for USA Basketball since high school—in 2011, she was the youngest member and only high school athlete to compete in the Pan American Games, where she started all four games and led the team in scoring (15.3 ppg), rebounds (11.3) and blocks (1.1). Poised and primed for greatness since the beginning, Stewart is coming off a WNBA career-high scoring average last season (23.0 ppg) and the momentum of helping lead the New York Liberty to the WNBA Finals for the first time since ’02. With her suiting up alongside the same players she faced in the Finals, the U.S. team has got to be a scary sight for opponents this summer.

The rest of the roster is stacked with scorers and playmakers. Napheesa Collier was part of that 2020 Olympic Gold medal-winning team, and since then has only leveled up her game. Phee is currently dominating on the Lynx and averaging a double-double (a second-career best 20.0 points and a career-high 10.2 rebounds). Then there’s Loyd, who led the League in scoring last season with a career-high 24.7 points and is an Olympic and three-time FIBA World Cup/3×3 Gold medalist. Another member of that 2022 FIBA World Cup squad is Thomas, a consistent and crazy efficient walking triple-double who will be making her Olympic debut. She’s also the first former Maryland Terrapin to play on the U.S. Women’s National Team since Vicky Bullett, who won Gold in ’88 and Bronze in ’92.

AT brings a decade of WNBA experience and veteran leadership, and she’ll fit right in with her USA Olympic teammates. Then there’s Kahleah Copper, who brings a dynamic scoring prowess and tough Philly mentality that makes her certified. After winning a ’chip with the Chicago Sky in 2021, she elevated her game, too. The three-time WNBA All-Star, who has been dropping 30-plus point games on any given night this season, will bring that same energy on the international stage in her first-ever Olympics, too.

Last, but certainly never least, is Sabrina Ionescu. It doesn’t matter whether she’s going up against opponents in the W or the greatest shooter of all time, Sab, with one furrow of her brow and space at the three-point line, is guaranteed to shoot the lights out of the gym, no matter what gym it is. Oh, and she’s also averaging a career-high this year, her fourth season with the New York Liberty. Experience is one thing, but game always speaks for itself.

And there you have it. If they win it all, the 2024 USA Women’s National Team will make history by bringing the eighth consecutive Gold medal, and lucky No. 10 overall, back to the States. Legends of the past instilled greatness, but this squad has what it takes to carry that legacy and more.

SLAM PRESENTS USA BASKETBALL IS AVAILABLE NOW

Photos via Getty Images.

The post Olympic Dominance: Previewing the 2024 USA Women’s National Team appeared first on SLAM.

Twelve circular neon orange portals appear out of thin air. The citrus hues fly off the spheres’ edges in sparkling fashion, rotating in a clockwise direction as the views of various cities from across the U.S. grow wider and wider. Bellowing horns in the background build to a crescendo. You’ve probably seen this scene before, in a movie theater in 2019. Except this isn’t a movie: These are the greatest hoopers in the United States of America.

While USA Basketball representatives flew around the country presenting each player on the 2024 Men’s National Team with their USA threads in April, users on X flooded the timeline with the only comparison that made any conceivable sense: a 20-second clip from Avengers: Endgame.

In the film’s climax, the full totality of the Avengers team appears, journeying across the universe to join Captain America for one final showdown against Thanos. One by one, the greatest heroes in the galaxy stand shoulder to shoulder. It’s the perfect parallel for this year’s squad: one last ride with the best basketball powers ever assembled.

The USA Basketball’s Men’s National Team has descended on Paris with the sheer force of the Infinity Gauntlet. When the official roster was announced in mid-April, the basketball community erupted in excitement, and rightfully so. We couldn’t stop talking about it either. This amount of talent, all on one team, makes them the modern day Avengers: LeBron James, Kevin Durant, Stephen Curry, Anthony Davis, Derrick White, Joel Embiid, Jrue Holiday, Bam Adebayo, Tyrese Haliburton, Devin Booker, Anthony Edwards and Jayson Tatum.

On paper, the roster is stacked. For the first time in USA Basketball history, the Men’s National Team will feature four former NBA MVPs: Durant, James, Embiid and Curry. Then there are the team’s 11 combined Olympic appearances, 10 total Gold medals, three FIBA World Cup titles, seven returning Olympians and a combined 84 NBA All-Star selections…yeah, the U.S. ain’t playing fair.

When USA Basketball’s Men’s National Team Managing Director Grant Hill set out to achieve a seemingly simple yet complicated task—construct the best basketball team in the world—what he put together was a 12-man roster, which will be led by head coach Steve Kerr, that can hold their own against one of the toughest Olympic fields in recent memory.

The path to glory and the highest view from atop the podium won’t be easy. It never is. But then again *checks roster* we haven’t seen anything like this before.

It’s been 12 years since we last saw LeBron James bounding down the court with the letters “USA” stamped across his chest. Olympic memories of tomahawk dunks, out-of-nowhere alley-oops and utter dominance from baseline to baseline haven’t been a reality for more than a decade.

James elected to rest his body and opt out of the 2016 and 2020 Games. Now, at 39 years old and with a catalog of accolades longer than Santa Claus’ wish list, he’s back. And 2024 is a different story; it’s his one last shot at Gold.

This isn’t the same LeBron who tore through London while debuting the legendary Nike LeBron X all those years ago, but don’t get it twisted. The explosiveness is still there, the low-post game is omnipresent, the court vision is still staggering and anyone can get clamped at any time. Coming off his 21st season—where he shot a career-high 41 percent from three—LeBron’s refined touch and years’ worth of wisdom will be the soul of the pack. And right next to him will be Kevin Durant, netting jumper after jumper.

The Olympics are KD’s playground. Every four years, the best scorer on the planet toys with defenders and lights nets on fire with a FIBA-certified ball. Durant boasts the most experience of this team with three Gold medals on his résumé, a journey which first started when he was the team’s go-to bucket-getter after stamping his arrival in 2012 at the London Games. He’s got the USA Basketball record books on lock: all-time leader in points (453), scoring average (19.8 ppg), we could go on and on. If this summer goes as planned, Durant will walk away as the most decorated player in USA Basketball men’s history with a record four Olympic Golds.

Stephen Curry, however, is shooting for his first. “We obviously want to go get the Gold, and for this being my first experience, I’m super excited,” Curry told Inside the NBA in mid-April. “I’m 36 now and I don’t know if I’ll have another one, so this is definitely the year.”

After back-to-back Finals runs in ’15 and ’16 and the continuation of the Covid pandemic well into 2021, Curry, much like James, has sat out the past two Olympics to rest and heal some nagging injuries. In the meantime, the country has patiently waited to see him reign down threes against the world’s best.

It may be his debut, but Curry has been instrumental in the team’s success on the international stage, winning Gold at the FIBA World Cup in 2010 and 2014. Now, the future Hall of Famer will get to check “Olympics” off his bucket list.

Anthony Davis was just 19 when he was selected to the 2012 USA Men’s National Team. After taking home the Gold, the five-time All-Defensive Team honoree is now responsible for manning the paint for the U.S. alongside his first-time Olympic teammate, Joel Embiid.

Embiid could have played for France—where he has citizenship—or Cameroon, his native country, but instead, the 2023-24 NBA MVP chose to play for the USA.

“After talking to my family, I knew it had to be [USA Basketball]. I want to play with my brothers in the League. I want to play for my fans because they’ve been incredible since the day I came here,” Embiid posted to X in October of 2023. “But most of all, I want to honor my son who was born in the U.S. I want my boy to know I played my first Olympics for him.”

This year’s team has a bunch of returning members from the USA Basketball’s last Gold medal squad, including one of the most underrated players in the game: Bam Adebayo. A point guard in the open floor, a small forward in the mid-range, a center on the block—the 2020 Olympian is a cheat code in international competition. While Bam, AD and Embiid preside down low, Jrue Holiday, another returning member of the team, lurks on the perimeter.

Holiday will pick your pocket, sneak into the passing lane and sit with the best of them. For years, the two-time NBA All-Star has been the glue for championship-winning and contending teams. He plays to win, and he leads by action. He’s tasked with much of the same in tandem with defensive stalwart Derrick White, who joins Embiid and Curry as the third first-timer on the Olympic team. The NBA is filled with a plethora of scorers, but the selection of various tacticians assembled for the U.S. Men’s National Team is what takes this roster from Gold to Certified Platinum.

“This guy next to me will be the next one,” Kevin Durant told The Boston Herald’s Mark Murphy after becoming USA Basketball’s all-time leader in points in July 2021. The “guy” he was pointing to was Jayson Tatum.

Tatum vividly remembers the 2020 team’s first scrimmage against the USA Select Team in Las Vegas. Someone kicked him the ball on the wing and, instead of getting his, the 23-year-old deferred to Durant who was to his right.

“I remember he got mad at me,” Tatum told Draymond Green on “The Draymond Green Show” in April 2022. “He was like, Yo, don’t look to me. Be yourself. I need you to kill. And I was like damn…he needs me to do me on this team.” So that’s what he did.

After dropping their first contest of the 2020 Tokyo Games to France, the U.S. won its second game in a 54-point blowout against Iran, and then in the third, Tatum led the U.S. squad with a team-high 27 points on 10-16 shooting from the field in a win against the Czech Republic. Point taken. The next talisman had emerged.

And so have Anthony Edwards, Devin Booker and Tyrese Haliburton. With Durant, LeBron and Curry gearing up for one last ride this summer, USA Basketball is looking toward the future of the country’s success on the world stage. It starts with building the next generation of flag bearers.

This past NBA season served as Ant-Man’s official inauguration as the League’s next superstar. When the offense falls flat and energy begins to dissipate, Edwards will smirk as he plans his next jaw-dropping display of athleticism that will ignite a 20-0 run. Haliburton’s arrival extends the country’s long line of offensive orchestrators and visionary passers in transition while Booker’s devotion to the mid-range and mastery of the iso routinely makes for instant offense in the most unlikely scenarios. The next generation of USA Basketball players is a not-so-subtle reminder of why this squad is so damn exciting. Everyone can make their claim for playing time. This isn’t just a 12-man roster, it’s a 12-man deep rotation.

The schedule will be grueling, but the experience will be unforgettable. Memories will be made, legacies enshrined and the next chapter of USA Basketball will be written. Meanwhile, Durant wants to see complete dominance.

“I want to really make a statement on how dominant our players are,” Durant said in his Boardroom cover story in February. “Like 40, 50-point wins. I want to do that.”

SLAM PRESENTS USA BASKETBALL IS AVAILABLE NOW

Photos via Getty Images.

The post Gold Rush: Previewing the 2024 USA Men’s National Team Ahead of the Paris Olympics appeared first on SLAM.

“Kah is just electric,” Stewart told ESPN’s Alexa Philippou. “It seems like she just slithers to the basket. She’s able to find these gaps where she gets in and is able to get an easy layup. But she’s a spark. Whenever her name is called, she’s ready.”

Wilson also chimed in, saying, “Kah is very versatile,”

“We need a spark off the bench from her. Even in the starting lineup, she’s just going 100 percent through and through. When it comes to USA Basketball, it’s all about knowing your role, and I think for it to be a rookie, to come in and instantly understand her role, is huge for us. So we play off her energy.”

So far, Cooper has averaged 11 points on 53.8 percent shooting from the field, and 41.7 percent from three, 4.8 rebounds, 1.8 assists, and 1.4 steals while playing 20.0 minutes per game for Team USA.

Team USA Coach Cheryl Reeve also commented on Cooper’s recent play.

“She has been absolutely pivotal to not only penetration that you get, but her defense,” Reeve said. “She’s really taken some players out of games, and so kudos to her. She’s been an important part for us.”

With such high praise and respect coming from both coach and peers, Cooper spoke about what being able to play for Team USA meant to her. Cooper had this to say: coming off a disappointing semifinal loss in the playoffs.

“It was just important that I didn’t miss a beat and that competitor and that fire in me continued to stay lit,” Cooper said. “I think this is special, and this is a big-time opportunity for me.”

One of Cooper’s personal bucket list goals is to win gold as a part of the US Women’s Basketball team, and with this roster, that goal, without a doubt, is attainable. If Team USA can keep dominating, as their recent play has shown, they will likely bring home gold, and Cooper can check an accomplishment off her list.

The post Kahleah Cooper’s ‘Electric’ Play Leading Team USA into World Cup Quarterfinal appeared first on SLAM.

Kerr’s coaching staff up to this point include two NBA head coaches and one from college. They are Monty Williams (Phoenix Suns), Erik Spoelstra (Miami Heat), and Mark Few (Gonzaga University). This coaching staff is the beginning of Grant Hill’s tenure as managing director of USA Basketball after replacing long-time director Jerry Colangelo.

According to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, a press conference to make the official announcement will come on Monday.

USA Basketball has called a Monday news conference the Chase Center in San Francisco to formally introduce Steve Kerr as the new national coach. https://t.co/1e2Sd75OgD

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) December 19, 2021

Kerr brings a resume that includes three NBA championships and five NBA Finals appearances as the head of the Golden State Warriors. He was one of the assistants on Popovich’s staff this past summer when Team USA took the gold medal. Monty Williams was a member of Mike Krzyzewski’s gold medal staff in 2016.

One significant advantage Steve Kerr has is the inside track to NBA superstar Stephen Curry who remains noncommittal to playing for Team USA but was excited for his coach nonetheless according to Woj. 

“He talked about just he couldn’t imagine when he got into coaching in ’14 that we had the success we’ve had and he’d have the opportunity to leverage that into the next USA Men’s Basketball coach, which is pretty awesome,”

“I know it will probably flex a different muscle for him in terms of, it’s almost like borderline you’ve got to go recruit some guys, you’ve got to be the morale booster, you’ve got to put in a system. But it’s about the culture that you create around that team because you’re not together all the time. And how quickly can you guys jell. So that will be fun to watch.”

Kerr has been involved with Team USA basketball since 1986, when he started as a player that won the gold medal at the FIBA World Championship in Spain. It marked the last amateur team that won gold before the Americans were upset in the 1988 Olympics.

The post Warriors’ Coach Steve Kerr Officially Named As Men’s USA Basketball Coach appeared first on SLAM.

For Life @KDTrey5 pic.twitter.com/kJ6Sy14qPO

— USA Basketball (@usabasketball) December 17, 2021

“It’s amazing to be honored in this way,” Durant said via USA Basketball’s release of the awards. “First off, to represent your country and do it amongst the best athletes in the world, it’s an honor. So many great athletes come through USA Basketball and the national teams in general in all sports, and so to be chosen as one of the top athletes is an honor. I’m very grateful for the opportunity and thankful that I received this award.”

For the third time in his Olympic career, Durant has been honored as the Male Athlete of the Year, previously winning the award outright in 2010 and then sharing the award with Carmelo Anthony in 2016. Durant set the U.S. Olympic men’s single-competition record for points averaged in 2021, with a team-high 20.7 alongside 5.3 rebounds and 3.7 assists a game while shooting 52.9 percent from the field and 37.5 percent from beyond the arc.

Bird and the Women’s National Team made history this past summer, capturing a seventh-straight gold medal for the U.S. Women. The most decorated FIBA athlete in history averaged a team-high and a tournament fourth-best 5.8 assists while contributing 5.5 points and grabbing 2.5 rebounds per game.

What an honor! This experience is always about more than one player so a SPECIAL shout out to the ‘mates & coaches! And of course a HUGE thank you to everyone at @usabasketball

x

Maybe most importantly @VoltarenGel you the real MVP https://t.co/ndIU6ZNFJF

— Sue Bird (@S10Bird) December 16, 2021

“Winning gold medals is never about one player, and so I’d be remiss if I didn’t give the bulk of the credit to my teammates and coaches. Again, I’ve been so lucky to put this uniform on as long as I have, and winning gold in Tokyo couldn’t have been more of a team effort,” Bird said in a memo from Team USA’s.

Bird, alongside USA teammate Diana Taurasi, became the only Olympic basketball athlete’s ever to win five gold medals, an unprecedented run that’s ended in numerous accolades.

The post Kevin Durant and Sue Bird Named Male and Female USA Basketball Athletes of the Year appeared first on SLAM.

THE RUMORS ARE TRUE
CONGRATS, @LynxCoachReeve
pic.twitter.com/vlNGaC8MR3

— Minnesota Lynx (@minnesotalynx) December 8, 2021

Reeve was an assistant coach for the National Teams that won gold medals at the 2016 and 2020 Olympic Games, as well as the 2014 and 2018 FIBA World Cups. Reeves has helped lead Team USA to a 57-4 overall record and a 38-0 record in FIBA play.

Now, the three-time WNBA Coach of the Year will look to help lead the team to the 2022 FIBA World Cup Qualifying Tournament in Washington D.C, the World Cup in Sydney, Australia and if the team qualifies, the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris, France.

Moments after the announcement, Dawn Staley, who is the head coach of the South Carolina women’s program, shared a message congratulating Reeve. Staley coached the Women’s National Team at the Olympics, where they won their seventh-straight Olympic gold medal.

We know we’re in good hands.

@dawnstaley with a message for new #USABWNT head coach @LynxCoachReeve pic.twitter.com/fDfWn71t5f

— USA Basketball (@usabasketball) December 8, 2021

The post Minnesota Lynx Coach Cheryl Reeve Named USA Basketball Women’s National Team Head Coach appeared first on SLAM.

Revered worldwide as the most talented roster on the globe, the U.S. unexpectedly dropped an exhibition match against both the Nigerian and Australian men’s national basketball team prior to the official start of the Olympic Games and dropped one of their first game in the tournament to France.

Now, in the semifinals in a rematch with the Boomers—Australia’s men’s national basketball team—Team USA found themselves down by 15 points early in the game.

Australia, led by guard Patty Mills, came out with a practical game plan: play solid defense, and grind down the Americans.

However, there is one factor that even if the Australian team prepared for, they would find it nearly impossible to solve: offensive superweapon Kevin Durant.

Durant, a merciless scorer, put Team USA on his back in the first half with seven made baskets, finishing the game with a team-high 23 points. Led by Durant, Devin Booker and Jrue Holiday, the Americans stormed back, winning the game 97-78.

“When you are a great team and you’re playing a team who feels that it’s going to be tough to beat us, they’re going to come out and play their best brand of basketball,” Durant said. “They’re going to play perfect basketball, and I felt like that’s what they did in that first half, and once we went down three going into halftime, I felt like we had the game in hand.”

Team USA will now face off against France in the gold medal game.

France is coming off a nail-biting 90-89 victory over Slovenia, knocking out wunderkind Luka Doncic in the process.

If the Americans prevail, it will be their fourth straight gold medal in the competition.

The post After Rough Start, Team USA Dismantles Australia to Advance to Olympic Finals appeared first on SLAM.

“I had to make this play for my team. And I did it.

Those were among Nicolas Batum’s first words after his incredible, game-saving block on Slovenia’s Klemen Prepelic in the final seconds of France’s semi-final matchup against Slovenia in the Olympics.

However, while Batum’s outstretched hand was the deciding factor in France’s 90-89 win, what garnered more press, was the end of Luka Doncic’s incredible streak of international wins and the injury he sustained in the process.

Before Slovenia’s matchup with France, the Doncic-led squad was 17-0 with him on the court and though the team lost, Doncic still dominated in multiple facets of the game; he dropped 16 points, 10 rebounds, and 18 assists — only the third triple-double in Olympic men’s basketball history.

