Kevin Martin Olympic Select Team

[jon e]

theres a video on kings.com about the mini camp. on the day 2 theyre interviewing kevin and he says that hes working out to get ready to train team usa in their training camp july 21st. hopefully we can get some pictures or videos from that

 

[Mr. S£im Citrus]

Olympics? What, for 2012? Or is this like a practice squad?

 

[jon e]

its the team that team usa will practice against. kobe will practice dunking all over kevin

 

[quick dog]

Wow, what an honor, you have just been selected to play for the Washington Generals.

 

[VF21]

It is an honor. The current US squad wants to practice against the best players they possibly can. I think it will be good all the way around. Not bad for the kid many thought would never even make it past his first couple of years in the league.

 

[piksi]

I think that it is a great deal - just like being selected for the allstar game.

I still think that it would be smarter for US to go somwhere else and play warm up tournaments against international competition. Just to get used to refs and rules etc...

 

[creAtivetfh]

It is an honor. The current US squad wants to practice against the best players they possibly can. I think it will be good all the way around. Not bad for the kid many thought would never even make it past his first couple of years in the league.

This being said it's basically a tryout to make the team in 2012. I think it's a great honor and im really excited for Kev.

 

[Mr. S£im Citrus]

I think that it is a great deal - just like being selected for the allstar game.

I still think that it would be smarter for US to go somwhere else and play warm up tournaments against international competition. Just to get used to refs and rules etc...

Has the United States men's team been invited to compete in any tournaments?

 

[kennadog]

Good for Kevin. I think it's an honor, too and it should be a great experience for him.

 

[PurpleHaze]

If any of current team USA players selected for Beijing are injured or can't play for some other reason a top NBA player like Kevin Martin could be added to the roster.

 

[91sickness]

I read online a few days ago about Kev making the practice squad. I also read that its basically a young team that they are priming for the next olymics. Sorry I dont have a link to that article...

 

[tradepeja]

Yeah, he will be fully in his prime in the summer of 2012. He could end up being a huge part of that team.

 

[steelevt]

If any of current team USA players selected for Beijing are injured or can't play for some other reason a top NBA player like Kevin Martin could be added to the roster.

actually if anyone got hurt or something, i think they would call up an alternate. i read somewhere (espn i think) that tyson chandler was traveling with the team just incase. the other alternates were marion, billups, joe johnson, mike miller or durant. so even though its not really a tryout for this olympic team, maybe 2012 like others mentioned, or helping team usa in practice is still pretty cool.

 

[CruzDude]

Has the United States men's team been invited to compete in any tournaments?

They will have a training camp in Las Vegas 21-24 July then play an exhibition game vs. Canada on July 25 in Las Vegas. Rest of USA Team schedule can be found at:

http://www.nba.com/usabasketball/index.html

Team USA is in group B with Angola, China, Spain and 2 more qualifiers TBD.

Group A is Argentina, Australia, Iran, Lithuania, Russia and one more qualifier TBD.

 

[Mr. S£im Citrus]

Yeah... that doesn't exactly answer my question. piksi suggested that the US Men's team would be better served by competing in some tournaments prior to the Olympics, not unlike what the US Women's team did last fall, I would imagine.

The schedule that you linked to does not show any tournaments on the Men's team's itinerary. Which would seem to answer the question of "has the US Men's team been invited to compete in any tournaments?" with a resounding "Who knows?"

 

[Vlade4GM]

Actually I'd prefer Martin over Redd on the real olympic team.

 

[Elise10]

Yeah... that doesn't exactly answer my question. piksi suggested that the US Men's team would be better served by competing in some tournaments prior to the Olympics, not unlike what the US Women's team did last fall, I would imagine.

The schedule that you linked to does not show any tournaments on the Men's team's itinerary. Which would seem to answer the question of "has the US Men's team been invited to compete in any tournaments?" with a resounding "Who knows?"

The US are in fact playing games against international competition(which was was piksi's original question)

July 21-25: Las Vegas, Nev.

Training Camp: July 21-24
USA vs. Canada: July 25 (5 p.m.) - State Farm USA Basketball Challenge at Thomas & Mack

July 26-Aug. 1: Macao, China

USA vs. Turkey: July 31 (8 p.m.)
USA vs. Lithuania: Aug. 1 (8 p.m.)

