April 2010 National Wiretap

Rondo Discusses Team USA Experience

Sep 19, 2010 10:21 PM

Rajon Rondo was ambivalent about participating on Team USA's roster, but he initially had his mind changed by his agent Bill Duffy.

"Physically, emotionally, he wasn't ready for it," Duffy said. "I feel bad because I was really pushing him to do it because of the experience and his stature."

"I just never got the sense he was committed to it the way some of those other guys were," Danny Ainge said.

"It was great to practice every day against the best young talent in the league, a veteran like Chauncey Billups and play for a Hall of Fame coach [Mike Krzyzewski]," Rondo said. "But some of these guys hadn't played since April. Lamar [Odom]  and I had just got out of Game 7. And next season is right around the corner. I feel like I had to take advantage of the opportunity I have right now to win another championship. It's not often you get to play with four Hall of Famers. Another couple of years and I won't have that."

ESPN

Tags: Rajon Rondo, Boston Celtics, NBA, National

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Colangelo: Shoes Have No Bearing On Team USA Roster

Sep 15, 2010 5:09 PM

Team USA executive Jerry Colangelo is disputing a claim by Bucks guard Brandon Jennings that shoes have a role in the selection of the United States national team.

Jennings, who didn't make the squad, wondered in a recent interview whether the fact that he doesn't wear Nike was the reason.

"I'm the one who picks [players]. What somebody wears in the way of shoes or gear doesn't have any impact on who is selected," Colangelo told Chris Mannix of Sports Illustrated.

Nike is an official sponsor of Team USA.

Chris Mannix/Sports Illustrated (via Twitter)

Tags: Brandon Jennings, Milwaukee Bucks, NBA, National

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Jennings Blames Shoes For Team USA Snub

Sep 14, 2010 8:22 AM

Bucks guard Brandon Jennings isn't exactly sure why he wasn't invited to try out for Team USA this summer, but he thinks his shoes might have had something to do with it.

Tyreke Evans and Stephen Curry, who along with Jennings were among the NBA's top rookies last season, were invited. Both wear Nike, Team USA's sponsor, while Jennings spots Under Armour.

"It's not my call. That's on them," Jennings said. "But if you want to get technical about it and you really want to look at it, half of the guys there are Nike guys. I'm not saying it's a Nike thing, but Nike is kind of running a lot of things right now. To have a guy like myself on the USA team that's flashy and really outgoing, you don't want Under Armour to get all that [publicity].

"I'm just telling you how it is."

Of the 12 members on Team USA's final roster, only Chauncey Billups, Derrick Rose and Eric Gordon wear shoes other than Nike.

Marc J. Spears/Yahoo! Sports

Tags: Brandon Jennings, Milwaukee Bucks, National, National World Championships

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Krzyzewski Will Leave Team USA After 2012 Olympics

Sep 13, 2010 7:27 AM

Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski said Sunday night that his run as the coach of Team USA will end after the 2012 Olympics in London.

Krzyzewski led the United States to the gold medal at the World Championships in Turkey on Sunday.

ESPN

Tags: Duke Blue Devils, NCAA, National, National Olympics

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Lithuania Beats Serbia For Bronze In World Championships

Sep 12, 2010 5:22 PM

Linas Kleiza scored 33 points to help give Lithuania a 99-88 victory over Serbia to secure the bronze medal at the World Championships on Sunday.

Kleiza scored 12 points during a 22-12 run that put Lithuania 48-38 ahead heading to halftime.

ESPN

Tags: National, National World Championships

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Durant Leads US To Gold At Worlds

Sep 12, 2010 5:19 PM

Kevin Durant scored 28 points to lead Team USA to an 81-64 victory over Turkey to win the gold medal at the World Championships in Istanbul.

It marked the American's first World Championship title since 1994.

Durant set a record at the tournament for the most points scored by a U.S. player.

ESPN

Tags: Kevin Durant, National, National World Championships

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Colangelo: LeBron May Have Benefited From Playing For USA

Sep 12, 2010 10:10 AM

LeBron James has had to deal with a large amount of criticism this summer for not only leaving Cleveland, but for the manner in which he did so.

"It's been said that LeBron could've benefited here this summer," USA Basketball managing director Jerry Colangelo said. "But it was never a consideration."

The gold medal that the United States won two years ago at the Olympics was more about Kobe Bryant and Dwyane Wade than James, something his critics have pointed out.

Yahoo! Sports

Tags: LeBron James, Miami Heat, NBA, National, National Olympics

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Scola Leads Argentina Over Russia

Sep 11, 2010 10:05 AM

Luis Scola scored 27 points as Argentina defeated Russia 73-61 on Friday in a consolation game at the World Championships.

Argentina led 58-56 with 6:11 left before Carlos Delfino and Scola combined for 13 points during a 15-5 run.

ESPN

Tags: Luis Scola, National, National World Championships

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Spain Tops Slovenia In Consolation Round

Sep 11, 2010 10:00 AM

Juan Carlos Navarro led Spain to a 97-80 victory over Slovenia in the consolation round of the World Championships on Friday.

Navarro scored 26 points and Spain outscored Slovenia 33-18 in the fourth quarter.

The Spaniards can still finish fifth with another victory.

ESPN

Tags: Juan Carlos Navarro, National, National World Championships

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Lithuania Eliminates Argentina From Worlds

Sep 10, 2010 8:23 AM

Lithuania got hot from three-point land on Thursday as they eliminated Argentina from the World Championships in Turkey.

Simas Jasaitis scored 16 points for Lithuania, who hit nine of their first 11 three-pointers and won 104-85.

Raptors forward Linas Kleiza added 17 points for Lithuania, while Carlos Delfino of the Bucks scored 25 for Argentina.

"This game tonight, there was only one team on the court: Lithuania," Argentina coach Sergio Hernandez said. "They killed Argentina with defense, they ran the floor well and shot well. We could not stop them at any time."

ESPN

Tags: National, National World Championships

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Team USA Two Wins From World Title

ESPN

Krzyzewski Angered By Blatt's Comments About '72 Olympics

ESPN

Serbia Knocks Spain Out Of Worlds

AP

Lithuania Defeats China To Advance

ESPN

USA Cruises Past Angola

ESPN.com

Love Considers Himself Team USA's 'Secret Weapon'

FanHouse

USA Won't Change Lineup Against Angola

ESPN

Slovenia Eliminates Australia

ESPN

Turkey Advances At Worlds

ESPN

Rasic FT Leads Serbia Past Croatia

ESPN

Spain Holds Off Greece For 80-72 Win

ESPN

Team USA Holds First Practice Since Worlds Began

ESPN

Serbia Upsets Argentina On Rasic Free Throws

ESPN

Sluggish Team USA Beats Tunisia

ESPN.com

Arroyo Still Suffering From Leg Injury

FIBA.com

Krstic Leads Serbia To Win In Return

ESPN

U.S. Defeats Iran 88-51

ESPN.com

Rautins Out Of World Championships

Toronto Sun

Team USA Seeking Better Bench Play

ESPN