“I don’t think we played great, but we were there,” Doncic said postgame. “We had the last chance, and we didn’t make it.”

While Slovenia will play Australia in a matchup for a bronze medal (the first medal for either country in basketball in their respective Olympic history), France moves on to face the United States in the gold medal game.

Team USA has been historically dominant in basketball but France has had the upper hand on the U.S recently (France has beaten them in both of their last two meetings, including their opening game at the Tokyo Olympics).

France is now 5-0 in the Olympics and has only been in the title game twice before — in 1948, and then in 2000.

Led by Batum, Rudy Gobert and Evan Fournier, the Frenchmen have a real shot at snagging gold in Tokyo.

The post France Defeats Doncic-led Slovenia to Reach Third Olympic Finals in Thriller appeared first on SLAM.

The USA men’s basketball team has now won three straight games and will face Australia in the semifinals Thursday and a chance to play in the gold medal game on Saturday. A win over the weekend will land the Americans their fourth Olympic gold medal in a row. 

Just went off for a top-10 scoring performance in U.S. Men’s Olympic history @KDTrey5!

KD’s 29 PTS vs is good for 9th all-time on the single game leaderboard. KD also holds down a tie for 4th (30 PTS, twice) & 10th (28 PTS).

#USABMNT x #Tokyo2020 pic.twitter.com/jA1q5gSFx2

— USA Basketball (@usabasketball) August 3, 2021

The Americans took over in the second half despite Spain’s Ricky Rubio putting on a masterful 38-point performance. It was the highest point total ever against Team USA in any international event.

Kevin Durant was one of five U.S. players in double figures, with Jayson Tatum (13 points ), Jrue Holiday (12), Damian Lillard (11), and Zach LaVine (10).

The post USA Men’s Basketball Team Defeats Spain, Will Face Australia in Semifinals appeared first on SLAM.

The United States will take on Spain at 12:40 am ET on Tuesday, Aug. 3.

The #basketball knockout matchups are set:#FRA vs #ITA#SLO vs #GER#USA vs #ESP#AUS vs #ARG

Who’s your pick for #gold ?#Tokyo2020

— Olympics (@Olympics) August 1, 2021

The Americans are heading into the quarterfinals with some momentum thanks to a 119-84 victory over the Czechs on Saturday to clinch second place behind France in the knockout stage. Jayson Tatum scored 27 points, Kevin Durant added 23 and set two USA Basketball men’s Olympic records, passing Carmelo Anthony in all-time points scored and all-time field goals made.

Set our Men’s Olympic scoring record & led us in two other stat columns. Elite @KDTrey5.

23 PTS (8-of-11 FG)
8 REB
6 AST

#USABMNT x #Tokyo2020 pic.twitter.com/XKnGMBQ9VV

— USA Basketball (@usabasketball) July 31, 2021

U.S. coach Gregg Popovich discussed the team’s progress going into the later rounds via NBA.com.

“I think our guys really focused well and did a good job in gaining ground, day by day, practice by practice,” U.S. coach Gregg Popovich said. “Hopefully we’ll continue that moving forward. We have to if we want to be successful.”

The semifinal games are scheduled to take place on Thursday, Aug. 5 and the bronze and gold medal games take place on Saturday, Aug. 7.

The post USA Men’s Basketball Team Plays Spain in Quarterfinal Round appeared first on SLAM.

Dues paid. Inside #USABMNT practice ahead of Wednesday’s #Tokyo2020 matchup with Iran (12:40 AM ET, Peacock)! pic.twitter.com/MVkssq0yTK

— USA Basketball (@usabasketball) July 27, 2021

The intensity carried over into the game and after the first quarter, the game was basically over thanks to the U.S. finding their three-point stroke. The U.S. made 19 shots from beyond the arc and shot 55 percent from the field.

Damian Lillard improved from the last game, scoring 21 points. Devin Booker had 16 and Jayson Tatum finished with 14 in the 120-66 win on Wednesday. The win marks their first victory after having their 25-game Olympic winning streak snapped.

The Americans finish out their Group A competition against the Czech Republic on Saturday. If they win, the U.S. qualifies for the quarterfinals. Even if they lose the game, there’s a solid chance that they would advance. Due to the huge point differential of this game, it helps fill out the lower seeds of the single-elimination quarterfinals.

The post Post Up: Team USA Gets Bounce Back Win Over Iran in Tokyo Olympics appeared first on SLAM.

Good morning from Tokyo. Mad good Olympic debut for 77. pic.twitter.com/tr4ztOAce5

— SLAM (@SLAMonline) July 26, 2021

“The Don” quickly asserted his dominance and interstellar range, scoring 15 points before five minutes had even ticked off the clock, and Argentina was forced to watch as stepback three after stepback three were launched from well beyond the international 3-point line.

Doncic erupted for 48 points—31 of them poured in by the half—11 rebounds and three blocks in just 31 minutes of action. Slovenia’s first-ever Olympic games saw their superstar shoot an efficient 18-for-29 from the field and 6-for-14 from three.

“We tried everything that we would have tried against a normal player,” Hernandez said, “but he’s not a normal player,” Argentina’s head coach Sergio Hernandez said.

First one #miSlovenci #Olympics pic.twitter.com/npwKb6YqAv

— Luka Doncic (@luka7doncic) July 26, 2021

The face of the Dallas Mavericks, Doncic flirted with the 55-point record of Brazilian Hall of Fame wing Oscar Schmidt (set in 1988) but was pulled with a few minutes remaining.

“I don’t care about records,” Doncic said. “We got a win and that’s what we came here for.”

The post Luka Doncic Erupts for 48 in Olympic Debut appeared first on SLAM.

NBA Champion Jrue Holiday led the U.S. with 18 points, scoring 12 points in the fourth quarter. While that effort helped give Team USA a 74-67 lead with 3:41 left in the game, it wasn’t enough as France went on a 16-2 run to close out the game.

France was led by Evan Fournier‘s 28 points, while Rudy Gobert scored 14 and Nando de Colo had 13.

Meanwhile, Kevin Durant struggled, shooting 4-of-12 from the field and finishing with only 10 points. Bam Adebayo had 12 points and Damian Lillard had 11. 

This loss does not eliminate the U.S. from a chance at the gold medal, but they can’t afford any more losses. The Americans finish out their Group A competition against Iran on Wednesday and the Czech Republic on Saturday. If they win both games, the U.S. qualifies for the quarterfinals. However, one more loss and the Americans will need to finish in the top eight of this 12-team tournament.

The post Post Up: Team USA Loses to France in Tokyo Olympics appeared first on SLAM.

Horas de trabajo. Esfuerzo. Compromiso con #LaFamilia.

JUANCHO IS BACK.@juanchiviris41 #SomosEquipo pic.twitter.com/KG94rpq278

— Baloncesto España (@BaloncestoESP) July 19, 2021

Timberwolves president of basketball operations Gersson Rosas explained the franchise’s decision in a team-released statement:

“We support our international players’ decisions to play with their National teams and appreciate the passion of Juancho and the Spanish Federation to represent their country,”

“Unfortunately, we are dealing with an active injury. Based on our team physician’s recommendation, Juancho needs time to recover from and rehabilitate his injury, and that timeline restricts Juancho’s availability to participate in the Tokyo Olympics.”

Spain did not appeal Minnesota’s decision and replaced Hernangomez with Xabi Lopez-Arostegui.

According to The Athletic, Hernangomez was “deeply disappointed” by his team’s decision.

Hernangomez was left deeply disappointed and hurt by the Wolves’ decision, sources told The Athletic, which will leave some damage repair to be done before training camp opens in September.

The post Timberwolves Withdraw Juancho Hernangomez From Olympics appeared first on SLAM.

Team USA is slotted to play against Group A opponents such as France, Iran, and the Czech Republic in order to qualify for the single-elimination Final Phase starting on August 3. The first and second-place teams in each group and the two best third-place teams overall advance to the single-elimination Final Phase.

Here’s Team USA’s full schedule for the Tokyo Olympics (via NBA.com):

Having an opportunity to claim a fourth straight gold medal after winning in 2008, 2012 and 2016, Team USA’s start has not been without mixed results.

First, Team USA lost its first two exhibition games in Las Vegas to Nigeria and Australia before bouncing back to defeat Argentina and Spain. Then more changes to the 12 man roster happened as Bradley Beal dropped out due to health and safety protocols and Kevin Love left due to a calf injury. They were replaced by JaVale McGee and Keldon Johnson.

Devin Booker, Jrue Holiday and Khris Middleton will be available for the team’s opener against France.

The post USA Men’s Basketball Full Schedule For Tokyo Olympics Released appeared first on SLAM.

What better way to start your fifth Olympic Games than as @TeamUSA‘s Opening Ceremony Flag Bearer!

Congratulations @S10Bird! Sue joins @dawnstaley as USA Basketball’s only flag bearers in Olympic history. pic.twitter.com/IwAYRdyONA

— USA Basketball (@usabasketball) July 21, 2021

The four-time gold medalist and Team USA are competing for the nation’s seventh-straight gold medal, which would tie the Men’s streak from 1936-1968.

Bird is the second U.S. women’s basketball player to carry the flag in the opening ceremony, joining her Team USA head coach Dawn Staley who carried the flag at the 2004 Olympics.

“It’s an incredible honor to be selected the flag bearer for Team USA,” Bird said.

“I know what that means, because I got to witness Dawn Staley go through it when she was selected in 2004. It’s an honor that is bigger than the moment in that you’ve been selected by your fellow Team USA athletes to represent the entire delegation, and it will last forever.”

The post Sue Bird to Represent Team USA as Flag Bearer in Olympics Opening Ceremony appeared first on SLAM.

Team USA’s Zach LaVine has cleared health and safety protocols and will join the team in Tokyo on Thursday afternoon.

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) July 21, 2021

LaVine is the third USA player to undergo health and safety protocols in the last week; Detroit Pistons forward Jerami Grant underwent a contact-tracing quarantine for four days while Washington Wizards guard Bradley Beal left the team under such protocols.

The Chicago Bulls star has started in place of Beal for the past two games and averaged 10.3 points in the teams four exhibition games.

LaVine will join the team just a day before the Olympic games start—three days before the team tips off its first pool play-game against France on Sunday.

The back-to-back Slam Dunk champion won’t be the only late arrival in Tokyo this week as first-time NBA champions Jrue Holiday and Khris Middleton, as well as Phoenix Suns guard Devin Booker, will be taking the 15-hour flight to meet Team USA on Friday.

The post Zach LaVine to Join Team USA in Tokyo on Thursday appeared first on SLAM.

On Monday afternoon, Team USA announced that Chicago Bulls guard Zach LaVine will not be traveling with the team Tuesday due to health and safety protocols.

Although this may be heartbreaking news to many, LaVine is only the most recently announced player that has been placed under health protocol. Washington Wizards star Bradley Beal and Detroit Pistons forward Jerami Grant have also been placed under health and safety protocols.

Unlike Beal and LaVine, it is still unknown wether or not Grant will step down from playing with team USA, which is a good sign.

Cleveland Cavaliers big man Kevin Love is another player who has stepped away from the team, though his decision was due to his belief he wasn’t in peak physical condition rather than a COVID-19 infection.

Team USA will face Spain in the 2021 Olympic games opening on July 25, with new additions Keldon Johnson and JaVale McGee to replace Bradley Beal and Kevin Love.

The post Team USA Men’s Basketball Team to Travel with Only Eight Healthy Players appeared first on SLAM.

Expectations must be tempered for his play however, as Hernangomez will need significant recovery time for the injury, which he sustained on July 8 while playing against France.

This past season, Hernangomez averaged 7.2 points and 3.9 rebounds in 17.3 minutes for the Timberwolves.

A member of their senior national team since 2017, Juancho will once again join Marc Gasol, Paul Gasol and Ricky Rubio in the race for Olympic Gold.

The post T’Wolves’ Juan Hernangomez Cleared to Play for Spain in Tokyo Olympics appeared first on SLAM.

Jerami Grant is expected to be cleared from quarantine and will be available to travel with Team USA to Japan, sources said. Americans have final exhibition against Spain set for 9 p.m. ET.

— Brian Windhorst (@WindhorstESPN) July 18, 2021

Initially reported by The Athletic and Stadium’s Shams Charania, Grant entered health & safety protocols on Thursday alongside Washington Wizards star Bradley Beal, despite not testing positive for the virus.

Team USA’s Jerami Grant has entered health and safety protocols at Team USA camp, sources tell me and @joevardon. Grant has not tested positive for coronavirus. He and Bradley Beal are in protocols in Las Vegas.

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) July 15, 2021

The runner up to the Most Improved Player award in the 2021 season was officially cleared to play hours before USA’s final exhibition game against Spain in which Grant scored five points and grabbed three boards in their 83-76 win over Spain.

While Grant will travel with the team to Tokyo, another key player will not initially travel with the team, Chicago Bulls star guard Zach LaVine.

Team USA’s Zach LaVine has been placed under health and safety protocols and will not travel with the team to Tokyo today. USAB hopes LaVine will be able to join the team in Tokyo later this week.

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) July 19, 2021

LaVine is the third player to undergo USA Basketball’s health and safety protocols and will not travel with the team this week to Tokyo.

USAB hopes LaVine will be able to join the team later this week in Tokyo as their first matchup of the Olympics takes place on the 25th against France.

The post Jerami Grant Expected to be Cleared from Quarantine, Zach LaVine Enters Protocols appeared first on SLAM.

Samuelson was originally set to be on the roster for the USA’s first-ever 3×3 team.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Katie Lou Samuelson (@katielou33)

Due to her diagnosis, Samuelson was placed under USA Basketball’s health and safety protocols on Saturday despite being fully vaccinated. The former fourth overall pick would have been the first USA player to compete at both the Youth Olympic Games and the Olympics.

The former UConn Husky standout will be replaced by Las Vegas Aces guard Jackie Young, joining Aces teammate Kelsey Plum, Chicago Sky center Stefanie Dolson and Dallas Wings guard Allisha Gray before the Games begin.

A third-year pro in the WNBA, Samuelson wasn’t a newcomer to playing 3×3 in international competition, having played on the USA’s 3×3 national team at the 2019 World Beach Games in Qatar. Young also participated in the 3×3 Olympic qualifying team training camp in February of 2020 in Chicago.

Suffice it to say, Samuelson’s experience will be missed.

With a retooled roster, the USA 3×3 team is set open the tournament on Saturday against France followed by Mongolia.

The post Storm’s Katie Lou Samuelson Withdraws from Olympics After Testing Positive for COVID-19 appeared first on SLAM.

The Dallas Mavericks superstar led the Slovenian men’s basketball team to the Olympics for the first time ever defeating a Lithuanian team with NBA players, Domantas Sabonis, Jonas Valanciunas 96-85. The win secures the first of the final four spots in Tokyo.

Slovenia had won the 2017 European Championship with an 18-year-old Doncic making the all-tournament team. However, when the team did not qualify for the 2019 FIBA World Cup, this tournament was the last chance for Olympic qualification.

Luka Doncic came out aggressive from the start collecting a stat line of 21 points, 6 rebounds and 5 assists by halftime.

Can we caption this “Luka and-1⃣, Luka and-2⃣, and Luka and-3⃣”? #FIBAOQT@luka7doncic not messing around in the #FIBAOQT Final.

at HT: 21 PTS 6 REB 5 AST | 26 EFF pic.twitter.com/Qg1npQQxRL

— FIBA (@FIBA) July 4, 2021

By the end of the game, Luka “The Don” finished with a triple-double, dropping a game-high 31 points with 13 assists and 11 rebounds.

Memphis Grizzlies center, Jonas Valanciunas for Lithuania finished with 14 points while Indiana Pacers forward Domantas Sabonis had nine. Lithuania with the loss failed to qualify for the Olympics for the first time since the 1992 Barcelona Games.

The other three men’s basketball spots in the Tokyo Olympic Games were determined on Sunday, as six other teams tip-off in FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament finals.

Slovenia won the first final of the day on Sunday in Lithuania and will round out Group C, which already consists of Argentina, Japan, and Spain.

Doncic’s teammates entered Luka’s press conference to celebrate their first Olympic berth in history.

Luka’s teammates interrupted his press conference to celebrate after Slovenia booked their first trip to the Olympics.

It was awesome pic.twitter.com/shjtww2u95

— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) July 4, 2021

The post Luka Doncic Helps Slovenia Secure Their First Olympic Bid appeared first on SLAM.

The roster, which features some of the most young and promising players in professional basketball, will be coached by Miami Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra, Gonzaga University head coach Mark Few and Dallas Mavericks assistant coach Jamahl Mosley.

A roster of 13 young @nba standouts & 4 veteran players with international experience make up the 2021 USA Men’s Select Team that will train with #USABMNT July 6-9.

— USA Basketball (@usabasketball) July 1, 2021

The roster features seven rookies from the 2020 NBA Draft class in Anthony Edwards (Minnesota Timberwolves), Saddiq Bey (Detroit Pistons), Tyrese Haliburton (Sacramento Kings), Immanuel Quickley (New York Knicks), Isaiah Stewart (Detroit Pistons), Patrick Williams (Chicago Bulls) and Obi Toppin (New York Knicks).

Sophomores and three-year pros Miles Bridges (Charlotte Hornets), Darius Garland (Cleveland Cavaliers), Tyler Herro (Miami Heat), Keldon Johnson (San Antonio Spurs), Naz Reid (Minnesota Timberwolves), P.J. Washington , (Charlotte Hornets) enter the mix as well, giving the US Select Team an intriguing stable of talent.

Four players on the roster—John Jenkins (Bilbao Basket, Italy), Cam Reynolds, Josh Magette (Darüşşafaka Tekfen, Turkey) and Dakota Mathias— all have NBA experience, and currently either play overseas or are unsigned.

Managing Director of Team USA Basketball Jerry Colangelo noted he felt confident in the program’s selection of the aforementioned players.

“This USA Select Team continues the legacy established by previous Select teams of helping prepare our USA National Team for the Tokyo Olympic Games,” said Colangelo, USA Basketball Men’s National Team managing director.

“With all the uncertainty of how many of our Olympic Team members will be available for the USA training camp because of the overlap with the NBA Finals, we chose a USA Select Team consisting of many of the top young NBA players and four players who not only own international experience, but who played recently for USA Basketball in important national team qualifying competitions.

If we need to add players to fill out our roster for any of our exhibition games, we feel this USA Select Team has an excellent variety of skilled players to choose from.”

Since the USA Basketball Men’s National Team program was developed in 2006, there have been six Select Teams fostered to help with preparation for events (2007, 2008, 2010, 2012, 2016, 2021.)

The inaugural roster featured then up-and-coming players such as Andre Iguodala, Al Jefferson, David Lee and J.J. Redick.

Team USA’s Select Team begins their Olympic journey on July 25, where they will be competing in the Group A bracket.

The post Team USA Select Team Roster Announced for Tokyo Olympics appeared first on SLAM.

However, those medals James has collected with the Team USA basketball program might be his last. The USA Basketball managing director, Jerry Colangelo stated this week on ESPN’s Keyshawn, JWill, and Zubin Show that age will be the reason that he will not be selected to participate again.

“I think his time is over.”@usabasketball’s Managing Director Jerry Colangelo says that we’ve likely seen the end of Olympic LeBron.