Aug. 2-6: Shangai, China
USA Basketball International Challenge

USA vs. Russia: Aug. 3 (3 p.m.)
USA vs. Australia: Aug. 5 (8 p.m.)



From the same website http://www.nba.com/usabasketball/index.html

 

[tyrant]

not as good as i thought he'd be. but congrats to him anyway

 

[Mr. S£im Citrus]

The US are in fact playing games against international competition(which was was piksi's original question)[/URL]

Actually, piksi's OP didn't say games, it said tournaments. I already saw that they had scheduled some exhibition games.

 

[piksi]

Has the United States men's team been invited to compete in any tournaments?

they could have played "Acropolis cup" in Athens and there are many more going on. And invitation is never going to be a problem for a US Basketball team.

And all tournaments leading up to a big event are an exhibition anyways

 

[CruzDude]

I think that it is a great deal - just like being selected for the allstar game.

I still think that it would be smarter for US to go somwhere else and play warm up tournaments against international competition. Just to get used to refs and rules etc...

No tournaments. Only exhibition games vs. International competition. Their only schedule is shown above.

 

[Mr. S£im Citrus]

they could have played "Acropolis cup" in Athens and there are many more going on. And invitation is never going to be a problem for a US Basketball team.

And all tournaments leading up to a big event are an exhibition anyways

Anybody know why US doesn't play in the Diamondball tournament? I mean, looking up information online, it says that the tournament consists of the Olympic host, the defending World Champion, and each regional champion, unless the Americas champion is the United States... what's up with that?

 

[piksi]

it is optional

US did not play Diamond ball 4 years ago in Belgrade either. There is an open invitation

Maybe they don't want to play 4 games in 5 days

 

[lginsac]

Kevin Martin

SACRAMENTO, CA, Wednesday, July 16, 2008 --- Sacramento Kings’ guard Kevin Martin was one of 10 players named to the 2008 USA Basketball Men’s Select Team, it was announced today by USA Basketball. The team was chosen to help prepare the 2008 USA Senior National Team for the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games, scheduled to take place August 10-24 in Beijing, China.
“Anytime your name is associated with USA Basketball and you have an opportunity to help the Senior National Team in any way, it's an honor,” said Martin.
Martin, a four-year NBA veteran, was the Kings’ leading scorer last season, averaging 23.7 points per game (6th in the NBA).

 

[creAtivetfh]

i love how the Select team doesn't have a single center

 

[FakeInjury]

This is the best thread posted in some time. This Official appointment adds greatly to Kevin Martin's resume. Artest can't say the same. And bragging rights aside, this practice against top players can only help his personal and player development. Artest can say, all this and all that, but I don't see him pro actively pouncing on opportunities to help the USA nationally or locally. I still like Artest, a lot. But, Kevin is moving up on the charts, and I appreciate him not sitting on his laurels(55mil extension).

 

[Kingfanpaul]

This is the best thread posted in some time. This Official appointment adds greatly to Kevin Martin's resume. Artest can't say the same. And bragging rights aside, this practice against top players can only help his personal and player development. Artest can say, all this and all that, but I don't see him pro actively pouncing on opportunities to help the USA nationally or locally. I still like Artest, a lot. But, Kevin is moving up on the charts, and I appreciate him not sitting on his laurels(55mil extension).

Actually he tried hard to get onto the Olympic team. Contacted them and everything but they are not interested in him. So if given the opportunity he would jump on it.

 

[Ryan]

If we win gold in China I'm giving all the credit to KM for getting them ready!!

 

[Oscar]

If we win gold in China I'm giving all the credit to KM for getting them ready!!

Give him all the credit you want but he still doesn't get a medal if they win.

 

[Circa_1985_Fan]

Give him all the credit you want but he still doesn't get a medal if they win.

Hopefully 4 years from now he can get some press to make the ACTUAL team...man, I cant even imagine what THAT team will look like...CP3, Melo, LeBron, Howard...oh wait, that's THIS year's team, too. Well, I think them, with the possible additions of Greg Oden, Rudy Gay, Kevin Martin, Kevin Durant, OJ Mayo, and maybe Derrick Rose(depending on their level of maturity, of course)...it should be a solid Team USA for the next few Olympic Games.