Jordan, Butler add joy of representing their country to basketball journeys that started on area courts
DeAndre Jordan has been among the elites at his position, with some of the rewards that come with his status, for long enough to grow accustomed to how far he had come. But on Monday, it hit him again, making a thrill more special.
Jordan, the Clippers’ veteran center from Episcopal High School and Texas A&M, was named to the USA Basketball team to play in the Summer Olympics in Rio de Janiero in August. Jordan was the All-NBA first-team center last season, but he had never played on a USA Senior National team. That made his selection a sign of his rise from a second-round project to Olympian.
“It definitely makes you feel a lot better,” Jordan said. “It’s kind of satisfying because you know how much hard work you put in and how you started and had to build up. To have this great thing coming up is a great honor. To play with some of the best basketball players on the planet is mind-blowing.”
In addition to first-time selections Jordan, Jimmy Butler of the Bulls (and Tomball High School), Draymond Green and Harrison Barnes of the Warriors, and Kyle Lowry of the Raptors, the team includes two members of the 2012 goldmedal team, the Thunder’s Kevin Durant
and the Knicks’ Carmelo Anthony, the first fourtime member of the United States’ men’s team.
The Kings’ DeMarcus Cousins, the Raptors’ DeMar DeRozan, the Warriors’ Klay Thompson and the Cavaliers’ Kyrie Irving have been members of World Cup or World Championships teams. The Pacers’ Paul George was a part of the 2014 World Cup team but was injured in an exhibition game during the training camp.
High-profile no-shows
The United States has won the past two Olympic titles. But prior to Monday’s announcement, much of the attention had focused on those who chose not to participate, including All-NBA players Stephen Curry, Russell Westbrook and LeBron James and Rockets All-Star James Harden, a member of the 2012 Olympic team and the captain of the 2014 World Cup team.
But the team will not lack talent.
“Yes, different names and maybe a different look, but as we looked at it, Coach K (Mike Krzyzewski) and myself, it’s a team that’s very deep, very versatile,” USA Basketball Men’s National Team managing director Jerry Colangelo said. “We have guys that play two, three positions. We have two of the outstanding
centers in the league. One was first-team all-league, the other second-team in DeAndre and Cousins. You have some terrific shooters in Durant and Kyrie and Klay Thompson and Paul George. So there is shooting, terrific defense, versatility, they’re long.”
Beyond tapping into the depth of NBA talent, Colangelo said putting together a strong team is also the result of long-term planning
by USA Basketball.
“No. 1, this is all about who is playing and not about for whatever reasons those who are not,” he said. “It’s a strong endorsement for the plan we initiated back in ’05 and that was to create a national team roster with depth and to use that to our best efforts. It’s worked out extremely well.”
Colangelo said precautions have been planned to prepare for the threat of the Zika virus that led many athletes to choose not to participate in Rio. But those who did choose to play this summer said it was an easy decision.
“Not in a million years would I (say) I wouldn’t represent my country,” Butler said. “It was a no-brainer.
“I just want to play ball and get a chance to represent my country and potentially get the gold medal and play with this great group of guys. That’s what’s so awesome about USA Basketball.”
A ‘home’ game
Jordan knew how he felt, especially he said with the final tuneup game in Toyota Center on Aug. 1 against Nigeria before the team flies to Brazil.
“I looked at that right away,” Jordan said. “I’ll have a lot of support from my friends and family in Houston and Los Angeles. I always dreamed of playing in the Olympics. The opportunity to compete for a gold medal is something we don’t all have a chance to do. To be one of the select few is definitely an honor.
“It’s going to be a long journey. It’s going to be great. To win a gold medal, that’s something that can never be taken away, and it’ll be a bond I’ll have with these guys for life. I’m ready to get started. I’m super excited.”