USA Basketball selected 14 top young NBA players to comprise the 2008 USA Men's Select Team that was utilized to help prepare the 2008 USA Men's Senior National Team for the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games.

2008 USA Men's Select Team

Players named to the USA Basketball Select Team included: LaMarcus Aldridge (Portland Trail Blazers); Jerryd Bayless (Portland Trail Blazers); Kevin Durant (Oklahoma City Thunder); Jeff Green (Oklahoma City Thunder); Luther Head (Houston Rockets); Al Horford (Atlanta Hawks); Andre Iguodala (Philadelphia 76ers); Robin Lopez (Phoenix Suns); Kevin Love (Minnesota Timberwolves); Kevin Martin (Sacramento Kings); O.J. Mayo (Memphis Grizzlies); Derrick Rose (Chicago Bulls), Rodney Stuckey (Detroit Pistons) and Russell Westbrook (Oklahoma City Thunder).

Oklahoma City thunder head coach P.J. Carlesimo, who served as head coach of the 2007 USA Select Team and was an assistant with the 1992 U.S. Olympic 'Dream Team' and who has been a head or assistant coach of five other USA Basketball teams, was head coach of the USA Select Team and he was again assisted by Toronto Raptors assistant coach Jay Triano.

'We also brought into the senior team's training camp last (2007) summer a select team of young NBA superstars and it proved to be valuable preparation for our Senior Team. Again in 2008 the Select Team features some of the league's most promising young and upcoming players - including Kevin Durant who is a member of our Senior National Team and was the 2008 NBA Rookie of the Year. We're looking for this select group to really compete and help prepare our senior team for Beijing,' said USA Basketball Men's Senior National Team managing director Jerry Colangelo.

I'll also repeat something I said last year. Some of these players have represented USA Basketball in the past and there are others who will. This is an opportunity for them to get into the USA Basketball pipeline. We expect many of these players to be part of the next generation that make up the USA Basketball Senior National program.

'P.J. Carlesimo will again coach the USA Select Team and Jay Triano will assist. They are a great fit as P.J. has a lot of USA Basketball experience and Jay is a former coach of the Canadian national team and currently an assistant coach with the Toronto Raptor,' added Colangelo.

The USA Select squad began training July 20 in Las Vegas and trained and scrimmaged against the USA Senior National Team between July 21-24. The USA Senior National Team went on to post an 8-0 record to capture the gold medal at the 2008 Beijing Olympics.