LAS VEGAS, Nevada, 21 July 2006 — Team USA took another step toward trying to reclaim its global basketball supremacy when the national team opened its training camp on Wednesday for the 2006 Worlds.
Dwyane Wade (Miami), LeBron James (Cleveland), Chauncey Billups (Detroit), Gilbert Arenas (Washington) and Carmelo Anthony (Denver) will lead a talented group of National Basketball Association stars who have assembled for the one week camp in the run up to the Worlds in Japan. Coach Mike Krzyzewski said his priorities will be developing chemistry and teamwork as the Americans plan to pull out all the stops to avoid a repeat of their disappointing third place performance in the Athens Olympics. “This is USA basketball,” Krzyzewski said. “This is a team that has to share the ball and share responsibility.
“It’s good to look at everyone as a role player. In 1992 they had Michael Jordan in his prime, but other great players played a role. They all played defense and were unselfish.” The US opens the Las Vegas camp with 20 players, but that will be reduced to the final group of 12 that will travel to Japan for the Worlds which begin Aug. 19.
The US team is coming off a disappointing 2004 Summer Olympics where they went 5-3 and won the bronze medal.
Leading scorers Stephon Marbury and Allen Iverson were not invited back this time.
The main area the US has to improve on is defense. They finished ninth in defense in 2004 by allowing an average of 83.5 points per game.
The United States is in Group D with 2004 Olympic silver medallist Italy, Puerto Rico, Slovenia, China and Senegal.
Argentina is the defending Olympic gold medalist and features a tough, unselfish team that’s focussed and unified.
The winner of the 24-team Worlds receives a berth to the 2008 Olympics in Beijing.
If USA finishes second or lower it will be forced to qualify through the 2007 FIBA Tournament of Americas.