(@MyStraightTalk) pic.twitter.com/6Hn5xGS4Mv

— Keyshawn, JWill & Zubin (@KeyJayandZ) June 30, 2021

LeBron’s opting out of the last two Olympic cycles and Colangelo’s decision means James’ last game for Team USA was in the gold medal game against Spain in the 2012 Olympics. That was LeBron’s second career Olympic gold, following the one he got in 2008 as a part of the “Redeem Team.”

In LeBron James’ international career, he has played 68 games for Team USA starting in 2004, when he rarely played. That team was beaten in the semifinals by Argentina and wound up with the bronze medal. He was originally among a pool of 57 players for the 2021 U.S. Men’s National Team but was not selected.

The newly named roster will be led by Kevin Durant, Damian Lillard and a list of new players.

The post USA Men’s Basketball Managing Director Says LeBron’s Time Has Passed in the Olympics appeared first on SLAM.

Last week, Brown spoke to The Undefeated’s Marc J. Spears, stating his belief that the influx of NBA players of African descent has helped level the playing field, giving the Nigeria a realistic chance to win their first medal at the Olympic Games.

“There are more players of Nigerian descent in the NBA than probably any other country besides the U.S…the talent is there. It’s just about getting everybody organized and on the same page and getting everybody excited about playing and wanting to be a part. And so there are right around 10 or so guys in the NBA that are going to come and try out for the team. So looking forward to mixing some of that NBA talent with some very talented individuals that are playing professionally in Europe and abroad.”

According to Spears, forward Al-Farouq Aminu (Chicago Bulls), center Chimezie Metu (Sacramento Kings), guard Josh Okogie (Minnesota Timberwolves), center Jahlil Okafor (Detroit Pistons) and forward Wes Iwundu (New Orleans Pelicans) are expected to join Morris and Anunoby. He adds that former NBA players Emeka Okafor, Festus Ezeli and Ben Uzoh could also join the roster.

Per Nigerian journalist Colin Udoh, guard Miye Oni and center Udoka Azubuike of the Utah Jazz; guard Gabe Vincent and forwards KZ Okpala and Precious Achiuwa of the Miami Heat; and Milwaukee Bucks forward Jordan Nwora will also join the list of 13 NBA players expected to comprise the Nigerian national team.

With the FIBA AfroBasket tournament quickly approaching as well, Brown may have to field two national teams for Nigeria to compete in the Olympics and AfroBasket, respectively.

If this is the case, expect wing Aaron Nesmith (Boston Celtics), forward Zeke Nnaji (Denver Nuggets), guard Desmond Bane (Memphis Grizzlies) and guard Spencer Dinwiddie (Brooklyn Nets) to be in consideration for national team roster spots as well.

Morris, who’s nationality switch was made known officially in March, will join the team as a roster exemption and make his international debut with Nigeria.

In 47 games, the four-year pro has averaged 10.2 points, 2.0 rebounds and 3.2 assists per game while shooting .479 percent from the field and .393 percent from 3-point range.

Anunoby is a player that Brown had on his radar since taking over as the Nigeria coach two years ago and seeing his name on the roster has brought excitement and energy to the Nigerian basketball program.

In 43 games, Anunoby showed flashes of why the Raptors consider him one of the cornerstones of their franchise with averages of 15.9 points, 5.5 rebounds and 2.2 assists per game.

Nigeria, which became the first African team to qualify for the Tokyo Olympics after the 2019 FIBA World Cup, will be in group B alongside Australia, and the winners of the Olympic Qualifying Tournament in Serbia and Croatia from June 29 to July 4.

D’Tigers, who will also led by longtime team captain Ike Diogu, face Team USA’s men’s basketball team in the Olympics on July 10.

We meet again @usabasketball!

July 10
Nigeria vs. USA pic.twitter.com/yHzAB8Ev23

— D’Tigers | Nigeria Basketball (@NigeriaBasket) June 22, 2021

The post 13 NBA Players Have Been Named to Nigeria’s Preliminary Olympics Roster appeared first on SLAM.

The 12-man roster is as follows.

• Kevin Durant, F, Brooklyn Nets
• Damian Lillard, G, Portland Trail Blazers
• Devin Booker, G, Phoenix Suns
• Jayson Tatum, F, Boston Celtics
• Bradley Beal, G, Washington Wizards
• Khris Middleton, G/F, Milwaukee Bucks
• Zach LaVine, G, Chicago Bulls
• Bam Adebayo, C, Miami Heat
• Draymond Green, F/C, Golden State Warriors
• Jrue Holiday, G, Milwaukee Bucks
• Kevin Love, F, Cleveland Cavaliers
• Jerami Grant, F, Detroit Pistons

Team USA’s basketball program had to whittle down a field of 57 potential roster additions down to 12 for the Olympic Games and several commitment decisions were very recent due to playoff scheduling. Nonetheless, the United States still managed to fill out a roster that will be considered favorites for the gold medal.

Brooklyn Nets guard James Harden had initially committed to the team, but withdrew to recover from a hamstring injury, according to The Athletic’s Shams Charania. Phoenix Suns guard Chris Paul, whose team is currently in the Western Conference Finals with a 2-0 lead over the Los Angeles Clippers, recently withdrew his name as well (according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.)

That said, its possible that other players on the roster (namely Booker, Middleton and Holiday) could play in the NBA Finals. If that occurs, they could miss training camp for the Olympics.

Game 7 of the NBA Finals is scheduled for July 22, one day before the Olympic Games are set to begin.

The last time Team USA competed on the international stage, it finished in seventh-place in the 2019 FIBA World Cup due to a number of the league’s preeminent stars withdrawing from the competition. Before that tournament, the team had won 58 consecutive games in international competition dating back to the 2006 World Cup, 

The post Team USA Men’s Basketball Announces 12-Man Roster for Tokyo Olympics appeared first on SLAM.

15 of the finalists were added to the 2021 USA National Team roster on Thursday, with U.S. Men’s National Basketball Team managing director Jerry Colangelo revealing the rationale for an expanded field of finalists in an official press release:

“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. These additions we are announcing today will help ensure that we are doing that.”

The 15 finalists that were added to the original list of 42 players is as follows:

Center Jarrett Allen (Cleveland Cavaliers); guard Eric Gordon (Houston Rockets); forward Jerami Grant (Detroit Pistons); forward Blake Griffin (Brooklyn Nets); guard Jrue Holiday (Milwaukee Bucks); center DeAndre Jordan (Brooklyn Nets); guard Zach LaVine (Chicago Bulls); forward Julius Randle (New York Knicks); forward Duncan Robinson (Miami Heat); center Mitchell Robinson (New York Knicks); Guard Fred VanVleet (Toronto Raptors); guard John Wall (Houston Rockets); forward Zion Williamson (New Orleans Pelicans); center Christian Wood (Houston Rockets); and guard Trae Young (Atlanta Hawks).

Among the 57 finalists, 29 players have participated in international competition, whether it was the Olympic Games or a FIBA World Cup. This includes 11 players who were represented on the 2019 FIBA World Cup roster.

Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James, who remains noncommittal about playing in the upcoming Olympic Games, has the most Olympic appearances in the player pool, appearing on the 2004, 2008 and 2012 Olympic rosters.

Phoenix Suns guard Chris Paul and Brooklyn Nets forward Kevin Durant both have two Olympic appearances each.

Of the 57 players, only two have never represented the United States internationally or participated in a United States Basketball training session: Wood and Robinson.

Meanwhile, only 24 of the NBA’s 30 teams are represented in the player pool, with only the Denver Nuggets, Minnesota Timberwolves, Orlando Magic, Dallas Mavericks, Memphis Grizzlies and Oklahoma City Thunder not represented.

The U.S. Men’s Olympic Basketball Team will be coached by San Antonio Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich, with Golden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr, Villanova head coach Jay Wright and former Atlanta Hawks head coach Lloyd Pierce joining him on the bench as assistants.

The 2021 Olympic Games are scheduled to take place from Jul. 23 – Aug. 8 in Tokyo, Japan.

The post USA Basketball Men’s National Team Announces 57 Finalists for Tokyo Olympics appeared first on SLAM.

During final roster decisions, he was cut from the roster and wouldn’t be part of the team.  

Now, just a year later, it seems that Nigeria may be using that to their advantage to persuade Adebayo to play for their international team. Adebayo’s father is Nigerian, which is one key reason for this even being a possibility. He recently told Colin Udoh of ESPN that he would consider the opportunity. 

Just a few weeks before entering the bubble, Adebayo got news that his dad had passed away. In an interview with The Undefeated, he gave his thoughts on the situation and the relationship he had with his father.

“My father passed away, but I never really talked to him. He was around when I was younger, and then my mom moved to North Carolina. So, he kind of became distant. I can’t really credit him for a lot of stuff… But, at the end of the day, he did make me. So, I give him props for that.”

Adebayo could now have an opporotunity to represent his father and the country of Nigeria if given the opportunity. Musa Kida, Nigeria Basketball Federation President, recently talked about how he would like to have Adebayo on the D’Tigers roster for the Olympic Games next year in a release sent to ESPN.

“Having Bam in our national team is a possibility that we are considering as a federation ahead of the 2020 Olympics and beyond…We are excited about how far he has gone and what he can achieve in his career with D’Tigers if he chooses to play for Nigeria.”

Adebayo and the Miami Heat just finished up their season after losing to the Los Angeles Lakers in the 2020 NBA Finals. Playing for the Nigerian national team in the upcoming Olympics would be a unique opportunity for the 23-year-old rising star. 

The post Bam Adebayo Could Play For Nigeria in Olympics appeared first on SLAM.

In a press conference before Game 2 of the NBA Finals, Silver said it’s “unlikely” that the NBA would pause next season in order for players to compete in Tokyo.

“It’s not just a function of stopping for the period in which they are competing over in Tokyo,” Silver said. “But they require training camp, and then they require rest afterward.”

A potential scheduling conflict became apparent when Silver appeared on CNN in September and stated that the 2020-21 season will most likely start in January.

The 2021 Summer Olympics—which were originally scheduled for 2020 but postponed due to concerns about the COVID-19 pandemic—will be held from July 23 to August 8.

If the next NBA season begins in January, it’s possible that the playoffs will start around the time that the Olympic Games do.

The issue isn’t just finding a way to free up players’ schedules so that they’ll have time to play for Team USA, as Silver noted. When factoring in training camp and the usual downtime that players get after international competition, the league would need to halt play for at least a month in order for players to participate in the Olympics.

Because the players will already be in playing shape and may have experience playing with each other from past Olympic competitions, All-Star Games or being teammates, they might not need training camp. Being in midseason form may prevent them from requesting extensive rest after the Games are over.

That said, it appears that in order for Team USA to have its usual cohort of star players, they’ll have to be ready to put more strain on their bodies.

The post NBA’s 2021 Season Unlikely To Stop for Tokyo Olympics appeared first on SLAM.

Dick Pound, the longest tenured of all IOC members, says that a move to 2021 is likely.

Although no formal announcement has been made by the IOC or the Tokyo 2020 organizing committee, the revelation comes on the heels of several announcements from individual countries stating that their participation in the games would be contingent upon a postponement.

Both Australia and Canada announced that they wouldn’t be sending athletes to the Olympics if the Games weren’t postponed.

The exact crop of countries to participate in the men’s basketball tournament at the Olympic Games hadn’t been finalized, with play-in tournaments set to unfold in the coming months.

The women’s draw was set earlier this year.

The post IOC Decides To Postpone 2020 Tokyo Olympics appeared first on SLAM.

“We’re just going to plan as if it’s going to happen and we’re going to try to put together a roster,” Kerr told reporters during a conference call Tuesday, but admitted that everything remains very much “up in the air.”

The Olympics are scheduled to kick off July 24.

Per The AP and ESPN :

“Everything’s just up in the air,” Kerr said. “There’s no sense of whether things are going to be delayed or anything. We’re all kind of wondering what’s going to happen and so is the rest of the world.”

The International Olympic Committee said Tuesday that the uncertainty of things right now is “an unprecedented situation for the whole world.”

“The IOC remains fully committed to the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020, and with more than four months to go before the Games there is no need for any drastic decisions at this stage,” the IOC said, adding that any other “speculation at this moment would be counter-productive.”

Officially, no part of that plan has changed yet. Like the NBA and the rest of the sports world, USA Basketball is very much in wait-and-see mode.

“(Team USA head coach Gregg Popovich) and I have spoken a couple of times over the last week or so,” Kerr said. “We’re all kind of sitting here wondering what’s going to happen, and so is the rest of the world. We’re just going to plan as if this is going to happen, and we’re going to try and put together a roster, and that’s all we can do.”

Related Steve Kerr: ‘We’re Never Going to Be the Team We Were’

The post Steve Kerr: Team USA Still Planning on Tokyo Olympics appeared first on SLAM.

Thybulle was born in the United States, but lived in Australia for seven years in his youth and holds dual-citizenship.

Team Australia features several NBA players including Patty Mills, Joe Ingles, Aron Baynes and Matthew Dellavedova. Former NBAers Andrew Bogut and Mitch Creek also play for the Boomers on the international level.

If Thybulle does wear the yellow and green this summer, he could be joining Sixers teammate Ben Simmons. Simmons has expressed an interest in playing for his home country, but that may be in jeopardy due to his current back injury.

In addition, Australia is coached by Brett Brown. Brown also coaches Simmons and Thybulle in Philadelphia.

Thybulle’s defensive ability would be a huge addition to the Boomers. In recent years, Australia has placed well in international tournaments. The Australians placed fourth at both the 2016 Olympic games in Brazil and the 2019 FIBA World Cup in China.

The post Matisse Thybulle Wants to Play For Australia at 2020 Olympics appeared first on SLAM.

Only 12 players will be selected to participate in the actual games, so we’ll see a number of these players withdraw from consideration and then a select 12 hand-picked from those that remain.

A total of nine players represented the country at the Olympics four years ago in Rio de Janeiro and the only three from that squad not on this list are Carmelo Anthony, DeMarcus Cousins and DeAndre Jordan.

All of the 12 players who represented America during last summer’s FIBA World Cup have been selected to participate in the preliminary stages of the Olympic roster selection process.

A total of five players have been selected from both the Boston Celtics and Los Angeles Lakers.

The post Team USA Men’s Basketball Roster For Tokyo Olympics appeared first on SLAM.

“That’s one of my goals to represent USA and represent this beautiful country,” Harden said at Rockets Media Day (via ESPN).

Harden was among the stars to drop out of competition for the World Cup this past summer and while Team USA managing director Jerry Colangelo said he would remember which players didn’t show up to the international tournament this summer, it’s unlikely that Harden will face any friction if he wants to represent the United States abroad. Steph Curry and Damian Lillard are among the other stars who have declared their intent to participate.

LeBron James has previously hinted that he would be open to returning to the Olympics in 2020 after sitting the 2016 games out. James spoke about the potential opportunity at Lakers Media Day.

“I would love to. I don’t know. I was not happy with how we did this summer. I’m going to see how I do this season…I will always bleed red, white and blue,” James said (via Arash Markazi of the Los Angeles Times).

Kevin Durant was also asked about playing in Tokyo next summer but wouldn’t comment on playing, as JD Shaw of Hoops Rumors relays. KD, who is still recovering from his surgery to repair a torn Achilles, added that he wasn’t surprised that Team USA struggled in the FIBA World Cup.

The post Stars Beginning To Align For USA Basketball’s Olympic Team appeared first on SLAM.

Next summer at the 2020 Summer Olympic games in Tokyo, 3×3 basketball will make its much-anticipated debut as an official Olympic sport. And for the athletes that made the trip to New York recently, the desire to secure their place in history was well on display.

So how exactly will 3×3 hoops look like in an Olympic format?

The rules are pretty simple. Teams will play on a half court with a 10-minute game clock and a 12-second shot clock. A winner is decided when a team either scores 21 points or when the game clock expires. There is an age requirement of 18 and older.

Hoopers from top-tier programs and leagues throughout the country showed up to play against each other, all with the goal of representing the United States next summer in Japan.

On the women’s side, there were ballers from Division I programs such as Manhattan College, UCLA, Oregon State and Texas. The women’s field also featured the first independently owned professional women’s 3×3 team, which was founded by Force 10 Sports Management. Force 10 also owns the WNBA”s Seattle Storm franchise. Cierra Burdick, Alexis Peterson, Linnae Harper and Megan Huff represented the Force 10 team. They all have WNBA experience, making them a formidable opponent. As formidable as they were, though, two other teams proceeded to the finals.

The women’s final pitted Team Underrated against Stars & Stripes, which ended in an overtime thriller. Stars & Stripes was composed of Destiny Slocum (Oregon State), Kaila Charles (Maryland), Charli Collier (Texas) and Michaela Onyenwere (UCLA). Although Stars & Stripes were down 6-0 early on, they came back to tie the game at 13 apiece at the end of regulation. Despite the valiant effort, Team Underrated would go on to win 15-14 behind the strong teamwork of Amani Tatum (Manhattan College), Cori Coleman (Cleveland State) and Cali Taylors.

Although they won it all, Team Underrated had chemistry despite not having much time to mix. “We won the 3×3 tournament last year when we played at Dyckman,” said Tatum. “So we played that day and then we just played this past weekend. We don’t all get together and play, which has been the uniqueness about our team.”

Moving forward, they hope to use this momentum to make a deep run in the qualifiers and be the ones representing the United States in 3×3 women’s basketball next summer.

On the men’s side of the bracket, veteran experience proved to be the x-factor. The finals pitted Team Princeton against Combos Court. Combos Court was composed of Max Dolgin (Bridgewater State), Andrew Salop (Hapoel Jerusalem), Antwan Wilkerson (Johnson C. Smith) and Aleksandar Isailovic (St. Francis – Brooklyn). The winning team, Team Princeton, has been quite the force within the United States’ 3×3 circuit for years now. The team was composed solely of Division I hooping New York natives. Craig Moore (Northwestern), Gabe Knutson (Lehigh), Ben Hazel and Pawel Buczak (Princeton) dominated, winning the championship game 21-10 behind Craig Moore’s spectacular two-point shooting.

“3×3 basketball was a training tool for us at Princeton, as it allowed us to practice isolating parts of our offense and making the right read,” said Hazel. “We know how to play this style of ball and we take pride in representing ourselves well here.”

With the Brooklyn qualifiers in the books, four of the qualifiers were completed with 18 more to go. The process of finding the players who will represent the United States in the men’s and women’s 3×3 is still in the early stages. Regionals take place in the fall, where the winning teams from the qualifiers will play for a spot in Nationals. The Nationals take place in March of 2020, and it is there where the first ever US Olympic 3×3 teams will be selected. 

—

Nate Derosena is a contributor to SLAM.

Photos courtesy of Red Bull.

The post HOOP DREAMS: Players Compete for Potential Spot in 3v3 at 2020 Olympics appeared first on SLAM.

James recently spoke with Joe Vardon of The Athletic about not playing with Team USA in the World Cup this summer, his offseason and the 2020 Olympics.

Per The Athletic:

LeBron never intended to play this summer, even though the team will be coached by Gregg Popovich, a favorite of his. The “Space Jam 2” production schedule was based on the knowledge that, regardless of when the Lakers’ season ended, LeBron would not play for Team USA.

“I love everything about Pop, obviously, but this is not a good summer for me,” James said.

On the other hand, LeBron has not ruled out a return to Team USA for the 2020 Summer Olympics in Japan. He is a two-time Olympic gold medalist who played for the United States at the 2004 (bronze), ’08 and ’12 Games.

“Yeah, that’s a possibility,” LeBron said of Tokyo 2020. “It depends on how I feel. I love the Olympics.”

