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LeBron James has a history of dominant playoff performances, but he may have been at his best Tuesday night against the Chicago Bulls. James finished with 38 points, 12 rebounds, six assists, three steals and three blocks while shooting 14-24 from the floor - and without a single turnover! [NBA]
• Video: Phantom Cam: Best of Day 2
• Video: LeBron James Talks to Media
Las Vegas, Nevada -- It’s a simple truth that often gets lost amidst a decade-plus of accomplishments, and it’s this: The only way to chase history, as LeBron James and Carmelo Anthony are doing, is to be immediately great and get a little lucky.
The USA Men’s National Team minicamp in Las Vegas wraps up Thursday night with the USA Basketball Showcase exhibition at the Thomas & Mack Center (10:30 p.m. ET, ESPN2). After this the next time USA Basketball gathers everyone together will be training camp for the 2016 Rio Olympics, and if they make that team, James and Anthony would become the first American basketball players to compete in four Olympic Games.
“I’ve been part of USAB since I was 18 years old,” Anthony said. “When you look back at all of it, I have a chance to do something special here.”
Anthony and James entered the NBA the same year, in 2003, and in the next offseason they traveled to Athens on the USA Men’s National Team that won bronze. It turned out to be a pivotal moment in USA Basketball history, because the regime that came after, led by USA Basketball Chairman and National Team Managing Director Jerry Colangelo and coach Mike Krzyzewski, has experienced almost exclusively victories and success.
“We needed someone to bring back what it truly meant to represent your country, and that’s what Jerry and Coach K did,” James said. “Once they implemented the system, everyone fell into place.”
James and Anthony are part of a much larger group that bought in and worked to make the change happen. Because they’ve gotten better throughout their careers and been lucky with injuries, they now have a chance to create a legacy that currently only Anthony Davis, who played in the 2012 London Olympics right out of college, looks like he could match.
It’s something Colangelo is interested in following for what it says about the players and what it could say about the program he has helped to build.
“That’s what we wanted to accomplish 10 years ago when I took over,” Colangelo said. “Put in an infrastructure that’s going to last a long time.”
When asked about the highs and lows of his long relationship with the USA Men’s National Team, Anthony had an immediate response for both. The low, as expected, was the bronze medal and the feeling in the pit of his stomach walking off the medal stand.
“It changed my life and I think it changed USA Basketball’s life,” Anthony said. “The perception of us at that point in time was not good; we hit rock bottom, so for me to be able to be a part of the rebuilding process and getting it back to where it’s at right now, I’m excited.”
And the high? Well, some say you never really get over your first love, and that’s probably true for gold medals, too.
Going back to the Olympic stage with something to prove, the USA Men’s National Team went to Beijing in 2008 and won every game by double digits. Everybody bought in and did it the right way, Anthony said, and doing it again in 2012 in London set up the current situation.
James and Anthony have talked about what the accomplishment would mean. For more than a decade they’ve been two of the biggest figures in USA Basketball, and with one more run they could be alone on a new perch.
“We’re at a point in our career now where we’ve got to start holding onto these moments and enjoying these moments,” Anthony said. “… There’s some history here to be made.”
• Phantom Cam: Best of Day 1 Video
Of the 34 players on the USA Men’s National Team minicamp roster, no one’s life has probably changed as dramatically in the last 12 months as Stephen Curry.
Since his last visit to UNLV’s Mendenhall Center, where Curry made the USA team roster that would go on to win gold in the 2014 FIBA World Cup, Curry won the NBA’s MVP award, won the NBA title and watched his wife give birth to their second child. Now he finds himself back in a familiar space thinking about what could come next.
“For me, this gym signifies where it all started last year,” Curry said, “and we’re back here getting ready for next year.”
The next year could include a lot of things, including another possible run to the title. Curry is hoping it also includes a bucket list item at the Rio Olympic Games.
