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US Coach says Olympic team confident, but not complacent about Beijing prospects
The Associated Press
Monday, July 28, 2008
MACAU: The star-studded U.S. men's basketball team is confident but not complacent about its prospects at the Beijing Olympics, head coach Mike Krzyzewski said Monday as the team arrived in southern Chinese enclave Macau for its final preparations for the games.
Cleveland Cavaliers forward Lebron James was quoted by Time magazine in its current issue as saying he guarantees gold for the U.S. team at the Olympics.
The comments came despite disappointing international results for the NBA-powered Americans over the past eight years. After dominating the Olympic basketball competition in the 1990s, the United States finished sixth at the 2002 world championships and won bronze at the 2004 Olympics in Athens and the 2006 world championships.
"We have nothing to be complacent about. We haven't accomplished anything yet," Krzyzewski told a news conference in Macau. "We're in the midst of trying to accomplish."
He said he's aware of the rising standard of the international game and predicted the Beijing Olympics basketball tournament will be the best ever because "world basketball has gotten to another level."
"Basketball around the world has exploded. Thirty percent of the NBA are international players. Many of the teams we face ... some will have a starting five of five NBA players," Krzyzewski said. "World basketball is terrific and it'll be a tough challenge for us."
The U.S. will open its Olympic campaign on Aug. 10 against a China team that includes Houston Rockets center Yao Ming and Yi Jianlian, who was recently traded from the Milwaukee Bucks to the New Jersey Nets.
"In order for us to become the best team we can be, we have to treat each team in the same manner," Krzyzewski said.
U.S. team Managing Director Jerry Colangelo said the Americans are aware that an ad hoc team of NBA stars doesn't cut it any more and noted the current squad was assembled in 2006.
"The core players have been together for the last three years. In the past, all-star teams were selected. That was good enough, but that's not the case any more," Colangelo said.
Despite past performances, the players were upbeat about their prospects.
"Every time we step onto the court, we know we have the talent and we know we have the strength to go out and be the best team on the court," James said. "We have to be confident for us to go out there and play the way we want to play.
"The chemistry right now is really good," he added.
Asked about other contenders for the Olympic title, the Miami Heat's Dwayne Wade pointed to defending Olympic champion Argentina and reigning world champion Spain, but said, "I'm not going to say anyone else (other than the U.S.) is a favorite to win."
The current U.S. squad is largely the same as team that contested the 2006 world championships but with the added firepower of Kobe Bryant and veteran Jason Kidd.
James sat out the U.S. team's first warm-up game against Canada at Las Vegas on Friday with a sprained right ankle, but said Monday he is healthy and will play in upcoming exhibition games in Macau and Shanghai. He joined the team's first practice in Macau on Monday but taped his right ankle as a precaution.
"I'm going to play him a lot and make him work really hard," Krzyzewski said.
Team spokesman Craig Miller said Wade, who is recovering from left knee surgery, and the Orlando Magic's Dwight Howard, recovering from a stress fracture to his sternum, are both fit. Wade scored 20 points in the U.S.' 120-65 rout of Canada.
In Macau, the U.S. will play Turkey on Thursday and Lithuania on Friday before moving on to Shanghai, where they it play Russia on Aug. 3 and Australia on Aug. 5.
The Associated Press
Monday, July 28, 2008
MACAU: The star-studded U.S. men's basketball team is confident but not complacent about its prospects at the Beijing Olympics, head coach Mike Krzyzewski said Monday as the team arrived in southern Chinese enclave Macau for its final preparations for the games.
Cleveland Cavaliers forward Lebron James was quoted by Time magazine in its current issue as saying he guarantees gold for the U.S. team at the Olympics.
The comments came despite disappointing international results for the NBA-powered Americans over the past eight years. After dominating the Olympic basketball competition in the 1990s, the United States finished sixth at the 2002 world championships and won bronze at the 2004 Olympics in Athens and the 2006 world championships.
"We have nothing to be complacent about. We haven't accomplished anything yet," Krzyzewski told a news conference in Macau. "We're in the midst of trying to accomplish."
He said he's aware of the rising standard of the international game and predicted the Beijing Olympics basketball tournament will be the best ever because "world basketball has gotten to another level."
"Basketball around the world has exploded. Thirty percent of the NBA are international players. Many of the teams we face ... some will have a starting five of five NBA players," Krzyzewski said. "World basketball is terrific and it'll be a tough challenge for us."
The U.S. will open its Olympic campaign on Aug. 10 against a China team that includes Houston Rockets center Yao Ming and Yi Jianlian, who was recently traded from the Milwaukee Bucks to the New Jersey Nets.
"In order for us to become the best team we can be, we have to treat each team in the same manner," Krzyzewski said.
U.S. team Managing Director Jerry Colangelo said the Americans are aware that an ad hoc team of NBA stars doesn't cut it any more and noted the current squad was assembled in 2006.
"The core players have been together for the last three years. In the past, all-star teams were selected. That was good enough, but that's not the case any more," Colangelo said.
Despite past performances, the players were upbeat about their prospects.
"Every time we step onto the court, we know we have the talent and we know we have the strength to go out and be the best team on the court," James said. "We have to be confident for us to go out there and play the way we want to play.
"The chemistry right now is really good," he added.
Asked about other contenders for the Olympic title, the Miami Heat's Dwayne Wade pointed to defending Olympic champion Argentina and reigning world champion Spain, but said, "I'm not going to say anyone else (other than the U.S.) is a favorite to win."
The current U.S. squad is largely the same as team that contested the 2006 world championships but with the added firepower of Kobe Bryant and veteran Jason Kidd.
James sat out the U.S. team's first warm-up game against Canada at Las Vegas on Friday with a sprained right ankle, but said Monday he is healthy and will play in upcoming exhibition games in Macau and Shanghai. He joined the team's first practice in Macau on Monday but taped his right ankle as a precaution.
"I'm going to play him a lot and make him work really hard," Krzyzewski said.
Team spokesman Craig Miller said Wade, who is recovering from left knee surgery, and the Orlando Magic's Dwight Howard, recovering from a stress fracture to his sternum, are both fit. Wade scored 20 points in the U.S.' 120-65 rout of Canada.
In Macau, the U.S. will play Turkey on Thursday and Lithuania on Friday before moving on to Shanghai, where they it play Russia on Aug. 3 and Australia on Aug. 5.
