In Olympics, U.S. Will Open Against China

With its collection of internationally recognized stars such as Kobe Bryant and LeBron James, the U.S. men's basketball team was already expected to be one of the biggest draws for Chinese fans at the Beijing Olympics this summer.

And its first game should generate considerable excitement with the team set to face host China, which features NBA players Yao Ming and Yi Jianlian.

"From what I was told, the people there are very happy about it," Team USA Managing Director Jerry Colangelo said in a telephone interview yesterday. "It's a good way to kick it off."

The International Basketball Federation (FIBA) conducted the draw at the Beijing Olympic Basketball Gymnasium and the Americans are in Group B, the same preliminary pool as China, defending world champion Spain and Angola. An Olympic qualifying tournament in Athens on July 14-20 will determine the other two teams in the six-team group.

Colangelo, head coach Mike Krzyzewski, assistants Nate McMillan and Jim Boeheim and other scouts and team officials will gather today in Phoenix in preparation for the Games. Colangelo said the purpose of the planning session this weekend is to go over the rosters from the nine teams currently in the tournament, as well as project the three teams to advance in the qualifying tournament. Assistant Mike D'Antoni, whose Phoenix Suns trail the San Antonio Spurs 3-0 in their best-of-seven first round series, is not expected to participate, Colangelo said.

Team USA will hold a minicamp in Las Vegas from June 27 to 30 to select its 12-man rotation and three alternates for the Beijing Olympics. The final roster will be submitted on June 30 and the team will have a short training camp in July in Las Vegas, where it will play an exhibition game against Canada before traveling to Macau and Shanghai for more exhibition games in August.

The 12-man roster that won gold last summer at the FIBA Americas Tournament -- Bryant, James, Carmelo Anthony, Dwight Howard, Amare Stoudemire, Jason Kidd, Michael Redd, Deron Williams, Tayshaun Prince, Mike Miller and Tyson Chandler -- is expected to participate in the minicamp. Dwyane Wade, Chris Paul, Carlos Boozer and Chris Bosh will also be invited. Washington Wizards guard Gilbert Arenas has been informed that he will not be invited and Antawn Jamison backed out.

The most critical decision will be at point guard. Paul missed the FIBA tournament because of an ankle injury but has emerged as an MVP candidate this season.

"This is not going to be an off-the-cuff decision about who is going to be on this roster. It's still wide open. It really is," Colangelo said. "Obviously, we love Chris Paul. We think he's a terrific player and a great guy. We have to make a very tough decision. Whoever is left off the four point guards -- Deron Williams or Chauncey [Billups] or Jason Kidd or Chris Paul -- that's a great player that's going to get left off. We can only keep three."

In the women's draw, the U.S. team, the defending Olympic champions, were drawn in Group B with China, Mali and New Zealand.

Two more teams in the group -- and three in Group B -- will be decided in a qualifying tournament June 9-15 in Madrid. The American women will open against one of the yet-to-be-determined teams.

The U.S. women lost yesterday to China, 84-81, in the championship game of a test tournament in Beijing. The Americans had defeated China on Thursday by 25 points.