The USA (5-0) put it on auto pilot and cruised to a 103-58 victory over winless Senegal (0-5) to close out World Championship preliminary play in impressive style. The U.S. effort was led by Chris Bosh’s 20 points, LeBron James added 17, Carmelo Anthony had 12 and Joe Johnson accounted for 11 more in the win.
The USA now advances to the World Championship round of 16 (Eighth-Finals) which is set for Aug. 26 and 27 in Saitama, Japan.
Utilizing a ball hawking defense that forced 25 turnovers and an explosive offense that scored points in bunches, the USA (3-0) paced by Dwyane Wade’s (Miami Heat) 20 points, LeBron James’ (Cleveland Cavaliers) 19 points and 16 more from Elton Brand (Los Angeles Clippers), kept rolling in World Championship preliminary play posting a strong 114-95 victory over Slovenia (1-2) Tuesday night in a game not as close as the final score might indicate.
Carmelo Anthony (Denver Nuggets), LeBron James (Cleveland Cavaliers) and Dwyane Wade (Miami Heat) have been named captains of the 2006 USA World Championship Team, USA head coach Mike Krzyzewski announced today.
“From the very start they have asserted themselves and showed leadership through how hard they worked, their cooperation and the fact that they wanted to be like everyone else. They didn’t come in as stars, they came in as members of the team. Everyone looks up to them and they look up to them even more now because they have set such a good example. It was a pretty easy decision to select those three guys.
“It was the coaches’ decision. We were thinking of having game captains but it became obvious to us that this was the way to go.”
Full story on USABasketball.com
LeBron James led Team USA with 23 points as they dominated South Korea 116-63 in an exhibition game on Tuesday.
A 53-point win over South Korea wrapped up a perfect Asian exhibition tour for a star-studded U.S. team on its way to the world championships.
“We were a little sluggish at first and I was able to pick up my energy level and the guys followed,” James said. “We got better as the game went on and took care of business.”
LeBron James and Dwyane Wade and the rest of the U.S. basketball team got into combat uniforms and took marching orders from former U.S. Army officer Krzyzewski on Monday during a visit to Yongsan Garrison in central Seoul.
Some 29,500 U.S. troops are stationed in South Korea as a legacy of the 1950-53 Korean War, which ended in a cease-fire, not a peace treaty, leaving the two Koreas technically at war.
USA Basketball rolled to a 111-88 victory over Lithuania on Sunday in Seoul, South Korea at the World Basketball Challenge. Carmelo Anthony led the way with 19 points as the Americans improved to 4-0 this summer in exhibition matches as they prepare for the upcoming FIBA World Championship.
Dwyane Wade added 14 points for the U.S., which placed seven players in double figures. LeBron James and Antawn Jamison added 13, Joe Johnson 12, and Kirk Hinrich and Chris Paul 10 each.
Early in the fourth, James brought the crowd to its feet with a one-handed dunk that made it 87-55. The Cleveland Cavaliers star put the U.S. ahead 108-78 with another jam with two minutes left.
The U.S. plays its final tuneup against Korea on Tuesday at 2 a.m. ET before facing Puerto Rico in the opening round of the World Championship on Saturday in Japan.
After a pair of big blowouts, the U.S. finally got some competition. Team USA survived a scare against the resilient Brazilians, edging them 90-86. The win came with a cost to Team USA, as they lost Carmelo Anthony to a knee injury in the first half. Brazil came out swinging in the second half with a 16-0 run, but Team USA managed to hold on. Lebron made a powerful layup late in the game to keep off the Brazilians. Next up is more games in South Korean.
Lebron scored 22 points as Team USA rolled over China 119-73. Much like the Puerto Rico game, it wasn’t even close, as the more athletic team had their way with Team China. But of course, China was without their star Yao Ming…
There’s a great article on ESPN uncovering the truth behind Lebron’s age. It’s obvious why people inside and outside the league speculate whether Lebron is really 21 years young…his powerful frame, his accomplishments, his demeanor. Here’s a funny excerpt from the article…
LeBron James slips off his signature Nikes and yells, to no one in particular, “I need five bags of ice!”
Three chairs over, Dwyane Wade shoots LeBron a sly look and retorts: “That’s because you’re 30 years old!”
“No way I buy he’s 21,” Wade said. “Show me that birth certificate, that’s what I want.”
Well, Dwyane, you’re in luck. ESPN.com has obtained a copy of James’ official birth certificate from the State of Ohio Office of Vital Statistics and compared it with records from the City of Akron Department of Public Health.
Here’s the birth certificate…
Yes! Lebron will stay a Cavalier after signing a 3-year $60 million contract!
(AP) - The Cleveland Cavaliers finally got the autograph they wanted most.
LeBron James signed a three-year contract extension worth about $60 million Tuesday, cementing a deal announced last week.
The All-Star forward signed the contract in Las Vegas, where he was preparing to train with the U.S. team for the world championships.
The deal will keep James with the Cavaliers through the 2009-10 season and includes a player option for a fourth year. The extension is for two fewer years than the deal the Cavs offered, a five-year package worth about $80 million.
But by the summer of 2010, James will be a seven-year veteran with the option of seeking a new contract as an unrestricted free agent, making him eligible to negotiate a maximum contract worth 30 percent of the salary cap. Players with less than seven years experience can earn only 25 percent of the cap.
“We did extensive research and with the way the CBA (collective bargaining agreement) is set up, it makes the most business sense to sign this extension and then look at another new contract in four years,” James said last week, following an announcement that eased Cavs fans’ anxieties that had built up as he deliberated over the offer.
The contract will take effect after the 2006-07 season. The 6-foot-8 superstar will earn $5.8 million next season, the last year of his rookie contract.
Also, check out this exclusive interview with Lebron on Cavs.com
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