Like a lot of Men’s National Team players at this week’s three-day minicamp in Las Vegas, Curry got started with USA Basketball as a teenager. At the top level, he’s helped win gold last year and at the 2010 FIBA World Championship, but the lure of the Olympics remains out there.
“I’ve been fortunate enough to be on two gold medal-winning teams but never played on an Olympic team, so that’s something I want to be able to experience and this is part of the process,” Curry said.
The camp roster includes long-time contributors LeBron James and Carmelo Anthony, who could become the first Americans to chase basketball gold in four different Olympic Games. But their time in the organization is almost done, and continuing the success will require others to step up as the face of USA Basketball.
Curry is one such candidate, as is 6-foot-10 forward Anthony Davis, who received that label last year as he emerged during the World Cup run. One day, it could be Davis trying to match James and Anthony’s accomplishments because three years ago he, then the recent No. 1 pick out of Kentucky, contributed to the 2012 Olympic Games gold in London.
“I was 19 years old when I first got thrown in the fire,” Davis said. “It’s been a definite honor to play for USA, to play for Coach K and to play alongside some of these superstars.”
There’s a balance to be made between the demands of the NBA and USA Basketball, something USA Basketball Chairman and National Team Managing Director Jerry Colangelo has often thanked attendees for managing. This is especially true for the guys like Curry and James, whose playoff runs meant their seasons didn’t end until mid-June.
In a noncompetition year that’s not as big of an issue, because this week’s minicamp isn’t too physically imposing. Still, it’s something else new for Curry, who said he made sure to take some time off working back into his offseason routine.
In another 12 months it’s impossible to say how much Curry’s life will change, but he knows he wants it to end up in the same gym, surrounded by many of the same faces.
“It’s important to remember the sense of pride,” Curry said, “and how much fun it is to be in a different setting with your peers and suit up for a common goal.”
• Video: Phantom Cam: Best of Day 2
• Video: LeBron James Talks to Media
Las Vegas, Nevada -- It’s a simple truth that often gets lost amidst a decade-plus of accomplishments, and it’s this: The only way to chase history, as LeBron James and Carmelo Anthony are doing, is to be immediately great and get a little lucky.
The USA Men’s National Team minicamp in Las Vegas wraps up Thursday night with the USA Basketball Showcase exhibition at the Thomas & Mack Center (10:30 p.m. ET, ESPN2). After this the next time USA Basketball gathers everyone together will be training camp for the 2016 Rio Olympics, and if they make that team, James and Anthony would become the first American basketball players to compete in four Olympic Games.
“I’ve been part of USAB since I was 18 years old,” Anthony said. “When you look back at all of it, I have a chance to do something special here.”
Anthony and James entered the NBA the same year, in 2003, and in the next offseason they traveled to Athens on the USA Men’s National Team that won bronze. It turned out to be a pivotal moment in USA Basketball history, because the regime that came after, led by USA Basketball Chairman and National Team Managing Director Jerry Colangelo and coach Mike Krzyzewski, has experienced almost exclusively victories and success.
“We needed someone to bring back what it truly meant to represent your country, and that’s what Jerry and Coach K did,” James said. “Once they implemented the system, everyone fell into place.”
James and Anthony are part of a much larger group that bought in and worked to make the change happen. Because they’ve gotten better throughout their careers and been lucky with injuries, they now have a chance to create a legacy that currently only Anthony Davis, who played in the 2012 London Olympics right out of college, looks like he could match.
It’s something Colangelo is interested in following for what it says about the players and what it could say about the program he has helped to build.
“That’s what we wanted to accomplish 10 years ago when I took over,” Colangelo said. “Put in an infrastructure that’s going to last a long time.”
When asked about the highs and lows of his long relationship with the USA Men’s National Team, Anthony had an immediate response for both. The low, as expected, was the bronze medal and the feeling in the pit of his stomach walking off the medal stand.
“It changed my life and I think it changed USA Basketball’s life,” Anthony said. “The perception of us at that point in time was not good; we hit rock bottom, so for me to be able to be a part of the rebuilding process and getting it back to where it’s at right now, I’m excited.”
