Three Added to 2010-12 USA Men’s National Team Roster
July 15, 2010
Colorado Springs, Colorado - Dallas Mavericks’ recently acquired center Tyson Chandler, Phoenix Suns center Robin Lopez and Boston Celtics guard Rajon Rondo have been added to the 2010-12 USA Basketball Men’s National Team, USA Basketball chairman Jerry Colangelo announced today. Additionally, USA Basketball also confirmed that 21 players are expected to actively participate in the upcoming July 19-24 USA Basketball Men’s National Team training camp in Las Vegas, Nev.
Confirmed to be on the court in Las Vegas are Chauncey Billups (Denver Nuggets); Chandler; Stephen Curry (Golden State Warriors); Kevin Durant (Oklahoma City Thunder); Tyreke Evans (Sacramento Kings); Rudy Gay (Memphis Grizzlies); Eric Gordon (Los Angeles Clippers); Danny Granger (Indiana Pacers); Jeff Green (Oklahoma City Thunder); Andre Iguodala (Philadelphia 76ers); David Lee (Golden State Warriors); Brook Lopez (New Jersey Nets); Robin Lopez; Kevin Love (Minnesota Timberwolves); O.J. Mayo (Memphis Grizzlies); Lamar Odom (Los Angeles Lakers); Rondo; Derrick Rose (Chicago Bulls); Amar’e Stoudemire (New York Knicks); Gerald Wallace (Charlotte Bobcats); and Russell Westbrook (Oklahoma City Thunder).
The 2010-12 USA National Team coaching staff is led by Duke University’s Hall of Fame coach Mike Krzyzewski, and features as USA assistant coaches Syracuse University’s Hall of Fame coach Jim Boeheim, New York Knicks head mentor Mike D'Antoni and Portland Trail Blazers head coach Nate McMillan.
“We’re continuing to build our national team roster which will be relied on to select players for teams that will represent the United States in international competitions over the next three summers, including the World Championship team that will compete later this summer,” said Colangelo, “Tyson (Chandler), Robin (Lopez) and Rajon (Rondo) are outstanding additions to the national team and they help give us the talent and depth required in making sure we field the very best USA Basketball teams possible.”
USA Basketball opens its 2010 National Team training with a July 19-24 training camp in Las Vegas. That camp will culminate with the 2010 USA Basketball Showcase, a Blue-White intra-squad game that will be held on July 24 at 7 p.m. (PDT) at the Thomas & Mack Center on the campus of UNLV. The USA training camp will also feature daily practice sessions July 20-23 from noon to 3 p.m. (PDT) at UNLV’s Cox Pavilion.
Following a short break, selected USA national team players will reassemble in New York City to take part in the first-ever World Basketball Festival, a four-day celebration of the game’s performance and culture hosted by NIKE Inc. and USA Basketball in New York City. The festival tips off Aug. 12 in Times Square with a special showcase featuring the USA Basketball Men’s National Team and moves uptown to Harlem’s legendary Rucker Park basketball courts on Aug. 13 and 14.
The USA squad will face France at 1 p.m. (EDT) in the first game of an exhibition doubleheader, while China will meet Puerto Rico at 3:30 p.m. (EDT) in the second contest. In addition to the game against France at Madison Square Garden, the USA Team will play three world basketball powers in exhibition games, or “friendlies,” in preparation for the 2010 FIBA World Championship. In advance of that tournament, the Americans will meet Lithuania on Aug. 21 and Spain on Aug. 22 in Madrid, Spain, and play Greece in Athens on Aug. 25.
All of these friendlies are part of the new Global Community Cup, which will include all USA Basketball exhibition games played outside of formal international competitions. Along with the games, the Global Community Cup features a social responsibility element that will highlight USA Basketball’s commitment to giving back to communities in the U.S. and abroad.
Chandler completed in 2009-10 his ninth NBA season overall and has played in 588 games, averaging 8.1 ppg., 8.8 rpg. and 1.4 bpg., while shooting 55.7 percent from the field. A member of the 2007 USA Basketball FIBA Americas Championship Team that finished a perfect 10-0 and qualified the U.S. for the 2008 Olympics, Chandler played in all 10 games and averaged 2.1 ppg., 3.6 rpg., 1.64 bpg. (2nd best on team), 16.0 mpg., while shooting 56.3 percent from the field.
Robin Lopez, who joins twin Brook on the USA National Team roster, completed his second NBA season in 2009-10 and averaged career highs of 8.4 ppg., 4.9 rpg., 1.0 bpg., while shooting 58.8 percent from the field for the Suns. He was selected for the 2008 USA Basketball Men’s Select Team that helped the USA Men’s Senior National Team train for the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing.
Wrapping up his fourth season with the Celtics in 2009-10, Rondo helped lead Boston to the 2010 NBA Finals and averaged during the regular season 13.7 ppg., 4.4 rpg., an NBA third best 9.8 apg. and an NBA best 2.3 spg. Selected 2009-10 NBA All-Defensive first team, Rondo too possesses USA Basketball experience having been a member of the 2005 USA U21 World Championship Team that finished 7-1 and in fifth place. The 6-1 guard averaged a U.S. team third best 11.0 ppg., passed off for a team best 4.5 apg., and recorded 27 steals (3.4 spg.) to not only lead the team but set a new USA U21 record.
USA Basketball experience is plentiful among the selected 34 national team players with 31 possessing prior USA Basketball experience. Eleven are Olympians, 15 were members of the 2006-08 USA National Team, while 13 others were involved with the 2007 and 2008 USA Select Teams, and or the 2009 national team mini-camp.
Players owning prior USA Basketball playing experience include: Aldridge, Anthony, Billups, Boozer, Bosh, Bryant, Chandler, Curry, Durant, Evans, Gay, Gordon, Green, Howard, Iguodala, James, Jefferson, Lee, Brook Lopez, Robin Lopez, Love, Mayo, Odom, Paul, Prince, Rondo, Rose, Stoudemire, Wade, Westbrook and Williams.
- 2010-12 USA Men's National Team - Roster
- 2010 FIBA World Championship for Men - Schedule
- 2010 FIBA World Championship for Men - Just The Facts
- 2010 FIBA World Championship for Men Official Web Site
- USA Men's National Team History
