PRESS RELEASE:
Young NBA Players To 2012 USA Men’s Select Team
Kyrie Irving, the 2011-12 NBA Rookie of the Year, is one of 13 players named to the 2012 USA Select Team that will train against the USA National Team during its July training camp in Las Vegas. Irving has been part of two previous USA Basketball teams (Photo: Ross Davis/San Antonio Sports).
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (May 21, 2012) – Featuring nine players owning USA Basketball experience, including the 2011-12 NBA Rookie of the Year Kyrie Irving and the 2010-11 NBA Rookie of the Year runner-up John Wall, USA Basketball today announced 13 players for the 2012 USA Men’s Select Team that will train against the 2012 USA Basketball Men’s National Team during its July 6-12 training camp in Las Vegas, Nev.
Named to the 2012 USA Basketball Select squad were: Ryan Anderson (Orlando Magic / California); DeJuan Blair (San Antonio Spurs / Pittsburgh); DeMarcus Cousins (Sacramento Kings / Kentucky); DeMar DeRozan (Toronto Raptors / USC); Derrick Favors (Utah Jazz / Georgia Tech); Paul George (Indiana Pacers / Fresno State); Taj Gibson (Chicago Bulls / USC); Gordon Hayward (Utah Jazz / Butler); Irving (Cleveland Cavaliers / Duke); Kawhi Leonard (San Antonio Spurs / San Diego State); Jeremy Lin (New York Knicks / Harvard); Klay Thompson (Golden State Warriors / Washington State); and Wall (Washington Wizards / Kentucky).
USA Basketball also announced that serving as co-head coaches of the USA Select Team are 2010 USA Basketball World Championship assistant coach Jay Trianoand longtime Syracuse University assistant coach Mike Hopkins . Triano, who served for three seasons as head coach of the Toronto Raptors, helped coach the 2007 and 2008 USA Select Teams. Hopkins, who recently completed his 15th season as an assistant for the Orange, has served as a court coach at the USA Basketball National Team training camps in 2006 and 2010, and was a court coach at USA Basketball’s 2000 U20 National Team and 2001 U21 World Championship Team trials.
“The USA Select Team was a vital part of the USA Men’s National Team’s training in 2007, 2008 and 2010, and again in 2012 we’ll utilize this team of select NBA players to help get our National Team ready for the very competitive summer that is ahead of us,” said Jerry Colangelo, USA Basketball chairman.
“Being chosen for the Select Team is quite an honor, and it’s an important step in becoming involved in USA Basketball’s National Team program in the future. In the past, current national team finalists like Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook, Kevin Love, Derrick Rose, LaMarcus Aldridge, Andre Iguodala, as well as many other outstanding players got their USA National Team start through the Select Team.”
Members of the USA Select Team will assemble in Las Vegas and conduct a training session July 5, then train with the USA National Team July 6-11 (12:00-3:00 p.m. PDT). All practices will take place at UNLV’s Mendenhall Center.
Continue Reading – Complete Release Online – PDF – 2012 USA Men’s Select Team Roster – 2012 USA Men’s National Team Schedule
