National Team Reduces Roster To 15 Players
This article is from the archive of The New York Sun before the launch of its new website in 2022. The Sun has neither altered nor updated such articles but will seek to correct any errors, mis-categorizations or other problems introduced during transfer.
LAS VEGAS — LeBron James already knew he would be on the U.S. national team’s 15-man traveling roster when coach Mike Krzyzewski announced it yesterday.
Yet James still got a thrill from hearing he’s definitely headed to Asia for next month’s world championships.
Adam Morrison, Luke Ridnour and Shawn Marion — who has a minor knee injury — were not among the players selected for the roster by Krzyzewski and managing director Jerry Colangelo after a weeklong training camp in Las Vegas. Led by James, Dwyane Wade, and Carmelo Anthony, the club will travel west in 10 days.
“This week was more about putting in the foundation for a system and building camaraderie,” Krzyzewski said. “We accomplished that this week, and now we have to start doing some more basketball stuff so we look like we know what we’re doing.”
Amare Stoudemire and Kirk Hinrich were the only moderately surprising inclusions on the 15-man roster, which will play warmup games in Las Vegas, China, and Korea before opening the world championships in Japan next month.
The roster also includes Gilbert Arenas, Shane Battier, Chris Bosh, Bruce Bowen, Elton Brand, Dwight Howard, Antawn Jamison, Joe Johnson, Brad Miller, and Chris Paul.
After three more days of workouts, the club will play an exhibition game against Puerto Rico in Las Vegas before heading for Asia. Krzyzewski and his staff must trim the roster to 12 players by August 18 — one day before the world championships begin.
Krzyzewski also revealed a few nuggets of strategy for the tournament: He doesn’t plan to have a regular starting lineup, and nobody will play all 40 minutes in any game. The Duke coach wouldn’t mind using all 12 players in most games — another way to keep legs fresh and confidence high.
Marion, Morrison, and Ridnour weren’t cut from the team in the new selection system — they just weren’t included on this roster. Kobe Bryant, Chauncey Billups, and Paul Pierce, who couldn’t play next month because of injuries or family commitments, still are candidates for future U.S. teams as well. In all, 24 players and non-roster invitee Greg Oden will be in the mix for training and competition for at least the next three years.