James, 34, is a two-time Gold medalist has been shut down this season by the Lakers. The three-time NBA champion will miss the postseason for the first time since 2005.

In 55 games, James averaged 27.3 points, 8.5 rebounds and 8.3 assists per game for the Purple and Gold.

RELATED ‘He Wants to Play’: Lakers Convinced LeBron James to Shut it Down

The post LeBron James Says Playing in 2020 Olympics is ‘A Possibility’ appeared first on SLAM.

The Black Mamba recalls the time he hung his 2008 Olympic Gold Medal—which he’d won with Team USA in a bitterly-fought war against Spain—in Pau Gasol‘s locker.

Gasol didn’t appreciate the gesture, naturally, but Bryant evidently believes it helped kick up his game (and attitude) a notch.

Per Kobe’s chat with Lewis Howes (via reddit):

“Pau hates it every time I tell this story,” Bryant recalls. “He hates it.

“So now we come back to start training camp and Pau shows up first day of training camp, I have my gold medal hanging in his locker.

“The one thing he truly, truly love is his country. That is like everything to him. So it just drove him crazy.

“He said ‘You’re an asshole!’

“I said, ‘Listen Pau, you lost to the Celtics, you lost to us in the gold-medal match, let’s not make this three in a row this year. Let’s win this thing.’ That was it for him. Pau was a phenomenon to begin with. For him, it was just stepping up a level of physicality, that we needed him to get to, which he did and we went on to win back-to-back championships.”

The post Kobe Bryant Hung His Olympic Gold Medal in Pau Gasol’s Locker appeared first on SLAM.

#NBA: Ben Simmons commits to Aussie Boomers for Tokyo 2020 https://t.co/ggYyimZt69

— Melanie Dinjaski (@MelanieDinjaski) November 10, 2017

Simmons, 21, was born in Melbourne, and says “Australian basketball is going in the right direction.”

The star rookie is averaging 17.5 points, 9.2 rebounds and 7.5 assists for the Philadelphia Sixers.

Per Wide World of Sports:

Simmons, a Melbourne-born, Newcastle-raised 21-year-old who is a dual citizen of the Australia and the United States through his American father, says he is looking forward to donning the green-and-gold in Japan.

 

“I definitely want to play for the Boomers. I’ve told a lot of my guys and my coaches that I’ll definitely be wanting to play,” Simmons told Wide World of Sports at the launch of Call of Duty: WWII.

 

“It’s going to be a great team. A very young, quick team. I think the future of Australian basketball is going in the right direction.”

The post Ben Simmons to Play for Australia in 2020 Olympics appeared first on SLAM.

Teresa Edwards has four Olympic Golds.

Edwards, a 5-11 point guard from Cairo, GA, played before the WNBA was even an idea. There’s not much footage of Edwards out there, but luckily, Katie Smith was around to see Edwards play.

“I even missed some of her prime but understood she could score, could guard, could pass like no other,” Smith, who played with Edwards on the 2000 Olympic team, says. “Drop 40, no problem.”

Smith says Edwards had all the tools of a textbook point guard.

“Her size, her scoring ability, her ability to play defense and on the other hand, just run your team, understand how to find people,” Smith rattles off the list of what made Edwards great. “Just that savvy, [she] just knew how to do it. She could literally do it all.”

Throughout her career, she did a lot of winning. She went from being the youngest player on the 1984 national team, to the oldest on the 2000 squad. Both won Gold.

Edwards’ international career lasted for five Olympics. In 1992, she and Team USA finished with the Bronze medal. But from her very first time in the Team USA pipeline, in 1981, to her swan song with Smith and the 2000 group, she suited up in 216 games with ‘USA’ across her chest. For comparison, Carmelo has only appeared in 72 games for America.

“When you play in the Olympics the first time, you don’t think that you’re a part of history,” Edwards says a day after the Women’s Team captures another Gold in Rio. “You don’t know that there’s a legacy or anything. You’re just playing the game because you love it.

“As I watched the women win the Gold medal yesterday, I’m like, Wow, I’m a part of something that’s really big. Something that should go on forever,” Edwards says. “Something that we as Americans women’s basketball players have truly built a dynasty.”

Dynasty is the best word to describe the women’s national team. Since 1984, they’ve won eight Gold medals, six straight since 1996. They’ve absolutely dominated their competition, establishing themselves as the best basketball team in the world. A dynasty in every sense of the word. Every dynasty needs to start somewhere. This one started with Edwards.

“She was huge,” Diana Taurasi says. “She’s the one that everyone looked up to. She was by far one of the best players to ever touch a basketball.”

Edwards wasn’t ever trying to build something that would last for more than 30 years, though. She wasn’t looking to inspire an entire generation of young women. She was just tryna hoop.

“When I was young, I knew I wanted to be great at the game,” Edwards says. “You don’t know the impact you’re going to have on others. For me, I’m always totally flabbergasted. I’m totally humbled by something like that.”

Something like Taurasi or Smith, two of the best ever, looking up to her, both on and off the court. The vision, poise and leadership that Smith played with, and now coaches with, can be traced back to Edwards. The trademark aggression that Taurasi plays with can be traced back to Edwards.

After 216 games, four Golds, a Hall of Fame induction and uplifting too many young basketball players to count, the real Captain America knows the program is built to last.

“We love this game tremendously, it’s such a part of America’s fabric,” Edwards says. “The experience is immeasurable because it continues on.”

And if Teresa Edwards won’t take the credit for molding the best basketball program in the world, Katie Smith and Diana Taurasi will give it to her.

“She was nasty,” Smith says, completely complimentarily. “She was gonna do her part. She holds herself to a higher standard. She’ll do whatever it takes just to get that win.”

“She played with this aggression that I loved,” Taurasi says. “No matter what was happening, she was just gonna go hard. That was what was so amazing about her.”

—

Top photo courtesy of Getty, body photo by Bayley Claro Resetar

The post Captain America appeared first on SLAM.

But that team could never match the impact the Dream Team had on or off the floor. Or the star power that the Dream Team rolled around with. Michael, Magic and Larry? C’mon.

The 1996 Olympics were even held in America. That team, though, hasn’t been remembered the way the best of the national teams have. Look closely at the roster and it doesn’t make any sense. The squad was STACKED:

David Robinson, Charles Barkley, Hakeem Olajuwon, John Stockton, Karl Malone, Scottie Pippen, Gary Payton, Mitch Richmond, Reggie Miller, Penny Hardaway, Shaquille O’Neal and Grant Hill, with the legendary Lenny Wilkens sitting at the helm.

That’s 10 Hall of Famers, with possibly two more to come. Add in the second winningest coach in NBA history, too. Sure, their 102 points per game isn’t the Dream Team’s 117 ppg. But the 1996 team gave up the fewest points per game to their opponent since NBA players were allowed to wear the Red, White and Blue. With just 70.2 points given up each time out, 106 total steals and and everyone besides Miller registering at least one block, Dream Team II’s defense was actually a nightmare.

So was their offense. Hakeem got subbed out by Shaq, the Admiral rotated with Malone and Barkley. Double the big men? Open three for Miller or Richmond or an open lane for Pippen, Hill or Hardaway. Then the pick-and-roll was run to perfection by Stockton and Payton.

They whipped the ball around beautifully. Five players had at least 20-plus total assists. Nine of the 12 had double-digit dimes throughout the eight games. By the end of the Atlanta Games, the basketball team had firmly established its chokehold over the rest of the world, even if no one gives them the credit.

“The whole Olympic experience was off the charts,” says Grant Hill. “There was a pretty significant degree of separation between our team and the rest of the field. Although we respected everybody, we knew we were gonna win.

“Really it was the relationships with the guys,” he continues. “We spent a lot of time together. What I loved and what I think back on is the practices. The matchups. Going against Scottie, at my position. Looking at David Robinson battling with Shaq or Hakeem Olajuwon. The practices were just insane. The banter, the trash talking.”

The 1992 team might be most famous for their time away from the cameras when the trash talk floated all around Barcelona. While they were together, there were intense practices, drunken beach days, tee times at the links, card games all night. One of the reasons the world connected so much with that team is because they were let into the lives of Barkley, Jordan and Ewing.

There aren’t so many of those stories about the 1996 team, which could be why they aren’t thrown up there with the ’92 or 2008 teams. But just because we don’t know about them doesn’t mean those moments didn’t happen.

“One night, before we got to the Olympics, I went out with Scottie,” Hill remembers. “We were in Orlando. We went to a party. We got back, played cards, and I might’ve left at like 5:30, six in the morning. We had practice at, like, 11. Scottie might’ve stayed up the whole night. In practice, he was running circles around me.”

Twenty years later, Hill’s face looks tired even thinking about how Pippen did all that. “I could not understand how he could stay out that late and still come in and practice and be great.”

Hill goes on to say that the 1996 team did have a bunch of those late nights and crazy bus rides and dinners together. The chemistry they showed on the court would back that up. Their 133 points against China is the second most scored in one game between the 1992 and 2012 Olympics. The only team that put up more b-b-buckets is the 2012 group, when they dropped 156 on Nigeria. (Salute, Captain America.)

It seems like the only way the 1996 team would get their due is by beating the Dream Team. Grant Hill is confident in the outcome of a single game between the two.

“I’d say 1996.” Hill looks up into the sky while he picks the winner, looking like he’s picturing the game.

“We had good balance. We had some younger players. I think with Shaq, with Penny when he was right—you had the legends like David Robinson, Karl Malone, Charles Barkley, John Stockton, Scottie Pippen. Then you had those guys that were right in their prime. Reggie, Mitch Richmond, Gary Payton. Then you had the young guys like myself, Penny and Shaq. I’d pay to see it. I’d like to think that we could get them. I’m glad you brought that up, I feel like we don’t get the respect.” He says that last sentence with a smile.

Coach Wilkens, an assistant in 1992 and the head coach in 1996, however, isn’t quite as sure.

“They’re both good teams,” he says, remaining completely neutral. “I know what Gary and Mitch Richmond would say. They would say we’d win. I’m sure that the ’92 team would say the same thing. I enjoyed coaching all those guys.” Forever the player’s coach.

The 1992 team told the world that America was the example for basketball. The 1996 team backed that up almost effortlessly.

“The 1996 team, we were,” Hill begins. Before he finishes his sentence, an adjective to describe his Olympic team is thrown out at him. He agrees with it. “We were stacked,” he says.

—

Top image courtesy of Getty, other images courtesy of Bayley Claro Resetar

The post Way Past Due appeared first on SLAM.

After making the biggest decision of his NBA career, Durant helped lead Team USA to Olympic Gold, and says the experience served a therapeutic purpose for him.

Kevin Durant to @TheVertical on why he needed Olympics after summer of change: "It was therapy for me." #Rio2016 https://t.co/BZNRnr3aqd

— Michael Lee (@MrMichaelLee) August 22, 2016

The Olympic stage was a welcome relief from KD’s legion of critics after he decided to join the Golden State Warriors.

Per Yahoo:

“It was therapy for me after making a big change in my life,” Durant said in the bowels of Carioca Arena 1 about an hour after scoring 30 points in Sunday’s 96-66 victory. “It made my life easier … I knew [a backlash] was coming. It was definitely different for me, but to come here in an environment where people accepted me and didn’t care about anything except being my buddy, that’s what I needed.”

 

Midway in the second period, Durant had demoralized Serbia with heat-check three-pointers and dunks, so the rest of the game felt like a tune up for his eventual games of H-O-R-S-E with Stephen Curry. “It’s called the ultimate green light,” coach Mike Krzyzewski joked. “You didn’t hear me saying don’t shoot.”

 

Durant has now posted the two highest point totals in the Olympics for an American player: 156 in London in 2012 and 155 in Rio. He is also only 25 points behind Carmelo Anthony as the top all-time American scorer despite appearing in half as many Olympics. As he walked from a joint news conference with Anthony and Krzyzewski after the game, Durant wasn’t certain if he’d return to catch Anthony at Tokyo in 2020. […] “I can’t say right now,” Durant said. “I’ll be 31, going on 32 …”

The post Kevin Durant Used the Olympics as ‘Therapy’ appeared first on SLAM.

@Yg_Trece on gold medal, two years after suffering that awful broken leg in @usabasketball exhibition: "this is my championship right here."

— David Aldridge (@daldridgetnt) August 21, 2016

More @Yg_Trece: “I don’t know what that (championship) feeling is like yet. But as of now, this is my championship”…

— David Aldridge (@daldridgetnt) August 21, 2016

The NBA All-Star spoke Sunday after helping lead Team USA to a 96-66 win over Serbia for their third consecutive Gold.

George, 26, says his comeback from a horrific leg injury three summers ago is now complete.

Per the Indy Star:

“I just finalized this whole story, put it to rest,” the Indiana Pacers forward said. “I’m officially back.”

 

The United States won its third consecutive gold medal Sunday, beating Serbia 96-66 in what was nearly the biggest gold-medal blowout since basketball was introduced at the Olympics in 1936. […] In 22 minutes, George had nine points and three steals. The Americans were plus-37 with him on the floor.

 

George said he was indifferent to his sixth man role. […] “In spite of what people said about this group, being less talented, not blowing teams out, not putting people away … I thought we did a good job of being mindful of that, kind of bottling that all up and unleashing all that tonight on Serbia,” George said.

Related
DeAndre Jordan: Olympic Gold ‘Above NBA Rings’

The post Paul George on Gold Medal: ‘This is My Championship’ appeared first on SLAM.

USA Basketball chairman Jerry Colangelo won’t make any apologies for his squad blowing out the competition—the executive says other countries should “get their act together” and compete with the Americans.

Team USA struggled a bit (and faced criticism) on their way to their latest Gold Medal, but in the end, they proved that they remain the best in the world at this basketball business.

Per USA Today:

Not long after Team USA won Olympic gold for the third consecutive time, downing Serbia 96-66 on Sunday at Carioca Arena I to finish 8-0 in these Games, the program’s managing director threw down the gauntlet on the rest of the basketball world. […] When asked by an international reporter about the margin of victory in the finale, Jerry Colangelo — the former NBA executive and owner who rehabilitated the national program in 2005 — made it quite clear that he wasn’t about to apologize for the one-sided outcome.

 

“I’m all for raising the bar for global basketball,” he began. “The more interest in basketball on all levels, I’m for. I’m a lifer in the game. I love the game. Basketball is the No. 2 sport in the world, (but) we just need to see these other countries get their acts together and become more competitive. […] I’d love to see that. Everyone would love to see that. I’m not going to be making excuses for anyone about our (dominance). Someone said to me (after the game), one of the officials said to me, ‘You know next time you play, you ought to play with four.’ And I said, ‘No, maybe the other teams better get their act together and compete.’”

 

“We’ve been helping in basketball around the world for 50 years,” Colangelo said. “We’ve taught the world the game. We’ve taught their coaches, players — look at the number of (international) players in the NBA, look at the number of international players in college today, in the states. So we’re all for that. I want to see the level raised.”

Related
Tweetcap: NBA Players React To Team USA’s Gold Medal Win

The post Team USA’s Jerry Colangelo: ‘Other Teams Better Get Their Act Together’ appeared first on SLAM.

Melo helped lead Team USA to glory at the Rio Olympics, as they romped over Serbia en route to their 25th straight win on Olympic hardwood.

Kevin Durant was the top scorer, finishing with a game-high 30 points in the victory.

Per Reuters:

“To go home as gold medalists and leave Coach K off with another gold was one of our main goals as well,” Durant told reporters. “I’m excited we got the chance to do this and play with such great players, and I’m on cloud nine right now for sure.”

 

The rout capped a brilliant tenure as Team USA head coach for Krzyzewski, who signs off after guiding the U.S. to three consecutive Olympic gold medals and an astounding 88-1 record in international competition.

 

The game was also the last for captain Carmelo Anthony, who embraced Krzyzewski on the sidelines when he was substituted in the final minutes. […] U.S. basketball’s only four-time Olympian, Anthony exits with three gold medals and a pack of U.S. team records. […] “I think I’ve given enough to Team USA basketball,” said Anthony. “As much as I’m going to miss it, I think it’s time to pass it on to some of the guys who have been on the team this year. So for me, I’m hanging these things up U.S. basketball-wise.”

The post Carmelo Anthony Retires from Team USA: ‘This is it for Me’ appeared first on SLAM.

Edwards, from Cairo, GA, is the best basketball player to ever suit up for the US. She has an unprecedented five Gold medals, going from being the youngest player on the team in 1984, to the oldest in 2000. Robinson was a member of both the 1992 Dream Team and Dream Team II in 1996. That ’96 squad was coached by Wilkens and also featured Hill.

Check out pictures of the meet-and-greet up top and hit up the NBA Store to for all your Team USA gear.

Photos by Bayley Claro Resetar

The post David Robinson, Grant Hill, Lenny Wilkens and Teresa Edwards Meet Fans at the NBA Store appeared first on SLAM.

https://youtu.be/cilNxYy0J4M

Oh & yes, talked Olympics with LeBron too. Here was his quote to me. (Also noted how, gosh, Tokyo is a nice city ) pic.twitter.com/1jgbr51sab

— Rachel Nichols (@Rachel__Nichols) August 17, 2016

In a subsequent interview with USA Today, LeBron added that he loves the idea of playing for Gregg Popovich, who will coach the 2020 Olympic team.

If LeBron did suit up for Team USA in 2020, he’ll be 35 years old and have played 17 NBA regular seasons, and (most likely) in 15 NBA postseasons. Bron might not be the best player, but his experience and leadership would be invaluable.

LeBron James told USA TODAY Sports it would be a career treat to play for Mike Krzyzewski and Gregg Popovich on the U.S. Olympic team.

 

“It would be pretty amazing to be able to actually play for the greatest NBA coach of all time.”

 

“First off all Coach K and Gregg Popovich are two my favorites of all time,” James said. “To be able to play for Coach K in the Olympics and world championships and to be able to go against Coach Pop in the NBA, it would be a treat. Obviously my body has to continue to be in the form that it is today four years from now.”

The post LeBron James Hints At 2020 Olympic Return appeared first on SLAM.

The Clippers center played a masterful game for Team USA, scoring 9 points, grabbing 16 rebounds and swatting 4 shots to lead the Americans to an 82-76 Olympic semifinal win over Spain on Friday.

FINAL: USA 82, Spain 76. Team USA advances to the Gold medal game. They will face the winner of AUS-SRB. pic.twitter.com/5xvyhmZbuN

— SLAM (@SLAMonline) August 19, 2016

Despite early foul trouble for Ricky Rubio and Nicola Mirotic, Spain kept the deficit within 10 points until the final quarter, where Team USA closed out the game strong.

Klay Thompson was on fire in the first half, dropping 17 of his team-high 22 points in the first two quarters. Kyle Lowry gave the USA excellent minutes off the bench, scoring 9 points and never giving the Spanish backcourt a chance to relax.

Jordan made his stamp on the game during the third quarter, where he emphatically threw down a putback dunk off a Thompson missed three-pointer. He then blocked a Pau Gasol fadeaway on the next possession, telling the world that he was no longer fooled by Gasol’s ball fakes.

Team USA held its opponent under 40 percent from the field for the second straight game (38.9 percent). They controlled the glass 52 to 41.

— SLAM (@SLAMonline) August 19, 2016

The win was far from a blowout, but Team USA was able to take home the decisive win against the No. 2-ranked team in the world.

They will face the winner of Friday’s semifinal between Serbia and Australia on Sunday in the Gold medal game.