And the high? Well, some say you never really get over your first love, and that’s probably true for gold medals, too.
Going back to the Olympic stage with something to prove, the USA Men’s National Team went to Beijing in 2008 and won every game by double digits. Everybody bought in and did it the right way, Anthony said, and doing it again in 2012 in London set up the current situation.
James and Anthony have talked about what the accomplishment would mean. For more than a decade they’ve been two of the biggest figures in USA Basketball, and with one more run they could be alone on a new perch.
“We’re at a point in our career now where we’ve got to start holding onto these moments and enjoying these moments,” Anthony said. “… There’s some history here to be made.”
• Phantom Cam: Best of Day 1 Video
Of the 34 players on the USA Men’s National Team minicamp roster, no one’s life has probably changed as dramatically in the last 12 months as Stephen Curry.
Since his last visit to UNLV’s Mendenhall Center, where Curry made the USA team roster that would go on to win gold in the 2014 FIBA World Cup, Curry won the NBA’s MVP award, won the NBA title and watched his wife give birth to their second child. Now he finds himself back in a familiar space thinking about what could come next.
“For me, this gym signifies where it all started last year,” Curry said, “and we’re back here getting ready for next year.”
The next year could include a lot of things, including another possible run to the title. Curry is hoping it also includes a bucket list item at the Rio Olympic Games.
Like a lot of Men’s National Team players at this week’s three-day minicamp in Las Vegas, Curry got started with USA Basketball as a teenager. At the top level, he’s helped win gold last year and at the 2010 FIBA World Championship, but the lure of the Olympics remains out there.
“I’ve been fortunate enough to be on two gold medal-winning teams but never played on an Olympic team, so that’s something I want to be able to experience and this is part of the process,” Curry said.
The camp roster includes long-time contributors LeBron James and Carmelo Anthony, who could become the first Americans to chase basketball gold in four different Olympic Games. But their time in the organization is almost done, and continuing the success will require others to step up as the face of USA Basketball.
Curry is one such candidate, as is 6-foot-10 forward Anthony Davis, who received that label last year as he emerged during the World Cup run. One day, it could be Davis trying to match James and Anthony’s accomplishments because three years ago he, then the recent No. 1 pick out of Kentucky, contributed to the 2012 Olympic Games gold in London.
“I was 19 years old when I first got thrown in the fire,” Davis said. “It’s been a definite honor to play for USA, to play for Coach K and to play alongside some of these superstars.”
There’s a balance to be made between the demands of the NBA and USA Basketball, something USA Basketball Chairman and National Team Managing Director Jerry Colangelo has often thanked attendees for managing. This is especially true for the guys like Curry and James, whose playoff runs meant their seasons didn’t end until mid-June.
In a noncompetition year that’s not as big of an issue, because this week’s minicamp isn’t too physically imposing. Still, it’s something else new for Curry, who said he made sure to take some time off working back into his offseason routine.
In another 12 months it’s impossible to say how much Curry’s life will change, but he knows he wants it to end up in the same gym, surrounded by many of the same faces.
“It’s important to remember the sense of pride,” Curry said, “and how much fun it is to be in a different setting with your peers and suit up for a common goal.”
There are so many things I could say about Coach Dean Smith but simply put, he is the greatest man I've ever known. pic.twitter.com/tWaE2LPYpK
— James Worthy (@JamesWorthy42) February 8, 2015
Legendary University of North Carolina and gold medalist U.S. Olympic Team head coach Dean Smith passed away last Saturday, and there was an outpouring of love and appreciation via social media. Hall of Famer James Worthy, who won gold with USA Basketball as a member of the 1979 FIBA U19 World Championship Team, played for Smith at UNC before winning three NBA titles with the Lakers.
