DENVER -- Chris Bosh said his contract situation could prevent him from playing for Team USA in next year's World Championships. But another big man off the 2008 gold-medal winning Olympic team has no such reservations.
Utah forward Carlos Boozer told FanHouse on Wednesday morning he wants to play for Team USA in Turkey, and his contract situation has no bearing on it.
"I definitely would love to play if I get invited,'' said Boozer, a free agent next summer. "Not at all (will Boozer's contract situation affect his decision to play). If I've got a chance to put USA on my chest again, I'll do it in a heartbeat. The contract stuff will take care of itself.''
Anthony said he made up his mind late last season that he wanted to return to Team USA for the event after winning an Olympic gold medal in Beijing in 2008. He told USA Basketball chairman Jerry Colangelo that, but Colangelo didn't consider his answer binding until the two spoke earlier this month at the Hall of Fame inductions in Springfield, Mass.
"I just told Jerry that I was down,'' said Anthony, who also reiterated to FanHouse on Tuesday his desire to play in the 2012 Olympics in London. "He asked me again. I just told him that I was in. There wasn't really nothing to it. He asked me what I thought. He asked me about the team. I told him I was in.''
Tip-Off Timer counts down the days until the first game of the 2009-10 season. On Wednesday, there are 69 days remaining.
It's been 40 years since Phoenix Suns executive Jerry Colangelo last called "heads" in a coin flip. And it still haunts the franchise today.
When that Kennedy half-dollar landed on "tails" in the NBA office that spring day, it meant that the Milwaukee Bucks – and not the Suns – would get the No. 1 pick in the 1969 NBA Draft.
Moments after the United States' 118-107 victory over Spain on Sunday, Colangelo strongly suggested he would return: "Look, continuity is important. If you're a betting guy, you'd say, (I'm) probably going to do it. But it's not official."
Colangelo, 68, said he plans to make an announcement next week. His continuing in the job would be no surprise. Colangelo has been talking a lot about the future of the program, about its next steps and no one surrounding USA Basketball and the NBA expects him to walk away.
That matters quite a bit. Why? Colangelo's proud of this team, proud his vision came to its best possible end. I imagine, because of that, any Redeem Teamers who want back in for the 2010 World Championships and the 2012 London Games will have a spot ... save maybe Jason Kidd.
Likewise, the players Colangelo picked for the USA Select team -- Kevin Durant, Greg Oden, Kevin Martin, Brandon Roy among them -- will likely have a better shot than if someone else took over. If too many 2008 ballers stick around (it'd be a third straight Games appearance for Carmelo Anthony, LeBron James, Chris Paul and Dwyane Wade), these other kids won't get much of a chance.
As for coaching, expect Mike D'Antoni or Nate McMillan to get the nod. Gregg Popovich has been mentioned, but he and Colangelo don't get along, and that'd potentially ruin all the good feelings from Beijing.
On Sunday morning, ESPN ran a substantial feature on the progression of Team USA's stated role in drawing attention to Darfur as it makes its way to China for the Olympics. Over the past year, players including LeBron James and Kobe Bryant have spoken (to different degrees) about the Sudanese genocide, and the indication has been that some sort of awareness campaign might coincide with the team's bid for gold. As the ESPN segment made clear -- and you can see it below -- this will not be the case.
In May, LeBron said he's ready to speak out after learning more about China's human rights record. In June, after USA Basketball chairman Jerry Colangelo tells the team to keep quiet about "politics," LeBron says he'll be focusing on basketball. I understand the need for focus, and that the Olympic men's basketball tournament will be a challenge itself. But ... what?
Dave Zirin had a provocative piece in The Nation two summers ago (discussed at FreeDarko here) on the odd tact noted Republicans Colangelo and Mike Krzyzewski took in pushing a political agenda in Team USA auditions and practices. As a part of the political push, Sen. John McCain (a benefactor of Colangelo's contributory largess) spoke to the team.
Darfur isn't exactly a blue-red issue. But it has received more attention from the left than the right. (Proof positive: President Bush's goodwill tour through China this week, while other nations will boycott the Beijing opening ceremony as a statement against China's Darfur involvement.) We don't know exactly what Colangelo said in his talk with Team USA, or how involved Coach K became. But the odd shift in the stance of LeBron and Kobe immediately following the session raises more red flags than we'll see over Beijing this weekend.
USA Basketball should not be in the business of keeping its players quiet. That's not what America is about.
On Sunday morning, ESPN ran a substantial feature on the progression of Team USA's stated role in drawing attention to Darfur as it makes its way to China for the Olympics. Over the past year, players including LeBron James and Kobe Bryant have spoken (to different degrees) about the Sudanese genocide, and the indication has been that some sort of awareness campaign might coincide with the team's bid for gold. As the ESPN segment made clear -- and you can see it below -- this will not be the case.
In May, LeBron said he's ready to speak out after learning more about China's human rights record. In June, after USA Basketball chairman Jerry Colangelo tells the team to keep quiet about "politics," LeBron says he'll be focusing on basketball. I understand the need for focus, and that the Olympic men's basketball tournament will be a challenge itself. But ... what?
Dave Zirin had a provocative piece in The Nation two summers ago (discussed at FreeDarko here) on the odd tact noted Republicans Colangelo and Mike Krzyzewski took in pushing a political agenda in Team USA auditions and practices. As a part of the political push, Sen. John McCain (a benefactor of Colangelo's contributory largess) spoke to the team.
