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2006 USA Men's Senior National Team Selected USA Basketball's Team Of The Year
1/9/2007 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
U.S. Squad Eligible For USOC Team Of The Year Honors
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. - The 2006 USA Basketball Men's Senior National Team, which compiled a 13-1 overall record and won the bronze medal at the FIBA World Championship in Japan, has been selected by the USA Basketball Executive Committee as the 2006 USA Basketball Team of the Year.
The 2006 Men's Senior National Team collected a 5-0 record in its pre-World Championship series of exhibition contests, and the USA Men's World Championship Team, comprised of Senior National Team members, finished 8-1 at the 2006 FIBA World Championship, capturing the bronze medal.
"We had an excellent group of players and support, starting at the top with Jerry Colangelo," said 2006-08 Men's Senior National Team and Duke University head coach Mike Krzyzewski. "While we didn't accomplish our ultimate goal of winning a gold medal at the World Championship, we started the creation of a culture in USA Basketball that our country will be proud of. That started from the first day of training camp. There was great camaraderie on the team, and that will only grow as they continue to play together over the next two years. I think the thing I appreciated the most was that we had no individual egos. They bought into being a part of something bigger than themselves quickly and realized the responsibility of representing the United States in a first-class manner, both on and off the court."
With its selection as USA Basketball's Team of the Year, the squad becomes eligible for the 2006 U.S. Olympic Team of the Year award which will be announced by the USOC in January 2007.
"This USA Team had a number of objectives and literally accomplished all but one," said 2006-08 Men's Senior National Team Managing Director Jerry Colangelo. "I'm very proud of those accomplishments and how well the team represented our country. We will continue to work as a team, and I expect the senior nation team to continue to build on this summer's successes."
Committed to supporting America's military, the U.S. senior national squad also embraced USA Basketball's Hoops For Troops program and made appearances on various military bases and invited troops to practices and scrimmages throughout their training. U.S. Military personnel from Nellis Air Force Base in Las Vegas and their families were invited to watch the USA scrimmage Puerto Rico on Aug. 2, at the Thomas & Mack Center, and while training in Seoul, South Korea, the USA Team held practices at Camp Yongsan on Aug. 14 and Camp Casey on Aug. 16, signing autographs, posing for photos and dinning with soldiers after practice. In addition, during the busy World Championship in Japan, troops were invited to watch the U.S. squad practice and later met the team at its hotel.
"Everyone associated with USA Basketball is proud of our Men's Senior National Team. The foundation the team built in 2006 will be critical to success in the 2007 FIBA Americas Championship as we look to qualify for the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing," said USA Basketball Executive Director Jim Tooley. "Under the leadership of USA Basketball Senior National Team managing director Jerry Colangelo, head coach Mike Krzyzewski and assistant coaches Jim Boeheim, Mike D'Antoni and Nate McMillan, the USA Senior Team was impressive, both on and off the court. Through USA Basketball's Hoops for Troops program the team had significant involvement with members of the U.S. military, and the commitment made by everyone to working as a team in every aspect is deserving of this recognition."
The 2006 selection marks the 11th time USA Basketball has presented the Team of the Year Award. The honor has been earned by the historic 1996 USA Women's National Team/Olympic Team, 1997 USA Women's Junior World Championship Team, 1998 and 2002 USA Women's World Championship squads, 1999 USA Men's Tournament of the Americas Team, 2000 and 2004 USA Senior National/Olympic teams, the 2001 USA World Championship For Young Men Team and the 2005 USA U19 World Championship for Women Team.
Krzyzewski served as head coach for the U.S. squad, while Syracuse University's Jim Boeheim, Phoenix Suns head coach Mike D'Antoni and Portland Trailblazers head coach Nate McMillan assisted Krzyzewski on the sidelines.
Named to the 2006-08 USA Senior National Team were: Carmelo Anthony (Denver Nuggets); Gilbert Arenas (Washington Wizards); Shane Battier (Houston Rockets); Chauncey Billups (Detroit Pistons); Chris Bosh (Toronto Raptors); Bruce Bowen (San Antonio Spurs); Elton Brand (Los Angeles Clippers); Kobe Bryant (Los Angeles Lakers); Kirk Hinrich (Chicago Bulls); Dwight Howard (Orlando Magic); LeBron James (Cleveland Cavaliers); Antawn Jamison (Washington Wizards); Joe Johnson (Atlanta Hawks); Shawn Marion (Phoenix Suns); Brad Miller (Sacramento Kings); Adam Morrison (Charlotte Bobcats); Lamar Odom (Los Angeles Lakers); Chris Paul (New Orleans/Oklahoma City Hornets); Paul Pierce (Boston Celtics); J.J. Redick (Orlando Magic); Michael Redd (Milwaukee Bucks); Luke Ridnour (Seattle SuperSonics); Amar? Stoudemire (Phoenix Suns); and Dwyane Wade (Miami Heat).
Prior to the 2006 FIBA World Championship, the USA cruised to 5-0 in its series of exhibition games, recording wins over Puerto Rico (114-69) in Las Vegas, Nev.; China (119-73) and Brazil (90-86) in Guangzhou, China; and Lithuania (111-88) and South Korea (116-63) in Seoul, South Korea. Averaging 110.0 ppg., the USA outscored opponents by an average of 34.2 ppg.
Trimming the roster to the official 12-member team, Anthony, Battier, Bosh, Brand, Hinrich, Howard, James, Jamison, Johnson, Miller, Paul and Wade were named to the 2006 USA Basketball World Championship Team.
Competing in World Championship preliminary group play Aug. 19-24 in Sapporo, Japan, the USA Team earned a 111-100 victory over Puerto Rico; a 121-90 win over China; a 114-95 decision over Slovenia; a 94-85 hard fought victory over Italy; and closed preliminary play recording a decisive 103-58 win against Senegal. Advancing to the eighth-finals and faced with a win-or-go-home scenario, the USA claimed its sixth straight win with an impressive 113-73 victory over Australia.
Moving on to the quarterfinals, the U.S. squad recorded an 85-65 win over Germany. Meeting an undefeated Greek team in semifinals play, the USA gold medal hopes ended when Greece posted a victory. Rebounding, the Americans handed Argentina a 96-81 setback in the World Championship bronze medal game.
The Americans ranked among the top teams in almost every offensive statistical category at the 2006 World Championship, including first in scoring offense (103.6 ppg.), first in field goal percentage (.503), first in assists (18.78 apg.), first in free throws made (182), first in assist-to-turnover ratio (1.74), second in scoring margin (+20.4 ppg.), third in rebounding margin (+5.6 rpg.), fourth in offensive rebounding (13.11 rpg.), fifth in 3-pointers made (82) and seventh in 3-point shooting percentage (.369). On the defensive statistical side, the U.S. squad also ranked first in steals (10.78 spg.), second in turnover margin (+7.44) and second in blocked shots (4.89 bpg.).
Three single game individual marks for the USA team fell, one single game team record was bettered, and the U.S. team set five competition records, including most points (797); most field goals made (313) and attempted (641), and most 3-point field goals made (58) and attempted (151).
Relying on a true team effort at the World Championship, USA tri-captains Anthony, James and Wade paced the U.S. effort. Anthony led the team's scoring, averaging 19.9 ppg., 3.7 rpg., 1.6 apg. and 1.9 spg., while shooting 50.4 percent from the field and 44.0 percent from 3-point. Wade averaged 19.3 ppg., a team high 2.8 apg. and 1.6 spg., and James averaged 13.9 ppg., a USA best 4.8 rpg., a team second best 4.8 apg. and 1.6 spg.
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