USA – 17 players expected at USA Basketball Men’s Senior National Team’s mini-camp

COLORADO SPRINGS (FIBA Americas Championship) - Seventeen members of USA Basketball Men’s Senior National Team program are confirmed to participate in the July 20-22 USA mini-training camp that will be conducted in Las Vegas, Nevada, USA Basketball announced.

"We are excited about the 17 players who will be attending this mini-camp. This is obviously a very important training camp as it will be used to select the 12 players who will represent the United States in the
August 22-Sept.2 FIBA Americas Championship which will determine the two teams from the Americas zone that will qualify for the 2008 Olympics," said USA Senior Team .Managing Director Jerry Colangelo.

Members of the USA Basketball Men’s Senior National Team expected to participate in the July 20-22 training include: Carmelo Anthony (Denver Nuggets); Shane Battier (Houston Rockets); Chauncey Billups (Detroit Pistons); Chris Bosh (Toronto Raptors); Kobe Bryant (Los Angeles Lakers); Tyson Chandler (New Orleans Hornets); Kevin Durant (Seattle SuperSonics); Kirk Hinrich (Chicago Bulls); Dwight Howard (Orlando Magic); LeBron James (Cleveland Cavaliers); Jason Kidd (New Jersey Nets); Mike Miller (Memphis Grizzlies); Tayshaun Prince (Detroit Pistons); Michael Redd (Milwaukee Bucks); J.J. Redick (Orlando Magic); Amaré Stoudemire (Phoenix Suns); and Deron Williams (Utah Jazz).

USA Senior National Team members who will not be available this summer include Gilbert Arenas (Washington Wizards); Carlos Boozer (Utah Jazz); Bruce Bowen (San Antonio Spurs); Elton Brand (Los Angeles Clippers); Antawn Jamison (Washington Wizards); Joe Johnson (Atlanta Hawks); Shawn Marion (Phoenix Suns); Brad Miller (Sacramento Kings); Adam Morrison (Charlotte Bobcats); Greg Oden (Portland Trail Blazers); Lamar Odom (Los Angeles Lakers); Chris Paul (New Orleans Hornets); Paul Pierce (Boston Celtics); Luke Ridnour (Seattle SuperSonics); and Dwyane Wade (Miami Heat).

The USA Basketball Men’s Senior National Team will train 1-4 p.m. (PDT) on July 20 and July 21 at Cox Pavilion on the campus of UNLV in Las Vegas. The team’s training culminates with the 2007 State Farm USA Basketball Challenge on Sunday, July 22.

For the 2007 State Farm USA Basketball Challenge, the USA Senior National Team will be divided for a Blue-White game. The 2007 State Farm USA Basketball Challenge will be held at 4 p.m. (local time, PDT) on July 22 at UNLV’s Thomas & Mack Center.

The July mini-camp will be utilized to determine finalists for the USA squad that will compete Aug. 22-Sept. 2 in the FIBA Americas Championship 2007, which is also being staged in Las Vegas.

Upon completion of the mini-camp, finalists will be announced for the USA squad that will compete in the FIBA Americas Championship 2007. The FIBA Americas Championship 2007, featuring 10 men’s national teams, is one of five FIBA Olympic qualifying zone tournaments and will determine the two men’s teams from the Americas zone who will earn a qualification spot for the 2008 Olympic Games.

The selected USA finalists, following a three-week break, will reconvene in Las Vegas on Aug. 13 for the start of the final phase of the team’s 2007 training. The USA team will train daily Aug. 13-21 in preparation for the FIBA Americas Championship 2007.

Duke University Hall of Fame coach Mike Krzyzewski is head coach of the USA Senior Team program. Serving as assistant coaches are Syracuse University (N.Y.) and Hall of Fame coach Jim Boeheim, Phoenix Suns head mentor Mike D’Antoni and Portland Trail Blazers head coach Nate McMillan.