Istanbul, Turkey • August 28-September 12, 2010

It may not have been the team many envisioned would represent the U.S. at the 2010 FIBA World Championship, but under the leadership of Jerry Colangelo and the coaching of Hall of Fame mentor Mike Krzyzewski, it accomplished something USA men’s teams had failed to do since 1994 - win a FIBA World Championship.

There were certainly a lot of questions surrounding the 2010 USA Team. Without a single member of the 2008 Olympic gold medal team back, the strength of the USA Basketball National Team program that Colangelo and Krzyzewski had developed was proven as the Americans rolled over opponents to compile a 9-0 record and win the World Championship title.

The U.S. open against European power Croatia and sailed to 106-78 win behind a balanced offensive effort that was led by Eric Gordon’s 16 points on 4-of-6 shooting from three. Slovenia was next and the USA earned a 99-77 victory as Kevin Durant scored 22 points and Rudy Gay added 16. In its closest game of the World Championship, the USA held on to edge Brazil 70-68 but only after Brazil missed several scoring opportunites in the final seconds. Durant led the U.S. with 27 points and 10 rebounds and Chauncey Billups added 15 points. The U.S. posted an 88-51 victory over Iran as Kevin Love tallied 13 points, and closed preliminary play with its fifth consecutive win after bettering Tunisia 92-57 as Gordon scored 22 points.

Moving into the eighth-finals round and faced with winning each of its last four games if gold was to be realized, the U.S. destroyed Angola 121-66 as Billups scored 19 points on 5-of-7 shooting from 3-point, and Durant, Gay and Gordon added 17 points each.

Facing a once beated 5-1 Russian squad in a medal round quarterfinals clash, which as fate would have it was played 38 years to the day that the two teams played in the controversial 1972 Olympic gold medal game, Durant’s 33 point scoring outburst and the USA’s wear ‘em down defense were the difference as the U.S. grinded out an 89-79 victory.

Durant continued to be unstoppable and behind his record setting 38 point performance (14-25 FGs, 5-12 3pt FGs, 5-5 FTs) and nine rebounds, and 13 points and 10 rebounds from Lamar Odom and 12 points and seven rebounds from Russell Westbrook, the USA earned an impressive 89-74 semifinals win over previously unbeaten Lithuania to advance to the gold medal game.

Meeting host and undefeated Turkey for the gold, in front of a sold-out, vocal partisan crowd, Durant’s 28 points, and a double-double of 15 points and 11 rebounds from Odom, propelled the Americans to their first World Championship gold medal finish since 1994 as the USA finished a perfect 9-0 with a dominating 81-64 victory over Turkey.

Durant, who set a USA World Championship scoring record with 205 points in nine games for a record 22.8 points a game, while adding 6.1 rpg., and shooting 55.6 percent from the field, 45.6 percent from 3-point and 91.2 percent from the foul line, was named the MVP of the championship.

Lithuania earned its first World Championship medal by defeating Serbia 99-88 in the bronze medal game, while Argentina edged defending world champ Spain 86-81 in the game deciding fith place.

2010 USA MEN'S WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP TEAM ROSTER

2010 USA MEN'S WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP TEAM CUMULATIVE STATISTICS