One more pic.twitter.com/wEY6vcUiQr

— SLAM (@SLAMonline) August 19, 2016

The post DeAndre Jordan Sets The Tone in Team USA’s 82-76 Olympic Semifinal Win Over Spain appeared first on SLAM.

James, 31, wishes he was “out there” with Team USA during its quest for Gold in Rio.

Oh & yes, talked Olympics with LeBron too. Here was his quote to me. (Also noted how, gosh, Tokyo is a nice city ) pic.twitter.com/1jgbr51sab

— Rachel Nichols (@Rachel__Nichols) August 17, 2016

LeBron used the offseason, instead, to rest and re-charge after leading the Cleveland Cavaliers to their first NBA championship in franchise history.

Per ESPN:

“Every time I watch ’em, I wish I was out there,” James said. “I did not retire from Team USA. I just did not play this summer. So I still left the door open.”

 

James joined USA Basketball for the 2004 Games in Athens, where the Americans lost their opener to Puerto Rico, dropped two more games and settled for bronze. He returned on the 2008 Redeem Team and won gold in Beijing and captured another gold medal four years ago in London. […] After leading the Cavs to a historic comeback against the Golden State Warriors in June, James said he needed rest and would not play in Brazil. If he decides to return to the national team, he would be 35 at the 2020 Tokyo Games.

 

James also addressed the call for social change he delivered at last month’s ESPYS with Chris Paul, Dwyane Wade and Carmelo Anthony. […] “We wanted to start off the show with something that meant something, you know, that really was true to our hearts, and let our fellow athletes know where we stand,” he said.

The post LeBron James: ‘I Did Not Retire from Team USA’ appeared first on SLAM.

Merci à tous mes coéquipiers, à Vincent Collet et à la @FRABasketball pour ces années avec les #Bleus ! 1/3

— Tony Parker (@tonyparker) August 17, 2016

Je suis fier d'avoir pu représenter la France. Merci également à tous les fans du basket français qui nous ont toujours soutenus. 2/3

— Tony Parker (@tonyparker) August 17, 2016

Ce fut une magnifique aventure… Merci ! 3/3 pic.twitter.com/P1FB8CIEQQ

— Tony Parker (@tonyparker) August 17, 2016

Parker, 34, lost to new San Antonio Spurs teammate Pau Gasol in his final international game.

The veteran point guard is proud of what he helped the French accomplish on the court.

Per the AP:

“I just took a lot of pride playing for the national team,” said the 34-year-old Parker, who scored 14 in his final game. “I just love playing in this competition. I love this atmosphere, which is very different than the NBA. Growing up, my dream was to win an NBA championship. That was my ultimate goal. But as I grew up, I fell in love with the national team.

 

“We won the gold medal in juniors when I was 18. So then my goal was to try to bring the first national team ever championship for France, and we did that in 2013. Overall, just great experiences. I enjoyed it all these years. These last 16 years have been great. I don’t regret one second.”

 

In June, his longtime Spurs teammate Tim Duncan announced his retirement, and for a while it appeared Manu Ginobili would hang it up, too. However, Ginobili recently said he’s coming back for one more season with San Antonio. […] “I’m very blessed, that’s all I can say,” Parker said. “Those 15 years with Timmy and all the championships and all the records and everything we accomplished, it’s just stuff that when I retire I can cherish and show my kids everything that we won. I’m happy that Manu’s got one more year. So it’s not everybody at the same time. That day will come too. My day will come. It’s just life. Everything comes to an end.”

The post Tony Parker Retires from the French National Team appeared first on SLAM.

Behind Faco Campazzo, Team Argentina came out strong. The feisty point guard showed no fear. He scored 8 quick points and energized his fans. He even gave Kyrie Irving a taste of his own medicine.

Somebody make sure Kyrie's ok… https://t.co/eKx1G45Asx

— SLAM (@SLAMonline) August 17, 2016

Campazzo led the Argentines out to a 19-9 lead in the first. Early on the Americans’ struggles looked all too familiar. No ball movement, quick shots, poor defense. As has been the case, there was foul trouble, this time for Anthony, and turnovers from Irving and Klay Thompson.

Luckily, for the Americans, Kevin Durant wasn’t going to lose. He ripped off the first seven points for the red, white and blue. He ended the first with 13, pretty much singlehandedly responsible for a 25-21 lead after the first. He was smooth, playing at his own pace. It was the efficient Kevin Durant we’ve come to expect.

After 3 quarters, it's USA up 87-61. @KDTrey5 with 27, 7 three's. Buddy's on fire. https://t.co/jiar57BYDi

— SLAM (@SLAMonline) August 17, 2016

While the rest of Team USA couldn’t put the ball in the basket, Paul George and Jimmy Butler made the difference on defense. Campazzo, who got anywhere he wanted against Irving, was locked up by George. Butler flew around the court, covering defensive mistakes.

Team USA isn't messing around. Up 56-40 over ARG at the half. @KDTrey5 with 18. @JimmyButler with the passion: https://t.co/JzyXURWek2

— SLAM (@SLAMonline) August 17, 2016

The trio of Durant, George and Butler helped America establish as much as a 22-point lead in the second. But what was more important was how hungry Team USA played. They kept their foot on the pedal. While the offense still didn’t look great, America’s defense was stellar. There was no room for the Argentines to shoot from distance, their strength. They couldn’t finish over the top of Team USA’s length, either.

After some huge highlight plays, the game was a wrap by the third. Durant hit three shots from downtown to start the third. Anthony added another three-ball and the lead ballooned to 27.

No mercy https://t.co/FtikDdsbIS

— Strad (@BestDunks) August 18, 2016

“We played with passion and energy tonight,” Durant told NBC Sports. “That’s the big difference. Once we did that, we were able to play well on the offensive end, move the ball, play well on the defensive end, cover for each other.

“We tend to think this is gonna be a little easier than we thought,” he continued. “But we came out here, these teams hit us in the mouth. It was a wakeup call for us.”

George contributed 17 off the bench and Cousins scored 15 in 13 minutes. But by and large, this win was all KD.

Next up for the Americans is Pau Gasol and Spain. In the previous two Olympics, the two teams have met in the Gold Medal game, with America taking both. But this isn’t 2008 or 2012. Coach Mike Krzyzewski says he’ll make sure to watch tape from both those games to get ready for Gasol, Ricky Rubio, Nikola Mirotic and the rest of the stacked Spanish squad.

That matchup is Friday, with a time to be announced. Get the popcorn ready.

The post Kevin Durant Lifts Team USA Over Argentina appeared first on SLAM.

For everything he’s done in America, however, his influence on the basketball landscape of Argentina can’t be measured. From leading the Argentines to a win over the Americans in 2004, to taking the Gold Medal just a few days later, to staying as committed to the national team program as he has for 20 years, Manu is the face, heart and soul of Argentine basketball.

His squad just got knocked out of the 2016 Olympics by the Americans, marking the end of his international career. An emotional Ginobili made the rounds after the game, getting congratulated by his teammates and opponents. Check out footage of Manu’s goodbye below. Felicitaciones, Manu!

Manu Ginobili talks to Ros on playing for #ARG in the olympics.

(Via @clippittv) pic.twitter.com/e8dH6VSwYx

— Def Pen Sports (@DefPenSports) August 17, 2016

The game ball goes to @manuginobili #Rio2016 #ARG pic.twitter.com/i2JX1aSdVO

— NBC Sports Bet (@NBCSportsBet) August 17, 2016

Proud of you, @manuginobili. pic.twitter.com/jadKiSphQ2

— San Antonio Spurs (@spurs) August 17, 2016

https://twitter.com/_cristianhache/status/766057987366612992

A los 39 años y después de dos décadas, Manu Ginobili dijo adiós a su albiceleste #ARG #Eterno #Manudona pic.twitter.com/Akw88Ba1fb

— EJDN (@juegodenaismith) August 17, 2016

The post WATCH: Manu Ginobili Plays Final Game for Argentina appeared first on SLAM.

Jordan says that playing for your country every four years means more than competing for a championship each season.

As the Olympic quarterfinals tip off, Clippers center DeAndre Jordan asserts that a gold medal trumps an NBA ring -> https://t.co/0AamleEPbE

— Marc Stein (@ESPNSteinLine) August 17, 2016

Carmelo Anthony revealed he’d be at peace if his career included three Olympic Gold medals but no NBA ring, though he said that his comments were misunderstood.

Per ESPN:

“I think they’re above NBA rings,” Jordan said of the gold medal USA Basketball is chasing here in Rio entering Wednesday night’s quarterfinal game against Argentina.

 

“I may get in trouble for saying that, but I believe that. I feel like this is more special. You’re not just playing teams in the U.S. You’re playing teams from all over the world. And this is even more special because there’s an NBA champion crowned every year, but this is every four years.

 

“You’ve got to really think about that, man, because it’s extremely special.”

The post DeAndre Jordan: Olympic Gold ‘Above NBA Rings’ appeared first on SLAM.

Sir Charles thinks there are too many ball-dominant stars, and not enough guys willing to accept defined roles.

The Americans are undefeated but have struggled during the Rio Olympics.

Per Sports360AZ:

“It’s not a good team to put together,” Barkley said. “If you take away DeAndre Jordan, every guy on that team is a ball-dominant guy. You see them playing a lot of one-on-one basketball.

 

“That’s the thing I’ve noticed more than anything. Like, you have to understand when you put a team together like that, you have to have some role players.”

 

“You take a guy like Kyle Lowry, who is a hell of a player, he wants to score. Kyrie [Irving] wants to score. Kevin [Durant] wants to score. DeMar [DeRozan] wants to score. So, I think they have been really stagnant offensively. […] When they put that team together in the future, they have to realize we can’t have just really, really great offensive players. They gotta have players that if they don’t get a shot, they’re not just gonna stand around and mope.”

The post Charles Barkley Rips USA Basketball: ‘It’s Not a Good Team to Put Together’ appeared first on SLAM.

Yi, 28, has spent the past four seasons with the Guangdong Southern Tigers in the Chinese Basketball Association.

Yi Jianlian update: ESPN sources say the Lakers are now in the midst of finalizing a one-year deal in the $8 million range w/the China star.

— Marc Stein (@ESPNSteinLine) August 17, 2016

The 7-footer has averaged averaged 20.4 points and 6.6 rebounds for China in its five games during the Rio Olympics.

Per ESPN:

Sources said that the Lakers tried in the summer of 2015 to sign Yi and have renewed those efforts in the wake of the former lottery pick’s fourth trip to the Summer Olympics as a cornerstone player for China.

 

“In order to help Yi seize this opportunity to play at the highest stage of [the basketball] world and unfold his capability, in order to help Yi fulfill his dream and goal, we are offering our unconditional support and cooperation to Yi to make sure he joins Lakers. Best wishes to Yi for his bright future in NBA,” Guangdong said in a translated statement.

 

A deal is not yet done to secure Yi’s return to the NBA, but sources say talks are ongoing and that the Lakers are hopeful of adding him to the roster before training camp begins in late September. […] Yi was the sixth overall pick by the Milwaukee Bucks in the 2007 draft and also had stints with the New Jersey Nets, Washington Wizards and Dallas Mavericks in parts of five seasons.

The post Lakers Reportedly in ‘Advanced Discussions’ to Sign Yi Jianlian appeared first on SLAM.

Cruz, who’s played for the Liberty and Lynx, and is Spain’s all-around best player, had the rock in her hands in the closing seconds of the game and hit a crazy one-legged runner to win. She finished with 14 points.

Check out the shot below. Sorry, Turkey.

Buzzer beater!

Spain stuns Turkey at the clock to advance to the semifinals! https://t.co/5HOyPj61KV https://t.co/LRK4R84SHl

— NBC Olympics & Paralympics (@NBCOlympics) August 16, 2016

Video courtesy of NBC

The post WATCH: Spain’s Anna Cruz Hits Buzzer-Beater to Knock out Turkey appeared first on SLAM.

In a 98-88 win over Australia in Rio, Melo finished with 31 points, and passed both David Robinson and LeBron James to become USA Basketball’s all-time leading scorer.

Melo made his Olympic debut as a 20-year-old in Athens and was a part of the infamous team that won Bronze in 2004. But he came back in 2008 as one of the leaders of the “Redeem Team” that dominated its way to the Gold in Beijing.

Of course, Melo was able to notch his second Gold in London in 2012, and has his sights on a third in Rio in 2016.

While he’s always been a top player in the League, Carmelo’s game seems perfectly suited to the international style of play. With a knock-down jumper and a poetic post game, Anthony will go down as one of the best to ever don “USA” across his chest.

Other SLAM Mixtapes:
Dwyane Wade Miami Heat Mixtape
Devin Booker Rookie Season Mixtape
Scottie Pippen Vs Kawhi Leonard Mixtape

Video by Meir21. Follow him on YouTube, Facebook and Twitter.

The post WATCH: Carmelo Anthony Team USA Mixtape appeared first on SLAM.

Denver Nuggets big man Nikola Jokic, playing center for the Serbian national team, says the U.S. is beatable.

On @TheVertical: Nikola Jokic on Team USA: "Maybe Australia showed us they can get beat. They can get beat” #Rio2016 https://t.co/Wj1f7yymr9

— Michael Lee (@MrMichaelLee) August 13, 2016

Klay Thompson led the way with 30 points Sunday in a 100-97 win against France.

Per Yahoo:

“They are just players,” said Serbian center Nikola Jokic, the promising Denver Nugget who bludgeoned the U.S. for a game-high 25 points in a 94-91 loss. “If you think about who they are, you are not going to be good at this. Maybe Australia showed us they can get beat. They can get beat.”

 

Even without LeBron James, Stephen Curry, Russell Westbrook, James Harden or Chris Paul, the talent on Team USA is overwhelming in comparison to the other teams in this tournament. The performances have been extremely underwhelming, though, exposing the vulnerabilities and deficiencies without those aforementioned stars.

 

“We got to expect this,” said DeMarcus Cousins. “Every time we step on the floor, guys are going to give us their best effort, everybody wants to beat Team USA. We know that coming in, but at the same time, we can’t crumble the way we’ve done the past two games. Right now, we’re hurting ourselves. Not taking away credit of how Serbia played, because they played amazing tonight. But we’ve got to be a lot stronger mentally.”

Related
Paul George: Team USA ‘Can’t Continue Playing Like This’

The post Nikola Jokic on Team USA: ‘They Can Get Beat’ appeared first on SLAM.

Kyrie Irving somehow got this alley-oop off to Kevin Durant for the fastbreak slam!#USA

(Via @clippittv) pic.twitter.com/PtasX0cJbT

— Def Pen Sports (@DefPenSports) August 14, 2016

Kyrie Irving had a game-high 12 assists in Team USA’s 100-97 preliminary round win over France on Sunday. But none was more impressive than this dime, thrown as he was falling to the floor to a cutting Kevin Durant.

Irving finished with 10 points, 12 assists, 4 rebounds and 0 TOs.

https://vine.co/v/5hnAIdXDuvp

Video via @DefPenSports

The post Kyrie Irving Throws Alley-Oop To Kevin Durant While Falling To The Floor appeared first on SLAM.

ICYMI: Carmelo Anthony rewrote the history book last night vs. Australia.

Anthony: 31 Pts, 8 Reb, 9-15 3Pt FG pic.twitter.com/MgWi7ge8YN

— NBA on ESPN (@ESPNNBA) August 11, 2016

For Carmelo Anthony, winning Olympic gold for Team USA is enough. https://t.co/PVvSwqPkaM pic.twitter.com/gy9wLY77yG

— NBA on ESPN (@ESPNNBA) August 11, 2016

Anthony, 32, is seeking his third Olympic gold medal this summer.

Melo recently moved past LeBron James as Team USA’s all-time leading scorer.

Per ESPN:

“Most athletes don’t have an opportunity to say that they won a gold medal, better yet three gold medals,” Anthony said. “I would be very happy walking away from the game knowing that I’ve given the game everything I have, knowing I played on a high level at every level: high school, college, won [a championship at Syracuse] in college and possibly three gold medals.

 

“I can look back on it when my career is over — if I don’t have an NBA championship ring — and say I had a great career.”

 

A 13-year NBA veteran who has starred for the Knicks for the past six seasons, Anthony won gold with the United States in 2008 and 2012 after a disappointing bronze medal in 2004. […] “Of course, because we play in the NBA that’s always the goal: to win an NBA championship,” Anthony said. “But every year [there’s] a new champion, so you have an opportunity to compete for a championship every year. This is every four years.”

The post Carmelo Anthony at Peace With Olympic Gold and No NBA Title appeared first on SLAM.

Then, a son stands up at a celebratory dinner and reaches into the pocket of his coat.

And we know.

* * *

It has happened before. The International Olympic Committee has corrected an error and rewarded the proper winners. Even an organization that bestows gigantic moneymaking opportunities on human rights abusers and totalitarian hacks can do the right thing.

More modern drug-testing methods reveal abuses from the past—although we’re still waiting on verdicts from that steroid-laced froth produced by Soviet Bloc athletes in the ’60s, ’70s and ’80s. Corruption is exposed.   Justice is served.

So, why couldn’t members of the maltreated 1972 US Men’s Basketball Team receive the Gold medals they deserved?

“They’ve given out dual Gold medals before,” says Tom McMillen, a forward on the team and later a US Congressman. “We went to the Russians and said that if they let [the IOC] give us Gold medals, we could somehow monetize it for a Russian charity.

“We got roundly turned down on that one. Maybe something will happen on the 50th anniversary, in 2022.”

Don’t count on it, Tom. Even though the 1972 Olympic basketball debacle remains one of the ugliest stains on the tattered IOC cloak, there is no push, globally, for fairness to prevail. Those who lived through and remember the chaotic ending to the Gold medal game between the US and Soviet teams still can’t describe clearly what happened. A collection of unexplained decisions by referees and an amateur basketball official, combined with a charged political climate to create a surreal stew of confusion that turned American victory into stunning defeat. When Alexander Belov caught a length-of-the-court heave from Ivan Edeshko—the third time the play had been attempted—and laid the ball in, the USSR had won more than just a basketball game. It had handed the Americans their first-ever Olympic loss in the sport they had invented, perfected and dominated.

There was a protest, of course. The Americans lost that by a vote of 3-2. Three Soviet bloc apparatchiks voted according to Party dictates, and two Western judges went for justice. The US lost, and to this day not one member of that team has even thought of accepting his silver medal. Team captain Kenny Davis has it in his will that his wife and children may never receive the tainted prize.

“We felt we didn’t deserve the silver medal,” says former NBA player and coach Doug Collins. “If we had lost, fair and square, we would have taken the medal, shaken [the Soviets’] hands and congratulated them.”

* * *

It was a subdued celebration. About 25 of Collins’ family and friends had gathered at a restaurant in 2009 to commemorate his being awarded the Curt Gowdy Media Award by the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame.

Collins enjoyed the moment, and he was thrilled to have the people who had so enriched his life on hand to share the excitement.

Basketball had remained a huge part of his life. Even after that 2009 Hall of Fame honor, Collins would coach again for three years. And he remained part of the Olympic realm, broadcasting basketball at the Games in 2000, ’04 and ’08. (He would be part of the TV team for the 2012 Olympics and will broadcast the ’16 competition in Rio). His son, Chris, had been part of the US coaching staff in 2008 when Mike Krzyzewski took the reins of the “Redeem Team,” which sought to win Gold again after a debacle in ’04 resulted in bronze.