Darfur isn't exactly a blue-red issue. But it has received more attention from the left than the right. (Proof positive: President Bush's goodwill tour through China this week, while other nations will boycott the Beijing opening ceremony as a statement against China's Darfur involvement.) We don't know exactly what Colangelo said in his talk with Team USA, or how involved Coach K became. But the odd shift in the stance of LeBron and Kobe immediately following the session raises more red flags than we'll see over Beijing this weekend.
USA Basketball should not be in the business of keeping its players quiet. That's not what America is about.
... who, according to ESPN's Chris Sheridan, is recovering from a stress fracture in his sternum, and has not been cleared to practice yet. Howard was forced to sit out a one-day mini-camp, but expects to be ready for the start of training camp on July 21. Howard told Sheridan the injury still hurts, but that doctors tell him he'll be OK.
In light of the injury -- which you know Colangelo and Krzyzewski were aware of when they took Boozer and Deron Williams over Chandler -- there's a risk of Team USA being left short at some point. But that's nothing new. Coach K had Chandler on his bench last summer at the Tournament of the Americas in Las Vegas ... and Coach K left Chandler on the bench. The team, replete with wingmen, was still able to rebound effectively and dominate the competition.
Boozer is an elite rebounder, and Bosh is pretty good in that area. Even if Howard -- the best rebounder in the NBA -- remains too hobbled, the Americans should survive.
Team USA boss Jerry Colangelo told reporters Friday Gilbert Arenas won't be invited to the national squad's training camp this summer, and thus won't have a shot at making the trip to the Beijing Olympics. Arenas, for his part, seemed understanding. He did, after all, lash out at the time after getting cut in 2006 despite self-defined sacrifices for the team.
But Gil didn't get away with one biting accusation masquerading as a rhetorical answer to an invisible question. The Washington Post's Michael Lee has it:
"Sometimes politics plays a big part in sports. If it's about names and what shoe company is controlling who plays, then I don't want to be a part of that," said Arenas, who has a deal with Adidas. Most members of the team wear Nike, which sponsors Team USA.
Off the top of my head, the only STAR on Team USA's projected roster who rocks something other than Nike is Dwyane Wade, who wears Converse, which is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Nike. Basically, the entire team gets paid by Phil Knight.
The financial ties between the national program and the shoe companies -- from the youth levels to the men's team -- have been documented. But this has to be the first time a pro player has insinuated his own shoe deal has led to his dismissal from the program. It's a pretty serious allegation.
As far as we can tell, Isiah Thomas still has a job. Two, in fact. While his tenuous hold on the more public job (head coach of the Knicks) seems less firm after every loss, it seems apparent (if not forced by time) Isiah will keep his role as chief personnel decision-maker through this week's trade deadline.
"If someone calls and wants to have a conversation, I'm open to talk," Colangelo said yesterday while discussing the U.S. Olympic Team during All-Star weekend. "I like New York."
When asked by The Post if he liked the Knicks' situation, Colangelo said: "Do I like the Knicks situation? The Knicks situation is what it is. It would be real challenge. It is a challenge for anyone - present management, ownership or new. But some people like those challenges and some don't. It's a big one."
Funny thing: By virtue of saying "if someone calls and wants to have a conversation, I'm open to talk," Colangelo assures someone will call and have a conversation. Colangelo's interest could get a good GM fired, let alone one as disastrous as Isiah.
If Jerry did take the gig, he'd be directly competing with son Bryan Colangelo, the dude in charge in Toronto. This would lead to Thanksgiving dinners only slightly less awkward than those featuring Don Nelson and Donnie Nelson.
It appears the Knicks won't rush to escape the Isiah Thomas Era before finding a suitable replacement; knowing the NBA, that could take until next summer. Usual suspects have been tossed around -- a Jerry West here, a Kiki Vandeweghe there. In the New York Daily News, Frank Isola and Mitch Lawrence offer another big name with potentially the interest to be next in line to rescue the Knickerbockers brand: Jerry Colangelo.
Colangelo has told friends that he would welcome the chance to come to the Garden, even more than going home to Chicago. Colangelo thinks that if he can turn around the laughingstock Knicks and build them into a championship team, it would be his crowning achievement.
"Jerry looks at that as his legacy," said an old friend.
The Daily Newsers quote a few folks who indicate Colangelo would need full power to make the move; I'd assume he'd also need financial assurances from James Dolan that half the roster could be bought out or otherwise made expendable no matter the luxury tax costs. Beyond Zeke, this roster is a complete disaster. Jared Jeffries and Jerome James -- these would all be the worst contracts on most teams. Erase those and you still have Stephon Marbury, Malik Rose and even Quentin Richardson. Besides the myriad rookie scale players, only Jamal Crawford and maybe Eddy Curry could be considered fairly paid. This project, no matter who undertakes it, will take time. It's impossible any other way.
DENVER -- Chris Bosh said his contract situation could prevent him from playing for Team USA in next year's World Championships. But another big man off the 2008 gold-medal winning Olympic team has no such reservations.
In the afterglow of 
The small size of the final roster for the U.S. men's basketball team heading into the Olympics 
Team USA boss 
As far as we can tell, 
