U.S. team’s talented trio gets its shot
LAS VEGAS – Dwyane Wade had plenty of time to get to know LeBron James and Carmelo Anthony two years ago. They spent the summer together in Greece – and U.S. Olympic coach Larry Brown mostly kept them planted on the bench together.
So they sat and talked, watching their team’s bickering and ego-tripping and ill-fitting strategies on the way to disappointing bronze medals and the end of American dominance in the sport.
Though they left Athens frustrated, this formidable trio strengthened the bond that was forged when the players joined the NBA together in 2003. They made a joint summer vacation plan: When they got their chance to make a mark on the national team, Wade, James and Anthony vowed to do whatever was necessary to return the United States to its perch atop the sport.
“We just want a great atmosphere,” Wade said. “You want to leave here and have great things to say about your experience, (rather) than some of the negative things we had in 2004. … Being a part of 2004 was history in a bad way for myself, LeBron, Carmelo and Shawn Marion and those guys. Now, we want the chance to start over again.”
The chance arrived Wednesday, when the wholly revamped American team opened two weeks of training in Las Vegas leading to an Asian tour and the world championships in Japan next month. Former Gonzaga star Adam Morrison of the Charlotte Bobcats is among the group.
New coach Mike Krzyzewski and the U.S. brass are going to extensive lengths to change the culture and atmosphere of a program that withered and soured. But this summer also signals a generational shift for the Americans, with Wade, James and Anthony sounding eager to assert themselves as stars of the international game.
“We’re three guys that kind of understand this game a little better, and we can help these young guys understand what this game is all about,” Wade said. “We can go out there and be leaders now. It wasn’t our time then, but hopefully it’s our time now.”
Just five members of the Athens bronze-medal team were invited to this camp: Along with the talented trio, Phoenix Suns forwards Amare Stoudemire and Marion are back. The rest of the 24 players selected for a three-year commitment weren’t around when Brown’s team finally imploded on the international stage, settling for a third-place finish that felt much worse.
Nobody doubts Brown’s coaching acumen, but his disdain for young players is well-known. He stuck with veterans who couldn’t adjust to each other or the international game – though such second-guessing is easier given the star trio’s NBA exploits since.
When asked what went wrong in Athens, James – who seemed to seethe more than Wade and Anthony at his meager playing time – only laughed and said he wasn’t sure.
“I was in the loop, but I wasn’t in the loop,” James said. “I don’t know what happened. I think it’s going to be different this time.”