Though Chris didn’t receive an official Gold medal after the US trampled all comers in 2008, the head of USA Basketball, Jerry Colangelo, awarded him and other staffers replicas as thanks for their hard work.

A Collins had finally received the ultimate Olympic reward.

* * *

On the first day of training camp in a dilapidated submarine base at Pearl Harbor, US coach Hank Iba wrote the number 50 on the blackboard.

“What does that mean?” he asked.

When no one answered, Iba said, “We’re going to play the Russians in the Gold-medal game, and they’re not going to score 50 points.”

The 68-year-old Iba had been something of a compromise candidate. He had led the US team to Gold in 1964 and ’68, but he had since retired from coaching at Oklahoma State. Many thought legendary UCLA coach John Wooden would get the gig. But the Wizard wanted to be courted and practically begged. North Carolina’s Dean Smith was deemed too young. Iba was a defensive specialist who demanded his teams play disciplined, halfcourt basketball. That was just about the opposite of what most college players wanted to do but almost a mirror of the Soviet system, which mandated precision and control to make up for the team’s lack of elite athletic ability.

“Iba was a really old-school coach,” says Mike Bantom, a forward on the team and now Executive VP of Referee Operations for the NBA. “He had a ball control type of system, and I don’t think any of us were used to that. Most of us were used to playing in systems where we ran the ball and played free. This was a very disciplined approach. We had to learn how to play it.”

The lineup charged with translating that system into Gold wasn’t packed with NBA stars but with amateurs, and eight of the 12 players were 20-year-olds, much younger than the Soviets. And it wasn’t even the best of the available crop. UCLA sophomore Bill Walton, the best college player in the country, did not play for a variety of reasons, including his aching knees and an aversion to trying out or practicing. Providence’s Marvin “Bad News” Barnes, a physical, multitalented forward, showed well during tryouts but wasn’t chosen. And UCLA center Swen Nater, who backed up Walton in Westwood, made the team but left after three days of training in Hawaii, reportedly unhappy with the rigorous pace. His departure robbed the US of its top post scorer. “He would have given us a great inside presence,” Collins says.

Not that anybody was particularly worried. The US had a 55-0 record in Olympic competition since the sport’s introduction in the 1936 Games. The Soviets were clearly the main threat and were committed to using sports as a means of propagating their Communist agenda. But they couldn’t match the US talent. Still, it was clearly the Cold War on hardwood.

The US tore through its first seven opponents, boasting an average margin of victory of 32.9 points. They were ready to face Italy in the semifinals, when all of a sudden, basketball didn’t seem to matter so much anymore.

The Palestinian terrorist group Black September kidnapped 11 Israeli athletes and held them hostage, demanding the release of prisoners. “The security was so bad,” Collins says. “Anyone could get in and out of the [Olympic] Village.” Collins remembers walking with teammate Ed Ratleff, a swingman from Long Beach State, and seeing the ski-masked gunmen on the top floor of a building in the residence.

In the lowest moment of the Olympic movement, the terrorists killed the Israelis. ABC anchor Jim McKay’s emotional declaration, “They’re all gone,” still resonates with those who witnessed the tragedy through non-stop TV coverage. The Games were halted for two days while the world mourned the awful events. But the IOC decided to continue, reasoning that the world needed to heal and move on in the face of such barbarism. It also had little desire to refund money to ticketholders or deal with angry sponsors.

The Italians provided little resistance in the semis, falling 68-38. That set up the game everybody wanted to see, a showdown between the veteran Soviets and the young Americans.

“They had been together for five or 10 years and were subsidized by the state,” says McMillen, who joined the US squad after Nater bolted. “We were playing against a bona fide team of seasoned guys. We were thrust together, playing against the Russians, who were very disciplined and talented but mechanical. They really played their style well.”

In a surreal nod to the US television audience, the Gold-medal game didn’t start until 11:45 pm, Munich time. It’s unlikely the late start played much of a role, but the Soviets’ deliberate patterns and disciplined defense certainly did. The US players knew little about their USSR counterparts, particularly guard Sergei Belov, an accurate shooter who helped the Soviets build a 26-21 halftime lead. “Belov was like Steve Nash, in terms of how he controlled the ball,” Bantom says. “We couldn’t turn him over.” It quickly became clear to those watching that Iba’s deliberate system was working to the USSR’s advantage. The Americans couldn’t play the Soviet style as well as their opponents could.

“We had run against everybody else and had blown them out,” says 7-4 center Tom Burleson, who played at North Carolina State but was held out of the Gold-medal game because he had his fiancée in his room the night before. “We were trying to beat the Soviets at their own game.”

Things were even tougher in the second half. The Soviets inserted deep reserve Mikhail Korkiya to bait starting center Dwight Jones, the Americans’ top scorer and second-leading rebounder, into fighting. It worked. Jones squared off against the USSR scrub and was ejected quickly from the game.

“That’s an old European basketball trick,” says Bantom, who played seven years in Italy after spending eight seasons in the NBA. “We lost our starting center, and they lost their 12th man.”

During the jumpball after Jones’ ejection, power forward Jim Brewer was low-bridged and crashed to the floor, suffering a concussion. Although he played seven more minutes, Brewer was finished. Meanwhile, the American team sputtered offensively and couldn’t create the turnovers it needed to run. The Soviets led by 10 with 10 minutes left and 8 with five remaining. That’s when guards Kevin Joyce and Thomas Henderson decided to defy Iba and open things up. It worked. The US fought back to within one point, 49-48, with under 20 seconds remaining. McMillen blocked a short jumper, but the Soviets regained control under the basket. Collins stole a pass at the foul line and headed downcourt for what would have been the go-ahead layup. He was wiped out by Zurab Sakandelidze and crashed to the ground with 0:03 remaining.

Collins lay on the floor for a half-minute, stunned, before being helped to his feet and staggering to the foul line. US assistant John Bach told Iba to think about which player on the bench he would insert to shoot the free throws, in place of the dazed Collins. Iba didn’t consider it.

“He said, in his gravelly voice, and I’ll never forget it, ‘If Doug can walk, he’s shooting them,’” Collins says. “I thought, I’m not going to let my coach and teammates down. I’m going to make these.”

Despite a spinning head and a sore wrist, Collins stepped up and made both foul shots, giving the US a 50-49 lead. The Soviets inbounded the ball but didn’t get off a shot. The referees stopped action with 0:01 to play, but R. William Jones, then the Secretary General of the International Federation of Amateur Basketball and a man who had openly rooted for the Soviets in the 1952 Olympic final against the Americans, rushed to the floor and instructed the refs to put three seconds on the scoreboard. No worries. The Soviets inbounded the ball but didn’t even attempt a shot. The horn sounded, fans poured onto the floor and the US players celebrated their victory.

But the revelry was interrupted by an announcement informing everyone that “there are another three seconds left.” The referees had ruled that play had begun before the clock had been reset. Confused, the Americans lined up for one more “final” play. The 6-11 McMillen, who was guarding inbounds passer Edeshko, was told by the refs to give the Soviet player room. Instead of stepping back a couple feet, he retreated to the foul line. Iba refused to insert the 7-4 Burleson into the game to protect the basket, adhering to his disciplinary dictum. So the 6-3 Joyce and 6-7 James Forbes tried to outleap 6-9 Alexander Belov. Joyce couldn’t reach the throw, and Belov knocked Forbes to the floor before catching the pass and hitting a layup that gave the Soviets a 51-50 “victory.”

“I’ve never had any other moment where I was so high and then so low in my life,” McMillen says.

The Americans were dumbfounded. The Soviets were elated. US officials filed a quick protest, to prevent the awarding of the medals in the game’s immediate aftermath. The vote on the objection followed Cold War lines: Communists, 3 Capitalists, 2. The USSR had its Gold. The Americans refused to show up to receive their silver medals, which sit in a vault in Switzerland, never to be delivered.

“We felt we didn’t deserve silver,” Collins says. “It’s not like we were taking a stand. We didn’t deserve silver medals.”

* * *

The clock was winding down, this time on a wonderful night of celebration. As Collins surveyed his family and friends, he felt joy and pride. He was thankful they had helped him commemorate such a big moment.

Then, Chris stood up and reached into his pocket and spoke.

“He was very emotional,” Collins says. “He said, ‘This is 37 years too late, but you finally get a Gold medal,’ and he gave his [2008] medal to me.”

The 1972 Olympic debacle still stings Collins and his teammates. It will for the rest of their days. But sometimes even the biggest disappointments can be soothed by the generous gesture of a son, who reaches into his pocket and pulls out a little bit of gold.

—

All images: Rich Clarkson/The LIFE Images Collection/Getty Images

The post #NeverForget appeared first on SLAM.

Still, Green congratulated his “son” for helping Team USA escape with a 98-88 victory.

CRYING at Draymond cheering then realizing that's the same shot that ended them RT @GM_Hoops: Look familiar? https://t.co/U7uQXlTEE4

— Freeband Bartholomew (@PrideOfLR) August 10, 2016

Kyrie's shot was clutch, but it might have hurt Draymond's feelings just a little bit: https://t.co/Ol1TPnu8an pic.twitter.com/gEjZ1YmUED

— SB Nation (@SBNation) August 11, 2016

The All-Star guard finished with 19 points in the win.

.@KyrieIrving scores 12 of his 19 points in the 4Q; Team USA survives its first test of the Olympics, beat Boomers – 98-88; improve to 3-0.

— Joe Gabriele (@CavsJoeG) August 11, 2016

Per USA Basketball:

(Carmelo) Anthony’s 31 points tied for the second-highest, single-game output in the U.S. men’s Olympic record book, and his 15 3-point attempts set the record.

 

“We kind of expected kind of a game like this, physical game, grind-out game from playing against Australia over the past couple of years,” Anthony said. “Coming into tonight, knowing what type of team they are, knowing the type of players they have on the team, we knew it was going to come down to the end of the game where we really had to buckle down and focus in and make plays down the stretch.”

 

“I feel like we needed a test like that to prepare for what’s ahead of us,” Irving said. “We definitely took some steps in the right direction and building our character and identity as a team. They really challenged us offensively and defensively, but we had a very resilient attitude. When you have a resilient group like this with tons of talent, when you are facing adversity, it makes it easy to come out of it.”

The post Draymond Green: Kyrie Irving’s Dagger Three vs Australia ‘Too Familiar’ appeared first on SLAM.

The All-Star forward picked up a technical foul after tangling with Matthew Dellavedova.

Carmelo Anthony led the U.S. with 31 points in the victory.

Per Fox Sports:

“We knew we were going to get their best,” George said. “It was an adjustment for us. The game kind of got out of hand early with the physical play. […] We knew that coming in – this team has a knack for being a little dirty.”

 

“I thought the second half we did a good job of just matching them,” he said. “We were doing the same stuff they were doing and we got hacked for it. We’re fine playing physical, that’s our game in the NBA, but if they going to allow us to play that way they got to play it both ways.”

 

Boomers legend and now assistant coach Luc Longley fired back in response: “Tell ‘em that’s international basketball.” […] His Delly clash was a way to “let them know it wasn’t going to go the way they thought it was going to go”.

The post Paul George: Australia ‘Has a Knack for Being a Little Dirty’ appeared first on SLAM.

Melo finished with a game-high 31 points, moving past LeBron James as the U.S. career leader in Olympic scoring.

31 points, 9 threes & the new #USABMNT all-time scoring leader in Olympic play! pic.twitter.com/37s5cHha2O

— USA Basketball (@usabasketball) August 11, 2016

Irving, who was born in Australia, added 19 points and hit a dagger three-pointer late in the fourth quarter to settle matters.

Per the AP:

A team that won its first two games by a combined 101 points could never get a comfortable lead — and for a while couldn’t get one at all. The Australians, with big bodies inside, quality point guards to counter the American pressure and a wealth of NBA championship experience, stood toe to toe with the team that had blown them out of the last two Olympics in the quarterfinals.

 

“It got real,” Paul George said. “It definitely got real.” […] But Anthony, the most experienced U.S. player, the first male to play in four Olympics, steadied the Americans in the first competitive game most of this new team had never experienced.

 

Patty Mills scored 30 points for Australia. […] After blowouts of China and Venezuela to open the tournament, the Americans trailed 72-70 with about 9 minutes left. Anthony scored to tie it, hit a 3-pointer to give the Americans the lead for good, and then hit a couple more 3s that pushed it to 83-76.

The post WATCH: Team USA Outlasts Australia appeared first on SLAM.

The only question left is whether or not these teams would have as much fun as the squads from our other Gold Medal conquests. That’s also no longer a question.

These bonds could’ve started when they were making the mini-film up top. Chance The Rapper brings brand new bars while black and white footage of Kevin Durant, Diana Taurasi and the rest of the American hoopers flash across the screen. The video is all about coming together to accomplish something bigger than what one person is capable of . Like bringing the Gold home.

Video courtesy of Nike

The post WATCH: Chance The Rapper and Team USA in ‘Unlimited Together’ appeared first on SLAM.

Of course, MJ (then a 21-year-old phenom) led USA Basketball to a Gold Medal, and Knight had to work extra-hard to find reasons to yell at his budding superstar.

Per SiriusXM NBA Radio:

“Bobby Knight, he got after us. He told Michael that’s the worst he ever played. Now Michael’s going to deny this, but he cried. He cried after the game, because of the fact that Bobby Knight told him, ‘You should apologize to everybody in here.’ I waited for my apology because I thought he was going to actually do it. But he actually cried.”

 

“We didn’t play that bad. It’s the fact that [Knight] just wanted us to wake up for the next game because anything could happen,” Perkins said. “That’s the way Bobby Knight coached.”

The post Sam Perkins: Bobby Knight Made Michael Jordan Cry at ’84 Olympics appeared first on SLAM.

TMZ reports that the group—which included DeAndre Jordan, DeMarcus Cousins and DeMar Derozan—thought they were going to a spa (that also had a full bar and welcomed only male customers).

They reportedly wandered into the establishment and, upon figuring out where they were, didn’t hang around long.

More from TMZ:

Several Team USA hoops stars made a bonehead move in a foreign land — thinking they were walking into a spa that turned out to be a whorehouse.

 

DeAndre Jordan, DeMarcus “Boogie” Cousins, DeMar Derozan and possibly 3 other players went out on the town Wednesday night in Rio and strolled into Termas Monte Carlo … which Rolling Stone called “one of the high end brothels in Rio.”

 

When you call the place, they’ll tell you it’s a spa that plays music … and it’s just for male customers. Oh, and they have a full bar.

 

A source close to the team tells us the players got the standard line, so they assumed it was kosher. The source said, “They realized it wasn’t the right place for them and immediately left.”

The post USA Men’s Basketball Players Accidentally Visited a Rio Brothel appeared first on SLAM.

Living conditions in the Olympic Village at the 2016 Rio Games are, um, less than ideal.

Getting moved in with the roomie @rbroekhoff45 #rio2016 #GoBoomers pic.twitter.com/CfVzD3IgMI

— Matthew Dellavedova (@matthewdelly) August 2, 2016

#IOCLuxuryLodging. Putting together a shower curtain so we can shower and not flood the place. pic.twitter.com/omaBJ7Dlje

— Andrew Bogut (@andrewbogut) August 2, 2016

Both the U.S. men’s and women’s squads will be resting aboard the Silver Cloud during their quest for gold.

Per NPR:

The men’s basketball team, made up of 12 highly compensated NBA stars, has a tradition of opting for upscale digs ever since professionals were allowed to play in the Olympics in 1992. And the men’s team even stayed on a cruise liner once before, at the 2004 Games in Athens.

 

“USA Basketball teams haven’t stayed in the Olympic Village since the 1988 teams did,” says the federation’s chief media officer, Craig Miller. He adds, “Our teams are extremely active in supporting their U.S. teammates.”

 

The basketball team’s plans have been known since at least February, when The Sporting News cited Brazilian news agency UOL: […] “Rio tourism official Nilo Sérgio Felix told UOL two transatlantic liners will be used to host high-profile guests during the games. One will be home to the so-called Olympic family — International Olympic Committee members and insiders — and the other to guests of a ‘multinational company’ and the group many around the world still refer to as the ‘Dream Team.'”

The post Team USA Staying on a Luxury Cruise During Rio Olympics appeared first on SLAM.

The Americans have adopted a pace-and-space offense, where passing and getting into the lane is at a premium. Geno Auriemma emphasizes using all of the offensive weapons of mass destruction at his disposal.

For as dominant as the American men have been, the women are chasing their sixth consecutive Gold medal at the Rio Olympics. The team that started the streak was the ’96 group. Lisa Leslie, Teresa Edwards, Sheryl Swoopes, Rebecca Lobo. That’s some fire power.

The woman in charge of making sure all those superstars were happy was Dawn Staley. Staley, at 5-5 (that’s generous), from North Philadelphia, was a floor general of the highest order. She was loud and competitive. She used her blinding quickness to blitz defenses with passes they had no hope of stopping. She also had no fear, whether it was time to take a hit when she went into the lane or take a big shot when the game was on the line.

While she was at the University of Virginia, she began to stack up a staggering list of accomplishments. She was the two-time National Player of the Year and got the Cavs to three Final Fours. Once she got to the American Basketball League, she led Richmond Rage to the finals in her rookie year.

In 1999 she joined the WNBA’s Charlotte Sting and by 2001, they were in the finals. She wrapped up her career in the W with five All-Star selections in eight years. She was also elected to the Hall of Fame in 2013 and won three Olympic Golds as a player.

Yet again Staley is the future of the National Team, the most likely successor for Auriemma. She’s on the bench this time and is helping to guide the team’s point guards, Sue Bird and Lindsay Whalen, in the right direction. Not that they need the help.

“With Sue and Lindsay, they really understand what’s going on,” Coach Staley says. “They have a really good feel for the game. They’ve been around for a long time. They’re really experienced. It’s more of letting them do their thing.”

It’s a stark difference for Staley, who had a reputation as a no-nonsense leader, managing every part of the game. She’s evolved from the best point guard in the country to one of the best young coaches. Pretty good considering she didn’t even wanna sit on the bench.

“I never wanted to be a coach. Ever,” Staley says. “Maybe because some of my coaching friends, they were consumed by it. Every other word, every other sentence was about their team. I know I sound just like that to my friends.

“But this is what I’m supposed to do,” Coach continues. “Basketball and coaching and giving back to the game is a fabric of my life. I owe basketball a debt that I won’t ever be able to repay. But through coaching, through mentoring, I think hopefully I’m giving back in a way that basketball is proud of what I’m doing.”

On the court, for Team USA, whatever she’s giving back to Bird and Whalen is working. Whalen consistently pounds opposing defenses with countless drives to the rim, looking to finish over the top of overmatched international bigs.

“I’ve been getting in there, getting some shots up,” Whalen says. “Looking for the open player when they’re there but one of my jobs is to be aggressive and get in the lane.”

“You’re here for a reason, you’re here to do what you do,” Whalen says. Even though the Minnesota native is third all-time in WNBA assists, she’s best when she puts her head down. Much like her three favorite point guards, Kevin Johnson, John Stockton and Gary Payton, she has the ability to her team involved but also gets to the tin at will.

Now in her second Olympics, Whalen isn’t looking to change up her game all that much just because of that extra scoring punch she has around her.

Coach Staley says she more than happy with how her point guards played during the team’s pre-Rio exhibition tour. The best part of Team USA is that there’s room for different types of playing styles, as long as the team is winning. Which looks to be a foregone conclusion for the women.