ICYMI: USAB named @USOlympic assts today @CoachDougBruno @LynxCoachReeve & @dawnstaley READ: http://t.co/1f6zVBwwDt pic.twitter.com/kknw3s0Pqq
— USA Basketball (@usabasketball) February 9, 2015
USA Basketball was in Storrs, Connecticut, on Monday to announce that heralded coaches Doug Bruno, Cheryl Reeve and Dawn Staley will be back to assist USA Women’s National Team head coach Geno Auriemma through the 2016 Olympic Games…
Still enjoying this journey. Love the challenges a defeat exposes. Onto getting better. @GamecockWBB see you Thursday @CLAmktg #one
— dawnstaley (@dawnstaley) February 10, 2015
… Shortly after the announcement, Staley’s top-ranked University of South Carolina Gamecocks lost to Auriemma’s No. 2 UConn Huskies. It was South Carolina’s first loss of the season, but it didn’t keep Staley from maintaining her positive attitude.
Top 8 Schools No order
Duke
Kentucky
Kansas
Syracuse
UNC
Wake Forest
Ohio St
UNLV
— Harry Giles (@TheReal_HG3) February 10, 2015
Two-time USA Basketball gold medalist Harry Giles
is one of the top-rated high school juniors in the country, so this recent tweet from the Winston-Salem, North Carolina, native had college basketball fans buzzing.
---
Sam Smith hit his ex with a two piece then dropped the mic chillllllllld! 😂😂😂✌️#GRAMMYS
— Swin Cash (@SwinCash) February 9, 2015
Two-time Olympic gold medalist Swin Cash was among the many music fans who were active on social media during Sunday night’s Grammy broadcast.
Part 1.I shed a tear til this day every time I see this episode. Every single time! http://t.co/0GaDJasplf
— LeBron James (@KingJames) February 9, 2015
OHIO AGAINST THE WORLD
— Daniel Giddens (@DGOOD__) January 13, 2015
Daniel Giddens, who won a gold medal with USA Basketball at the 2013 FIBA Americas U16 Championship, will be a freshman at The Ohio State University next fall. He posted this Monday night as the Buckeyes football team closed out its win over Oregon to capture the national championship.
LeBron James, who’s won four gold medals with USA Basketball including two at the Olympics, didn’t go to Ohio State – but he’s one of the school’s most ardent fans. The Akron, Ohio, native was on the sidelines for Monday’s national championship game, and he posted this photo to his Instagram page on the flight home.
Proud & inspired by @WinTheDay Amazing season fellas! You represented our University with class. Go Ducks! #ProudToBeADuck
— Kelly Graves (@GoDucksKG) January 13, 2015
Meanwhile, University of Oregon women’s basketball coach Kelly Graves, an assistant coach for the gold medalist 2013 USA U19 World Championship Team, voiced his support for the Ducks.
Congrats to @Colts @Dallen83 #ReggieWayne #Luck on advancing to the next round! #ColtsNation STAND UP!! #On2TheNext #SoBlessed #NaptownLove
— Tamika Catchings (@Catchin24) January 12, 2015
And while we’re on the subject of football, three-time Olympic gold medalist Tamika Catchings – currently a member of the WNBA’s Indiana Fever – was pretty psyched for her friends on the Indianapolis Colts this weekend after they advanced to the AFC title game.
❤️Love my house shoes❤️ pic.twitter.com/Ite6AAefK4
— Brittney Griner (@brittneygriner) January 13, 2015
We wonder if Brittney Griner, gold medalist with the 2014 USA Women’s World Championship Team, can still dunk wearing her new house shoes.
