US selects James, Bryant to lead Olympic basketball

Source: Agencies  |   2008-6-24  |     ONLINE EDITION

NBA player of the year Kobe Bryant and LeBron James were selected as part of the US men's basketball team for the Beijing Olympics yesterday, leading a star-laden roster in an attempt to recapture the title.

After winning three straight titles beginning in 1992, when NBA players began competing in the Olympics, the United States finished third at the Athens Games four years ago.

Dwyane Wade, Carmelo Anthony and Jason Kidd were among the 12 players selected for the squad. Completing the team were Tayshaun Prince, Carlos Boozer, Chris Bosh, Dwight Howard, Chris Paul, Michael Redd and Deron Williams.

"It was a very difficult selection process," USA Basketball managing director Jerry Colangelo said during a news conference. "When you have as many outstanding players as we have in this country, to select a group of 12 is obviously going to leave out a number of outstanding people."

The team was chosen without a trial. It will have a minicamp this week in Las Vegas and reconvene there July 20-25 to train and play an exhibition against Canada before heading to Asia. The Americans open Olympic play against China on Aug. 10.

Although the Americans captured the gold at the Sydney Games in 2000, they no longer dominate international play as they once did. The talent gap has narrowed and many top NBA players have chosen to not play for the national team in recent years.

"It's really the world's game. We think we're the best at playing that game," said coach Mike Krzyzewski, warning that "unless we show the respect to the rest of the world that it is the world's game" there will be no gold medal.

Now, the US will field a team that appears loaded. The Americans went 5-3 in Athens and lost for the first time since NBA players started competing in 1992, despite a squad that included James, Anthony, Wade and Tim Duncan. That team was routed by Puerto Rico before losing to Lithuania and Argentina.