USA Basketball Schedule Set For Olympics
7/10/2012 9:46:00 AM | Men's Basketball
With Lithuania, Nigeria and Russia earning the last three Olympic berths by virtue of top-three finishes in the recently completed 2012 FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament, the schedule for the 2012 Olympic basketball men's competition has been finalized. Joining the USA, Argentina, France and Tunisia in Preliminary Round Pool A will be Lithuania and Nigeria; while Russia will compete in Pool B with Australia, Brazil, China, Great Britain and Spain.
The XXIX Olympic Games men's basketball competition will feature national teams from 12 countries competing July 29-Aug. 12 in London.
The USA opens its Olympic competition against France at 2:30 p.m. (all times are local, London is +5 hours from EDT) on July 29, followed by Tunisia at 10:15 p.m. on July 31 and Nigeria at 10:15 p.m. on Aug. 2. The USA then faces Lithuania at 2:30 p.m. on Aug. 4 before wrapping up preliminary round play against Argentina at 10:15 p.m. on Aug. 6.
The top four teams from each Olympic preliminary round group will advance to the Aug. 8 quarterfinals, with the winners playing in the semifinals on Aug. 10 and the medal games on Aug. 12.
The 2012 USA coaching staff is led by Duke University Hall of Fame mentor Mike Krzyzewski, who has led the USA Basketball Men's National Team to gold medal finishes at the 2010 FIBA World Championship and 2008 Beijing Olympics. Assisting Krzyzewski is Syracuse University and Hall of Fame coach Jim Boeheim, and former NBA head coaches Mike D'Antoni and Nate McMillan.
Nominated for the 2012 U.S. Olympic Team were: Carmelo Anthony (New York Knicks); Kobe Bryant (Los Angeles Lakers); Tyson Chandler (New York Knicks); Kevin Durant (Oklahoma City Thunder); Blake Griffin (Los Angeles Clippers); James Harden (Oklahoma City Thunder); Andre Iguodala (Philadelphia 76ers); LeBron James (Miami Heat); Kevin Love (Minnesota Timberwolves); Chris Paul (Los Angeles Clippers); Russell Westbrook (Oklahoma City Thunder); and Deron Williams (Brooklyn Nets).
Since first fielding a USA Basketball team of legendary NBA stars in 1992, USA Basketball National Teams comprised of NBA players have claimed gold medals in 11 of 14 major international basketball competitions, while compiling an impressive 109-7 overall record (.940 winning percentage) in those competitions and a record of 37-1
(.974 winning percentage) in exhibition games.
The USA, gold medalists in 13 of the 16 Olympics in which it has played, has a remarkable 122-5 win-loss record for a 96.1 winning percentage. U.S. Olympic teams featuring NBA players are 37-3 in Olympic play and the U.S. has won four of the last five Olympic titles when NBA players have participated (1992, 1996, 2000 and 2008).