Have seen @TheReal_HG3 dozens of times. He's back!! @JustinMag35: Look at the stats Harry Killed it http://t.co/CVT8e19Jkb @PaulBiancardi”
— Paul Biancardi (@PaulBiancardi) January 13, 2015
As ESPN’s high school basketball recruiting expert, Paul Biancardi is familiar with most of the players involved with USA Basketball, and he’s clearly impressed with Harry Giles. Here, Biancardi shares a video of Giles, a junior at Wesleyan Christian Academy in Winston-Salem, N.C., who most recently won gold as a member of the 2014 USA U17 World Championship Team.Having played for and coached under legendary college basketball coach Rollie Massimino, Torrey Pines (Calif.) High School coach John Olive had the opportunity to learn from the best. A four-year starter at Villanova University under Massimino, Olive played a year-and-a-half with the NBA’s San Diego Clippers before injuries cut his playing career short. Olive went on to coach five seasons as an assistant at Villanova, Olive then became the head coach at Loyola Marymount University in California, where he was for five seasons before taking over at Torrey Pines in 1997. In addition to running a strong program at Torrey Pines, Olive was head coach for the 2009 USA Men’s Junior National Select Team at the Nike Hoop Summit. Currently, he serves as a member of the USA Basketball Men’s Developmental Committee.
• Catching Up With Coach Olive
Coach Olive took some time to answer questions that you submitted via Facebook and Twitter. Here are his responses:
I’ve got a 14-year-old son that plays the point. What drills are best for improving his handle and explosion? -- Chris Eggleston
For explosion, I’m a big believer in jumping. Do jumping drills. Sometimes resistance jumping drills are excellent as well, with bands and things like that. I am against the mechanisms that stretch your Achilles to help you jump. Especially at a young age, you’re taking a chance on doing damage to the Achilles.
Most of our drills are done with two balls. Any of the typical ball-handling drills you’ve seen out there, but I always like to put a ball in each hand so you’re simultaneously working on your left and your right.
---
How do I improve my jump and my catch and shoot? Make them quicker? -- Ken Keneki
Again, the jumping is important. Do a lot of jumping drills and resistance jumping drills. The catch-and-shoot part is drill work. You just have to put in tens of thousands of repetitions.
I was a very poor jump shooter when I was a high school player, yet when I made it in the NBA, my calling card was probably my jump shot. And it took hundreds of thousands of repetitions to find the rhythm that I was looking for. The easy answer -- but it’s a hard answer – is hundreds of thousands of repetitions, repetitions doing it the right way.
---
How do you improve your dunking ability? -- @AndreZamudio2
I think that dunking is probably the most overrated skill for a young basketball player. The number of times that you’re going to need the dunk is miniscule compared to the number of times you’re going to need to need to make a correct pass or read the correct defense or handle the ball properly or knock a foul shot down.
---
What do coaches look for most when recruiting a player? Scoring abilities or hustle? -- @dd_putinwork21
In high school we don’t recruit players, so I really don’t have to deal with that at my level. When I was a college coach, the first thing I looked for – and I would think that many college coaches are the same – is the overall basketball IQ of the athlete. How does he see the floor? How does he understand the game? How does he understand a situation that might be presenting itself at the time? The next thing I think coaches look for, or at least I’d look for, are physical skills and basketball skills. And I think they’re equal. Both of them have to be at a very high level for the position that the young man is attempting to play. Going down the line: How does he get along with his teammates? What kind of team member is he? How does he get along with his coach? Is he coachable? All of those things are important as well.
---
If I have a desire to play overseas and will do what I have to in order to do so, what will help me get over there? Also what training methods should I go about if I am not physically ready? -- Crestian Johnson
I don’t know a lot about the overseas professional leagues anymore, but my gut feeling tells me that it’s about winning. In all professional sports you have to win. The overseas teams are looking for people that are going to provide wins for them. I know that’s a very esoteric answer. What do you do to get a win? You’ve got to be mentally tough, because you might be in an environment you’re not comfortable with. You better be able to adapt because you might be playing with players that aren’t as athletic or talented as players you see here in this country.
As far as the physical skills, you really need to see a professional about that, have a professional evaluate where you are, what your goals are, to set up a program to help you get to where you want to get to physically.