Ever the leader, though, Coach Staley drops one more nugget of knowledge. Maybe she picked it up in Philly, or Virginia or with the National Team or with the team she’s currently coaching, the University of South Carolina.

“As a point guard,” she says, “sometimes it’s better to be an observer and a listener, rather than always interjecting.”

The post Follow Me appeared first on SLAM.

After leading the Americans past Nigeria in their pre-Olympic exhibition finale last night, Melo said he likes the song, but is simply not a morning person.

Vanessa Carlton good-naturedly weighed in as well.

Carmelo Anthony talking about the Jimmy Butler's playlist/Vanessa Carlton angry look he gave. pic.twitter.com/uxatyqWMLe

— arcusD (@_MarcusD_) August 2, 2016

@carmeloanthony I get it. Though the boys did sound pretty good. x

— Vanessa Carlton (@VanessaCarlton) August 1, 2016

The post Carmelo Anthony Apologizes for Not Joining Team USA Sing-Along appeared first on SLAM.

The Americans destroyed Nigeria 110-66 Monday night, with Carmelo Anthony leading the way (19 points.)

DeMar DeRozan, meanwhile, continued to put on an aerial show.

Per USA Basketball:

In their final exhibition game before heading to Rio for the 2016 Olympic Games, Anthony led the U.S. in scoring with 19 points in just 19 minutes despite missing all six of his 3-point attempts. The last time he faced Nigeria, Anthony set the U.S. single-game scoring record at the 2012 London Olympics by draining 10-of-12 3s in a 156-73 win. […] “I set the bar too high,” Anthony said with a smile.

 

Nigeria went just 4-for-29 on 3-pointers, while committing 20 turnovers. […] “Obviously, they’re the No. 1 team in the world for a reason,” Nigeria coach Will Voigt said. “For us to shoot the percentage that we did from 3, and obviously, their defense is a big part of that, because they’re so good in transition, all of those misses led to big opportunities for them. They kind of feed off of that.”

 

The U.S. outscored Nigeria 22-7 in fast-break points and shot a blistering 53.9% from the field, including 13-for-33 from beyond the arc. Both Jimmy Butler and DeMar DeRozan had four steals, and Kyle Lowry led the team with 11 assists, including two bold alley-oops to DeRozan and DeAndre Jordan. […] “He’s a high-flyer, and he’s a guy who they say, ‘Just throw it up to him from anywhere,’ so that’s what I’m doing,” Lowry said, referring to the 50-foot pass thrown to Jordan from several feet behind the half-court line.

The post WATCH: Team USA Romps Over Nigeria 110-66 appeared first on SLAM.

20 years ago, the Women’s National Team won the first of their five consecutive Olympic Gold Medals. The squad had Lisa Leslie, Sheryl Swoopes, Dawn Staley and Rebecca Lobo on it. Of course they dominated.

Check the video up top to see that team together for the first time in 20 years, and what the current Women’s National Team has to say about the players that came before them.

Video courtesy of Nike

The post WATCH: Nike Celebrates the 20th Anniversary of USA Women’s Basketball appeared first on SLAM.

Divac has kept a close eye on his All-Star center throughout the pre-Olympic tuneups, and says he feels bad for the competition.

Boogie can’t stop smiling while hooping for Team USA, but his sunny outlook may change once he returns to Sacramento next season.

Per CSN Bay Area:

He’s primed to show the world what both he and plenty of others around the basketball world already believe — that he is the best big man in the world. […] “It’s a no-brainer,” Kings general manager Vlade Divac said from his courtside seat. “He’s the most dominant player in the whole world. And being from Serbia, I have to root for Serbia, but I feel bad for them. He’s going to kill them.”

 

The Kings are hoping that this experience makes an impact on Cousins that he can bring back to the team. The Kings are banking that the experience of playing with some of the best will help Cousins develop the leadership skills he needs to help Sacramento turn the corner. […] Only time will tell if playing for his country will have the desired effect, but one thing is for sure — Cousins is having the time of his life.

 

“I’m having a lot of fun,” Cousins said with a grin. “I’m around a great group of guys — laughing, joking all day, enjoying each others company, playing basketball, which we all love. It’s been a great time.” […] “It’s fun to be around winning,” Cousins added.

Related
DeMarcus Cousins: ‘I Still Don’t Feel I Get the Respect I Deserve’

The post Vlade Divac: DeMarcus Cousins is the ‘Most Dominant Player in the Whole World’ appeared first on SLAM.

Everyone (with the notable exception of head coach Mike Krzyzewski) loved the sheer audacity of the play.

Man if @DeMar_DeRozan would have made that dunk, would have been top 5 All Time! #USABMNT

— LeBron James (@KingJames) July 27, 2016

howww do you even have the audacity to try a CONTESTED 360 ?!
— Kendall Marshall (@KButter5) July 27, 2016

he really saw a defender approaching and was like “wonder if I can do a full spin in the air before dunking on him” https://t.co/1Ystog2VlT

— adam figman (@afigman) July 27, 2016

Coach K said: “We had a little bit too much fun out there tonight. We have to tone that down a little bit.” https://t.co/7KIDaLcDKw
— Marc J. Spears (@MarcJSpearsESPN) July 27, 2016

The post WATCH: DeMar DeRozan Nearly Pulls Off 360-Degree Poster Dunk appeared first on SLAM.

Melo scored most of his buckets in the third quarter.

Kevin Durant received a hero’s welcome in his Oracle Arena debut, and finished with 13 points.

Per the AP:

Cheered all night long by his basketball-crazed new fan base, Durant knocked down a 3-pointer on the Americans’ first touch and slammed home a dunk the very next time down the floor. […] Then, another pretty one-handed jam just a few minutes after that. He scored the first 10 points for the United States.

 

What a performance for Golden State’s newest big star to help lead the U.S. Olympic team past China 107-57 on Tuesday night for a third dominant victory in as many exhibition games. […] “It was amazing. The atmosphere was great, energy was great. The fans showed me major love, so I appreciate that,” he said. “It was good to get out there in front of them and play well.”

 

Booed in Los Angeles a couple days back, Durant received a far friendlier reception in the Bay Area he will now call home. He emerged for pregame warmups to huge roars. He departed the court before the game to a swarm of autograph hounds hanging over the railings in the tunnel — and kindly obliged. One person held a sign that read, “KD is not a Villain.” […] “Certainly you wouldn’t want to be introduced after KD in line,” said coach Mike Krzyzewski, noting Durant’s big defensive strides. “The crowd, the welcoming for Kevin was fantastic. I know he appreciated it very much.”

The post Team USA Obliterates China 107-57 in Second Exhibition (VIDEO) appeared first on SLAM.

The Staples Center crowd boos during the Team USA intros when KD is announced, subsequently cheers for DeAndre. pic.twitter.com/0n79lZObSL

— Alexis Morgan (@alexiskmorgan) July 25, 2016

Fans in Los Angeles voiced their displeasure Sunday night with KD’s free agent move to Golden State, but the former MVP said he didn’t hear them.

No matter, Durant and Team USA cruised to a 106-57 exhibition victory against China.

Per the AP:

When he suits up in Oakland on Tuesday for the first time since joining the Golden State Warriors, he’ll get another reception entirely. […] But no hate or love from the stands is going to deter Durant from trying to win a gold medal or an NBA title.

 

“The crowd here tonight was great, so hopefully it’s just as good at Oracle,” Durant said after scoring 19 points at a packed Staples Center during the Americans’ 106-57 victory over China in the second stop of a five-game pre-Olympics showcase. […] When told he had been booed in pregame introductions, Durant seemed surprised: “No, I didn’t hear it. I did? Huh. I didn’t hear it.”

 

The Los Angeles fans were gathered to cheer for the Americans during an exhibition blowout, but some of them couldn’t resist jabbing at the newest member of the Warriors and his two-team teammate, Draymond Green. The Clippers fans in the crowd supported the red, white and blue — but those colors represent something else to them for most of the year, and they let their new nemesis know it.

The post Kevin Durant Booed in Pre-Olympic Exhibition appeared first on SLAM.

DeMar DeRozan scored 13 points, while DeMarcus Cousins added 12 points and seven rebounds.

The Chinese team has no NBA players on its roster, and never stood a chance.

Per the AP:

“We should have won, but the way we won was excellent,” coach Mike Krzyzewski said. “We’re really growing together as a group.”

 

“We’ve only been together a week, but it seems like we’ve been teammates for years,” (DeAndre) Jordan said. […] Jordan scored 12 points and led a strong defensive effort with three blocks for the Americans, who held the Chinese to 30.9 percent shooting. Krzyzewski believes the American team will excel at defensive switching because of its abundance of versatile players.

 

The Americans haven’t lost a game since the 2006 world championships, winning 65 straight games. They’re 47-1 in exhibitions since NBA stars took over the roster in 1992, going undefeated since 2004.

Related
WATCH: Team USA Vs Argentina Full Game Highlights

The post WATCH: Team USA Routs China 106-57 in Exhibition appeared first on SLAM.

Kevin Durant scored 23 points, Paul George added 18, and DeMarcus Cousins put up 14 points and 15 rebounds.

For Argentina, Andres Nocioni had 15 and Manu Ginobili added 11.

The post WATCH: Team USA Vs Argentina Full Game Highlights appeared first on SLAM.

Green apologized for his arrest last week, and says he’ll let the legal process play out.

Green says he’s learned from recent dust-ups and vows to avoid repeating his mistakes.

Per the Detroit Free Press:

Green addressed the issue with Team USA brass. Head coach Mike Krzyzewski and USA Basketball chairman Jerry Colangelo said Green apologized during a team meeting on Sunday.

 

“Everybody’s concerned,” Green said. “At the end of the day, as a public figure and as a guy who’s representing this country, I said it’s bigger than me. It’s bigger than anybody on this team.” […] Green added: “My attorneys are handling everything, and leave it in their hands. I got an opportunity to compete for a gold medal. You don’t let any type of distraction get in the way of that. This is not about me. It’s about anyone on this team. It’s about going out and defending our country the right way. Everything else is kind of secondary to that.”

 

Green was asked to respond to fans who think he is in need of anger management training. […] “That’s their own personal opinion,” Green said. “If you’re going to judge somebody off what you see on the basketball court, then that’s just your business. All you can do in life is learn and move on and don’t make the same mistakes twice.”

The post Draymond Green Apologized to Team USA for Arrest appeared first on SLAM.

The squad features six Olympic and/or FIBA World Cup gold medalists.

Meet the 2016 U.S. Olympic Men’s Basketball Team

Roster: https://t.co/SVpGiA5Dxl#UNITE #RoadToRio #USABMNT pic.twitter.com/hcg1tqPUOX

— USA Basketball (@usabasketball) June 27, 2016

Carmelo Anthony becomes the first American male hoopster to be selected to four Olympic teams.

From the press release:

Selected for the 2016 U.S. Olympic Team, which is seeking a third consecutive Olympic title, were: Carmelo Anthony (New York Knicks/Syracuse); Harrison Barnes (Golden State Warriors/North Carolina); Jimmy Butler (Chicago Bulls/Marquette); DeMarcus Cousins (Sacramento Kings/Kentucky); DeMar DeRozan (Toronto Raptors/USC); Kevin Durant (Oklahoma City Thunder/Texas); Paul George (Indiana Pacers/Fresno State); Draymond Green (Golden State Warriors/Michigan State); Kyrie Irving (Cleveland Cavaliers/Duke); DeAndre Jordan (Los Angeles Clippers/Texas A&M); Kyle Lowry (Toronto Raptors/Villanova); and Klay Thompson (Golden State Warriors/Washington State).

 

“I think I can speak for the entire coaching staff and say we’re extremely excited about the team we will field for the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro,” said Jerry Colangelo, who has served as managing director of the USA Men’s National Team since 2005. “I love our depth, which is another indication of the depth of talent our national team program is blessed with. We’ve got a great mix of talent, scorers, past gold medal winners and outstanding youth.”

 

The U.S. roster features the return of two members from the 2012 gold medalist U.S. Olympic Team (Anthony and Durant) and five players who have been members of USA World Cup gold medalist teams; Cousins (2014), DeRozan (2014), Durant (2010), Irving (2014) and Thompson (2014).

The post 2016 U.S. Olympic Men’s Basketball Team Announced appeared first on SLAM.

The three-time NBA champion needs a break after leading the Cleveland Cavaliers to their first title in franchise history.

The American national hoops team will still feature plenty of headliners.

Per the AP:

With LeBron James taking a pass, Carmelo Anthony alone will have a chance to become the most-decorated Olympian in men’s basketball history. […] The New York Knicks forward has agreed to chase a fourth Olympic medal, a person with knowledge of the details said Thursday.

 

He and James both have two gold medals and a bronze, but James informed USA Basketball that he has withdrawn from consideration, agent Rich Paul said on Thursday night.

 

Toronto teammates Kyle Lowry and DeMar DeRozan will be on it, the person said, speaking on condition of anonymity because the roster discussions were to remain private. […] Oklahoma City’s Kevin Durant, Indiana’s Paul George, Golden State’s Draymond Green and Klay Thompson, Sacramento’s DeMarcus Cousins, Chicago’s Jimmy Butler and the Clippers’ DeAndre Jordan are also committed to play for the two-time defending champions in Rio de Janeiro. The Americans are also holding a spot for Kyrie Irving, James’ Cavaliers teammate.

The post LeBron James to Skip the 2016 Olympic Games appeared first on SLAM.

The big fella has expressed concerns about playing in the 2016 Olympics due to mosquito-borne Zika virus, which has been linked to severe birth defects in infants.

The 35-year-old has yet to commit to playing for Spain this summer.

Per the AP:

“We are constantly learning more but there is uncertainty about how long the virus remains in one’s blood,” Gasol said earlier this week in an appearance for the Pau Gasol Academy. “Many athletes are thinking about starting families and in Brazil there are a million and a half people affected [by Zika]. If I confirm that I will play for the national team, freezing my sperm is one measure more to take.”

 

According to the United States’ Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, a man infected with Zika, who is displaying symptoms, can pass the disease to his female or male sex partners.

 

“It is tough to say whether I am closer or farther away from playing in the Olympics because every day new information comes out. The worry about Zika continues,” Gasol said. “The reality continues to be worrisome and there have been several NBA players who have decided not to play in Rio. It could be that the risk is slight but it is still there. This is something that doesn’t just worry me, but also my teammates and the rest of the delegation. […] We can’t take this health threat lightly. It doesn’t just affect pregnant women. A few days ago, the World Health Organization doubled the precautionary period for having sexual relations — from four to eight weeks. Who knows whether they will soon change it to 12? It is a serious subject.”

The post Pau Gasol May Freeze His Sperm to Play in Rio Olympics appeared first on SLAM.

Thomas, 27, tweeted that he’d love to even get a tryout invite.

I wish I could get a chance to play on the USA team! Looking at the history of it I've never seen a small guard get selected 2 even try out

— Isaiah Thomas (@Isaiah_Thomas) June 10, 2016

Russell Westbrook and James Harden are the latest to bow out of the Rio Games.

Per the AP:

Russell Westbrook said Friday he wouldn’t play for the Americans in Rio, just days after Stephen Curry also withdrew from consideration. […] Westbrook decided not to play after talking with his family. He didn’t give a reason for pulling out in his statement released through the Oklahoma City Thunder.

 

But with their absences after Chris Paul declined to play and John Wall was injured, the two-time defending gold medalists are down to just Cleveland’s Kyrie Irving, Portland’s Damian Lillard and Memphis’ Mike Conley at that position.

 

Irving was the MVP when the Americans won gold in Spain two years ago. […] The Americans plan to announce their 12-player roster on June 27. USA Basketball chairman Jerry Colangelo said earlier this week that he was considering 14 or 15 players from the original pool.

Related
Pau Gasol May Skip 2016 Olympics Due to Zika Virus Concerns
Report: LaMarcus Aldridge Will Miss 2016 Olympics Due to Injury

The post Isaiah Thomas Wants to Play for Team USA appeared first on SLAM.

They join a growing list of American stars who have recently withdrawn from Olympic consideration, including Stephen Curry, LaMarcus Aldridge, Chris Paul, Anthony Davis and John Wall.

Unlike the aforementioned players, however, Harden and Westbrook appear to be healthy heading into the summer.

The news is encouraging in a way since roster spots are now available for deserving players like Damian Lillard, who previously may not have gotten the call.

More from ESPN:

Thunder guard Russell Westbrook and Houston Rockets guard James Harden became the latest stars to announce they are withdrawing their names from consideration for USA Basketball’s 2016 Rio Olympics team.

 

“After speaking with my family, I have decided to not participate in this year’s Olympics,” Westbrook said in a statement Friday. “This was not an easy decision, as representing my country at the World Championships in 2010 and the Olympics in 2012 were career highlights for me. I look forward to future opportunities as a member of USA Basketball.”

 

“As a member of the 2012 London Olympic Gold Medal Team, and as Team Captain for the 2014 FIBA Gold Medal Team, it goes without saying that USA Basketball has provided me with some of the most meaningful personal and professional accomplishments of my life,” Harden said in a statement. “I have been extremely blessed to wear the ‘red, white, and blue’ and to compete at the highest international level with the greatest players representing the greatest country in the world. I sincerely hope I’ll earn an opportunity to represent Team USA again in the future.”

The post Russell Westbrook, James Harden Withdraw From 2016 Olympics appeared first on SLAM.

The roster is made up of players with three years or less of NBA experience, including incoming rookies.

Some of the more notable names include CJ McCollum, Devin Booker, D’Angelo Russell, Justise Winslow, Brandon Ingram (Duke) and Kris Dunn (Providence).

Training camp is scheduled for July 18-21 in Las Vegas.

Malcolm Brogdon (Virginia)

Devin Booker (Suns)

Kentavious Caldwell-Pope (Pistons)

Willie Cauley-Stein (Kings)

Kris Dunn (Providence)

Aaron Gordon (Magic)

Jerami Grant (76ers)

Gary Harris (Nuggets)

Rodney Hood (Jazz)

Brandon Ingram (Duke)

Brice Johnson (North Carolina)

Stanley Johnson (Pistons)

Zach LaVine (Timberwolves)

CJ McCollum (Blazers)

Doug McDermott (Bulls)

Emmanuel Mudiay (Nuggets)

Jahlil Okafor (76ers)

Jabari Parker (Bucks)

Julius Randle (Lakers)

D’Angelo Russell (Lakers)

Marcus Smart (Celtics)

Myles Turner (Pacers)

Denzel Valentine (Michigan State)

Justise Winslow (Heat)

Cody Zeller (Hornets)

The post USA Basketball Announces 2016 Men’s Select Team appeared first on SLAM.

Gasol, 35, isn’t alone in his trepidation regarding the mosquito-borne virus linked to severe birth defects and possible neurological problems in adults.

The Chicago Bulls center and two-time Olympic silver medalist says the athletes aren’t sufficiently informed.

Per the AP:

“It wouldn’t surprise me to see some athletes deciding not to participate in the games to avoid putting their health and the health of their families at risk,” Gasol said, adding that he was among the athletes making such considerations. […] “I’m thinking about (whether or not to go),” he said. “Just like every athlete, or any other person considering going to Rio, should be thinking about it.”

 

Without giving names, Gasol said he talked to other athletes who told him they may not participate in the games. […] “Some of these athletes are planning to have children in the near future and this could affect them, it could affect the health of their kids and their wives,” he said at an event for one of his sponsors in Madrid. “Their health should come first.”