---
What is your starting lineup for best player per position currently in the nba? -- @Rehan_Amir101
Point Guard: Chris Paul
Shooting Guard: Klay Thompson
Small Forward: LeBron James
Power Forward: Blake Griffin
Center: Marc Gasol
Having played for and coached under legendary college basketball coach Rollie Massimino, Torrey Pines (Calif.) High School coach John Olive had the opportunity to learn from the best. A four-year starter at Villanova University under Massimino, Olive played a year-and-a-half with the NBA’s San Diego Clippers before injuries cut his playing career short. Olive went on to coach five seasons as an assistant at Villanova, Olive then became the head coach at Loyola Marymount University in California, where he was for five seasons before taking over at Torrey Pines in 1997. In addition to running a strong program at Torrey Pines, Olive was head coach for the 2009 USA Men’s Junior National Select Team at the Nike Hoop Summit. Currently, he serves as a member of the USA Basketball Men’s Developmental Committee.
• Catching Up With Coach Olive
Coach Olive took some time to answer questions that you submitted via Facebook and Twitter. Here are his responses:
I’ve got a 14-year-old son that plays the point. What drills are best for improving his handle and explosion? -- Chris Eggleston
For explosion, I’m a big believer in jumping. Do jumping drills. Sometimes resistance jumping drills are excellent as well, with bands and things like that. I am against the mechanisms that stretch your Achilles to help you jump. Especially at a young age, you’re taking a chance on doing damage to the Achilles.
Most of our drills are done with two balls. Any of the typical ball-handling drills you’ve seen out there, but I always like to put a ball in each hand so you’re simultaneously working on your left and your right.
---
How do I improve my jump and my catch and shoot? Make them quicker? -- Ken Keneki
Again, the jumping is important. Do a lot of jumping drills and resistance jumping drills. The catch-and-shoot part is drill work. You just have to put in tens of thousands of repetitions.
I was a very poor jump shooter when I was a high school player, yet when I made it in the NBA, my calling card was probably my jump shot. And it took hundreds of thousands of repetitions to find the rhythm that I was looking for. The easy answer -- but it’s a hard answer – is hundreds of thousands of repetitions, repetitions doing it the right way.
---
How do you improve your dunking ability? -- @AndreZamudio2
I think that dunking is probably the most overrated skill for a young basketball player. The number of times that you’re going to need the dunk is miniscule compared to the number of times you’re going to need to need to make a correct pass or read the correct defense or handle the ball properly or knock a foul shot down.
---
What do coaches look for most when recruiting a player? Scoring abilities or hustle? -- @dd_putinwork21
In high school we don’t recruit players, so I really don’t have to deal with that at my level. When I was a college coach, the first thing I looked for – and I would think that many college coaches are the same – is the overall basketball IQ of the athlete. How does he see the floor? How does he understand the game? How does he understand a situation that might be presenting itself at the time? The next thing I think coaches look for, or at least I’d look for, are physical skills and basketball skills. And I think they’re equal. Both of them have to be at a very high level for the position that the young man is attempting to play. Going down the line: How does he get along with his teammates? What kind of team member is he? How does he get along with his coach? Is he coachable? All of those things are important as well.
---
If I have a desire to play overseas and will do what I have to in order to do so, what will help me get over there? Also what training methods should I go about if I am not physically ready? -- Crestian Johnson
I don’t know a lot about the overseas professional leagues anymore, but my gut feeling tells me that it’s about winning. In all professional sports you have to win. The overseas teams are looking for people that are going to provide wins for them. I know that’s a very esoteric answer. What do you do to get a win? You’ve got to be mentally tough, because you might be in an environment you’re not comfortable with. You better be able to adapt because you might be playing with players that aren’t as athletic or talented as players you see here in this country.
As far as the physical skills, you really need to see a professional about that, have a professional evaluate where you are, what your goals are, to set up a program to help you get to where you want to get to physically.
---
What is your starting lineup for best player per position currently in the nba? -- @Rehan_Amir101
Point Guard: Chris Paul
Shooting Guard: Klay Thompson
Small Forward: LeBron James
Power Forward: Blake Griffin
Center: Marc Gasol
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