 

Gasol mentioned the call from 150 health specialists to consider postponing or moving the Aug. 5-21 Olympics, something the World Health Organization rejected last week. […] “We need to understand the seriousness of the situation,” Gasol said. “Even though there are some soothing words being said, we know that there are different opinions about the subject.”

The post Pau Gasol May Skip 2016 Olympics Due to Zika Virus Concerns appeared first on SLAM.

There are now 25 basketball players competing for 12 spots on the US Olympic Women’s Basketball Team. Fifteen of the 25 recently participated in a three-day training game run by USA Basketball at the University of Connecticut from February 21-23.

On the first day of the training game, SLAM spoke with Carol Callan, USA Basketball’s National Team Director to discuss the selection process. Callan is the chairperson of the selection committee for the women’s team that will compete in this summer’s Olympics in Rio de Janeiro.

The other members of the selection committee are Renee Brown, the WNBA’s Chief of Basketball Operations and Player Relations, Dan Hughes, Head Coach and General Manager of the San Antonio Stars, Chris Sienko , General Manager of the Connecticut Sun, and Katie Smith, assistant coach with the New York Liberty.

Carol spoke about how the following factors played a role in the selection process: individual talent, players who fit roles on the team, sentimentality, age, previous Olympic or international experience, previous opportunities to be in the Olympics, and previous relationships with coaching and administrative staff.

Ten of the players have played in previous Olympics: Seimone Augustus, Sue Bird, Tamika Catchings, Tina Charles, Sylvia Fowles, Angel McCoughtry, Maya Moore, Candace Parker, Diana Taurasi and Lindsay Whalen.

The US Olympic Women’s Basketball Team has won five straight Gold medals going back to 1996.

This roster is so loaded that if the 6 of the 25 players who played at UConn under current Olympic head coach Geno Auriemma constituted the starting five and the sixth man, they could probably be in the mix for the Gold. Auriemma was also the head coach for the US Olympic Women’s team in 2012.

It is expected that cutting the 25 to the final 12-woman roster will occur at one time, most likely late spring or early summer.

The current roster is:

The post Selecting the 2016 Women’s Olympic Basketball Team (VIDEO) appeared first on SLAM.

Melo says part of the reason he’s going to the Olympics is to once again know what winning feels like.

Damn. Give this man a hug!

Per the NY Post:

As the oldest guy on Team USA, Anthony is gunning for his third men’s basketball gold medal — which would set a record.

 

“From a morale standpoint as a player, if you’ve been through the things I’ve been through the past couple of years, you want to feel what that success feels like,” Anthony said. “The Olympics for me is great timing for me, especially coming off this season and injuries, and mentally it’s good for me to get out there and feel what that feels like again.”

 

Though he didn’t look as athletic, Anthony said he is satisfied to have missed just eight games this season after hearing doctor’s warnings about the first year back from a torn patellar tendon. The Knicks were 0-8 in those contests. […] “For me and people who know what I had to go through to get back in time to be ready for the first game, realizing and coming to grips it’s a long season, I wasn’t going to get everything back in a week or two” Anthony said. “It was a process. To be where I’m at and playing the amount of games I played so far, not having setbacks, I put it in that work for a reason.”

The post Carmelo Anthony Playing in Olympics to Recall What ‘Success Feels Like’ appeared first on SLAM.

Team USA named CP3 as one of the candidates for the squad two months ago.

This will likely bring an end to Paul’s international hoops career.

Per Sports Illustrated:

Paul’s first experience with USA Basketball was in high school, when he played for the North team at the Youth Development Festival in Colorado Springs, Colo. He was on the squad that lost to Greece at the 2006 World Championship in Japan—“I remember sitting at my locker,” Paul recalled, “trying to figure out how we were going to go back home”—and he was a leader of the group that redeemed itself with gold medals in ’08 and ’12. “Coming from where we were,” Paul said, “that was the best feeling.”

 

“I feel my body telling me that I could use the time,” he said. Few NBA players have expended more this season than Paul. Although his traditional stats do not vary much from his career norms—19.9 points and 9.8 assists in 33.2 minutes—he has piggybacked the Clippers in Blake Griffin’s absence.

 

Paul, the best point guard of his generation, has a hard time recalling a summer when he was not either injured, recovering from injury, or playing for Team USA. The Olympics are synonymous with other touchstones in his life. His wife, Jada, became pregnant with their son, Chris Jr., right after the ’08 Olympics and gave birth to their daughter, Camryn, right after the ’12 Games. “Just a few days ago, Little Chris asked me, ‘Daddy, will you play in the Olympics again?’” Paul said. “Part of me wanted to say yes, because he’s never been part of it. But I told him, ‘I want to spend more time with you.’”

The post Chris Paul Will Not Play in the 2016 Olympic Games appeared first on SLAM.

Here’s more info from Nike on the jerseys, which will debut at the summer games in Rio:

The United States Nike Vapor basketball uniforms with AeroSwift technology present a vivid take on the nation’s signature red, white and blue. On the home kit, the application includes a spectrum of blues, from obsidian to deep royal blue, with gestural lines that cascade down the jersey’s side and around the front of the shorts. Shining crimson appears on the shoulders of the jersey and trim of both the jersey and shorts to emphasize the player’s speed while iridescent fabric flashes the country name, numbering and the Swoosh. The jersey’s font takes inspiration from classic American typography.

 

United States away uniforms are white, with the same technology and details as the home uniform.

via Nike

The post Nike Unveils USA Basketball Jerseys for 2016 Olympics (PHOTOS) appeared first on SLAM.

Bryant, who takes enormous pride in being considered an a-hole by teammates and foes alike, says he hung up his Olympic Gold Medal from the 2008 Beijing Games—during which he famously ran over his Laker teammate in the final tilt between the USA and Spain—in Gasol’s locker in order to push the big fella’s buttons (and it evidently worked.)

It was all love Sunday night for The Black Mamba in his final trip as a player to the Windy City, as Gasol introduced him and and fans showered with applause throughout the Bulls’ 126-115 win.

Pau Gasol introduces Kobe Bryant tonight in Chicago. https://t.co/6VaezapTrn

— NBA on ESPN (@ESPNNBA) February 22, 2016

Kobe & Pau sharing the floor for the last time pic.twitter.com/fTvNgKoaLt

— Los Angeles Lakers (@Lakers) February 22, 2016

Per the Chicago Tribune and Lakers’ team website:

Kobe Bryant made the 15th and final United Center appearance of his 20-year, eventual Hall of Famer career Sunday night, complete with book-ended standing ovations. Even Derrick Rose and Taj Gibson were among those clapping when Bryant checked out with 45.3 seconds left.

 

Rose and Bryant shared a moment pregame in which Bryant posed for pictures with Rose’s son. The star-struck quality to the night extended beyond fans to players. […] “Like, c’mon now, for a little kid that’s 3, being able to meet Kobe, it’s surreal,” Rose said. “Of course he doesn’t know how big the moment is. But for him to have that in the archives is pretty cool.”

 

Though the Lakers fell, 126-115, Bryant was nonetheless able to enjoy his final time on the floor with the man he won two championships with in 2009 and 2010. […] “We’re like brothers,” Bryant said. “It’s so strange: We always thought we’d be retiring on the same team and going out together. Unfortunately, that wasn’t the case. But to have him do that at the beginning of the game means so much to me.”

Related
Kobe Bryant Says ‘L.A. Didn’t Really Appreciate’ Pau Gasol

The post Kobe Bryant Hung His Gold Medal in Pau Gasol’s Locker for Motivation appeared first on SLAM.

PG says that, despite being one of 31 finalists for the USA Basketball roster that will go to the Rio Olympics this summer, he’s not to ready to make full commitment just yet.

George fell one point shy Sunday night of tying Hall of Famer Wilt Chamberlain’s All-Star scoring record of 42 points set in 1962.

Per Yahoo!:

George gruesomely broke his leg while playing in an exhibition game for USA Basketball in Las Vegas on Aug. 1, 2014. It also left his fellow participating NBA stars wincing in shock. The six-year NBA veteran was limited to six games last season. George also missed last season’s All-Star Game in New York after three straight appearances. […] George returned to the All-Star Game on Sunday after being voted in as an East frontcourt starter from the fans. He scored a game-high 41 points after making 16 of 26 field goal attempts and record nine of 19 3-point attempts. And after George threw down an acrobatic reverse dunk late in the fourth quarter, there was a wince of respect this time from West All-Star center DeMarcus Cousins.

 

“I knew this is where I belong,” George said. “I just felt good and felt confident after I hit shot after shot. Having this long journey, the long rehab that was really the only thing on my mind was enjoying being back here. It was about making shots. Of course, personally I wanted a good showing. But it wasn’t really about that. It was just about enjoying being back in this moment.”

 

George has played in all 53 regular-season games for a Pacers team that is expected to make the playoffs. He is also a member of USA Basketball’s 31-man roster that has to be trimmed to 12 before the 2016 Rio Olympics. While USA Basketball executive director Jerry Colangelo has promised George a roster spot, George said his body might not allow him to take the trip to Brazil. […] “I had a long year,” George said. “This has been a long year coming from rehab. I just know how my body has taken these first 50-plus games, not knowing what these playoffs are going to do to my body. So there is a decision coming at the end of the year, is the smart thing to continue on or take a little bit of time for some rest and let my body heal?”

The post Paul George Unsure if He Will Play in the 2016 Olympics appeared first on SLAM.

Congrats to @Dame_Lillard who was named a @TeamUSA Olympic finalist https://t.co/9MzOnLO1wI @trailblazers #USABMNT pic.twitter.com/Qh7853CPEC

— USA Basketball (@usabasketball) February 10, 2016

The Portland Trail Blazers star guard lobbied for this opportunity; he’s putting up career-high averages of 24.2 points and 7.3 assists per game.

Team USA named 30 other finalists for the squad last month.

From the press release:

Named to the 2014-16 USA Basketball Men’s National Team in January 2014, the 6-foot-3 guard was a finalist for the 2014 USA World Cup Team, and played in two exhibition games during the 2014 USA National Team Tour, recording seven points, three rebounds, three assists and one steal in 24 minutes of action in the USA’s 105-62 win against Dominican Republic on Aug. 20, 2014.

 

Currently in his fourth NBA season, Lillard in 2015-16 is averaging career-highs of 24.2 points (6th in the NBA) and 7.3 assists per game (7th in the NBA), while adding 4.4 rebounds per game, and shooting 41.8 percent from the field, 36.2 percent from 3-point and 86.5 percent from the foul line.

 

“I recently received a call from Damian, and during our conversation he expressed his desire to be considered for the U.S. Olympic Team and to remain involved with the USA National Team in the future as well,” said Jerry Colangelo, who has served as the managing director of the USA Men’s National Team since 2005. “Both Mike (Krzyzewski) and I feel like Damian is playing at a very high level and that he should be added to our list of Olympic finalists. Damian has been a member of the USA National Team since 2014, and he participated in National Team training camps in 2013 and 2014, so he does have equity in USA Basketball, which is always important to me.”

The post Damian Lillard Added as Finalist for 2016 U.S. Olympic Hoops Team appeared first on SLAM.

Check out U.S. Olympic Men's Basketball Finalists Roster – https://t.co/vayEDA2kM4 #USABMNT pic.twitter.com/vvxEfXygFl

— USA Basketball (@usabasketball) January 18, 2016

18 of the players have a combined 29 Olympic or FIBA Baskteball gold medals.

Mike Krzyzewski is once again serving as head coach, with assistance from Jim Boeheim, Tom Thibodeau and Monty Williams.

From the press release:

Three-time Olympic medalists Carmelo Anthony (New York Knicks) and LeBron James (Cleveland Cavaliers) headline the list of 30 finalists today named for the 2016 U.S. Olympic Men’s Basketball Team by USA Basketball. The player selections were approved by the USA Basketball Board of Directors. The official 12-member 2016 U.S. Olympic Men’s Basketball Team roster will be announced later this year. […] Featuring 18 players who have collected 29 Olympic or FIBA Basketball World Cup gold medals and six bronze medals, the 30 finalists for the 2016 U.S. Olympic Team 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); Anthony Davis (New Orleans Pelicans); 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).

 

“It seems like I say this each time we have to narrow down a roster, but I am struck by the remarkable commitment the players in the USA Basketball National Team program continue to display and the enthusiasm they have for representing their country,” said USA Basketball chairman Jerry Colangelo, who has served as the managing director of the USA Men’s National Team since 2005.

 

“The depth of talent that exists in the national team program is extraordinary. Repeating as gold medalists at the 2016 Olympics will not be easy, but we feel confident that we have 30 finalists who offer amazing basketball abilities and special versatility. We’re also fortunate that the roster is comprised of so many veterans of international basketball. In addition to 18 players who have won Olympic and/or World Cup gold medals, there are 16 finalists who have played between 20 and 72 games for USA Basketball. That experience is extremely valuable and something we’ve not always had available to draw upon. […] Obviously selecting the official roster of 12 players for the Olympics in 2016 will be a very, very difficult process. As has been the case with past USA Basketball teams, the goal once again is to select the very best team possible to represent the United States.”

Related
Kobe Bryant Drops Out of Rio Olympics Consideration

The post USA Basketball Names 30 Finalists for 2016 Olympic Team appeared first on SLAM.

Bryant, 37, has expressed how meaningful it would be for him to play in one final Olympics.

Kobe has helped the U.S. win two Gold Medals.

Kobe says he doesn't need to be on Team USA at Olympics next year in Brazil but would "be honored" if it happened.

— Mike Bresnahan (@Mike_Bresnahan) November 30, 2015

USA Basketball chairman Jerry Colangelo tells https://t.co/EXInXOMads that Kobe Bryant remains in contention for Team USA spot for Rio 2016

— Marc Stein (@ESPNSteinLine) November 30, 2015

No team on Earth can stop Team USA from winning gold in Rio. Kobe and all his languages as team ambassador … you can make a case for it

— Marc Stein (@ESPNSteinLine) November 30, 2015

If you saw him at London 2012 and watched how much Kobe thrives in that role when wearing red, white and blue … would be a fitting sendoff

— Marc Stein (@ESPNSteinLine) November 30, 2015

The post Kobe Bryant Can Still Earn a Spot on Team USA for 2016 Rio Olympics appeared first on SLAM.

Kobe, currently in his 20th and perhaps final NBA season, says he’d be honored to represent his country next summer.

(The Black Mamba, who has previously said he won’t play in the ’16 Rio Games, helped win Gold at the 2008 Beijing Games and 2012 London Games.)

Curiously, Bryant thinks his 37-year-old legs could help the U.S. lock up opponents.

Per the AP:

“It would mean the world to me to be around those guys,” Bryant said. “I think to be able to have a chance to continue the relationship that I already have with most of those guys, talking and just kind of being around each other and understanding that this is it, it’s just us being together, that would be fun.”

 

“How I feel now is that I feel like I can add value from a leadership perspective and a defensive perspective,” Bryant said. “I can still move extremely well defensively.”

 

“I would like to play,” Bryant said. “I think it’d be awesome. A beautiful experience. I’m a global kid. I grew up in Italy, I know a lot of athletes from different parts of the world, from different sports. It’d be great to play in that environment.”

The post Playing in 2016 Olympics ‘Would Mean the World’ to Kobe Bryant appeared first on SLAM.

34 players, including 8 who are new to the MNT, are expected for the USA minicamp. http://t.co/5sq3eUQNJ7 #USABmnt pic.twitter.com/iRJMxyiWcF

— USA Basketball (@usabasketball) August 6, 2015

Newcomers to Team USA include Harrison Barnes, Jimmy Butler, Michael Carter-Williams, Mike Conley, Draymond Green, Tobias Harris, DeAndre Jordan and Victor Oladipo.

The coaching staff is made up of head coach Mike Krzyzewski, assistants Jim Boeheim, Tom Thibodeau and Monty Williams.

Practices will run from Aug11-12, and the camp will conclude with a televised USA Blue vs USA White exhibition game at the Thomas & Mack Center on Thursday, Aug.13.

From the press release:

USA National Team members confirmed for the 2015 Las Vegas minicamp include: LaMarcus Aldridge (San Antonio Spurs); Carmelo Anthony (New York Knicks); Bradley Beal (Washington Wizards); DeMarcus Cousins (Sacramento Kings); Stephen Curry (Golden State Warriors); Anthony Davis (New Orleans Pelicans); 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); Blake Griffin (Los Angeles Clippers); James Harden (Houston Rockets); Gordon Hayward (Utah Jazz); Dwight Howard (Houston Rockets); Kyrie Irving (Cleveland Cavaliers); LeBron James (Cleveland Cavaliers); Kawhi Leonard (San Antonio Spurs); Kevin Love (Cleveland Cavaliers); Chandler Parsons (Dallas Mavericks); Chris Paul (Los Angeles Clippers); Mason Plumlee (Portland Trail Blazers); Klay Thompson (Golden State Warriors); John Wall (Washington Wizards); and Russell Westbrook (Oklahoma City Thunder).

 

“With this being a summer where we do not have an official competition that we need to prepare for, this year’s minicamp is an opportunity to continue and expand the brotherhood and camaraderie that has been built,” said Colangelo, who has served as managing director of the USA National Team since 2005. “It will be a celebration of all that we’ve accomplished with USA Basketball since the National Team program was formed in 2006 while also looking ahead to 2016. The minicamp is going to be low key with light workouts, no contact, and the USA Basketball Showcase on Aug. 13 will be a fun all-star type game.

 

“We recognize and understand that some of our players’ availability to participate is still up in the air. Some players are coming off of injuries and are not yet ready to actively participate, or they are getting ready for their NBA seasons. So, it’s a good thing that we don’t have a competition to get ready for this summer. […] We’re also excited about the eight players who have been added to the National Team roster. Seven of the players have been involved in past national team training camps or have participated in past camps as a member of our select teams. All of them enjoyed outstanding NBA seasons in 2014-15 and have been on our radar for a while,” added Colangelo.

The post USA Basketball Announces 34-Player Roster for Vegas Mini-Camp appeared first on SLAM.

Colangelo “expects” LeBron to show up in Las Vegas next week for meetings and workouts for the run-up to the 2016 Olympics.

James’ camp has given no indication that he’ll be there, though.

Per the NEOMG:

But James’ agent, Rich Paul, only told Colangelo of scheduling conflicts James has next week and gave no commitment that James would attend Team USA’s four-day sojourn to Las Vegas for meetings and a scrimmage on Aug. 13, Colangelo said.

 

In other words, James’ status with Team USA as the organization prepares to chase its third consecutive gold medal at the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, is both unchanged and unknown. He, too, would be pursing a third gold, but he’s already played in five consecutive Finals, hopes to be chasing a sixth in June, and has logged 43,330 minutes in 12 NBA seasons at the age of 30.

 

“LeBron has had an incredible career, and I know how many minutes he’s played. He’s played a lifetime of minutes,” Colangelo said in a phone interview. “He’s been involved with Team USA basketball since he was 19. This is totally up to him – he has to make the call whether he wants to go after three Gold medals. […] One thing I need to find out: is he desirous, is he committed,” Colangelo said. “I don’t know that right now, and I need to find out at some point. An indicator will come next week when we see who shows up.”

The post Jerry Colangelo Wonders if LeBron James is ‘Desirous’ of a Third Gold Medal appeared first on SLAM.