GENEVA (FIBA) - The International Basketball Federation (FIBA) was founded on 18th June 1932 in Geneva. Thus, today, 18th June 2007, FIBA is celebrating its 75th Anniversary and is very proud to announce, on such a special occasion, its Hall of Fame's 2007 Class of Inductees.





Players:



Sergei BELOV







Born on 23rd January 1944, in Nashchyokovo, Russia

Nationality: Russian

Height: 1.90 m

Position: Forward



Enshrined as a player in the FIBA Hall of Fame on 12th September 2007



Club:



Uralmash Sverdlovsk: 1964-1967

CSKA Moscow: 1968-1980



As a head coach:



CSKA Moscow (1981-1982: Champion of the USSR League), CSKA Moscow Junior School (1983-1989), Cassino -Italy- (1991-1993) and Ural Great Perm (1999-2002: Champion of the Russian League in 2001)



Club Highlights:



2 times Champion of the European Cup for Men's Champion Clubs (current Euroleague): 1969 and 1971

11 times Champion of the USSR League: 1969, 1970, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1974, 1976, 1977, 1978, 1979 and 1980

2 times Champion of the USSR Cup: 1972 and 1973



National Team Highlights:



Olympic Gold medalist in Munich 1972

3 times Olympic Bronze medalist: Mexico 1968, Montreal 1976 and Moscow 1980

2 times World Champion: Montevideo 1967 and Puerto Rico 1974

Silver medalist in the 1978 Manila World Championship

Bronze medalist in the 1970 Ljubljana World Championship

4 times European Champion: Helsinki 1967, Italy 1969, Germany 1971 and Italy 1979

2 times Silver medalist in the European Championships: Belgrade 1975 and Belgium 1977

Bronze medalist in the 1973 Barcelona European Championship

As head coach of the Russian National Team (1993-1998): 2 times Silver medalist in the World Championships of Toronto 1994 and Athens 1998 and Bronze medalist in the 1997 European Championship in Barcelona



Individual Highlights:



Lit the Olympic flame in the 1980 Moscow Olympic Games

President of the Russian Basketball Federation: 1993-1998

President of Ural Great Perm since August 2005



Dra?en DALIPAGIĆ







Born on 27th November 1951, in Mostar, Bosnia and Herzegovina

Nationality: Serbian

Height: 1.97 m

Position: Forward



Enshrined as a player in the FIBA Hall of Fame on 12th September 2007



Club:



Partizan Belgrade: 1971-1978 and 1979-1980 (military service: 1978-1979)

Venezia: 1980-1981

Partizan Belgrade: 1981-1982

Real Madrid: 1982-1983

Udine: 1983-1985

Venezia: 1985-1988

Verona: 1988-1989

Red Star Belgrade: 1990-1991



As a coach:



Gorizia (1992-1996), MZT Skopje (1997-1998) and Astra Banka Belgrade (2000-2001)

As a manager: Sports Manager of Red Star Belgrade (1998-1999), Team Manager of BC Atlas Belgrade (2003-2006) and Member of the Expert Council of the Serbian Basketball Federation (present)



Club Highlights:



Champion of the 1978 Korac Cup

Champion of the 1976 Yugoslavian League



National Team Highlights:



243 appearances with the Yugoslavian National Team between 1973 and 1986

Olympic Gold medalist in Moscow 1980

World Champion in Manila 1978

Olympic Silver medalist in Montreal 1976

Silver medalist in the 1974 World Championship in Puerto Rico

Olympic Bronze medalist in Los Angeles 1984

2 times Bronze medalist in World Championships: Colombia 1982 and Spain 1986

3 times European Champion: Barcelona 1973, Belgrade 1975 and Liege 1977

Silver medalist in the 1981 European Championship in Prague

Bronze medalist in the 1979 European Championship in Turin



Individual Highlights:



MVP and Top Scorer of the 1978 World Championship in Manila

European Player of the Year in 1977, 1978 and 1980

Best Sportsman of the Year 1978 in the former Yugoslavia

3 times Best Sportsman of Belgrade: 1976, 1977 and 1978

Almost perennial top scorer of all leagues and championships in which he took part, Dalipagic averaged over 30 points a game during most of his entire career (in 1981-1982 he averaged 43 points per game for Partizan Belgrade)



Ivo DANEU







Born on 6th October 1937, in Maribor, Slovenia

Nationality: Sloveninan

Height: 1.84 m

Position: Guard



Enshrined as a player in the FIBA Hall of Fame on 12th September 2007



Club:



Branik Maribor: 1949-1956

Olimpija Ljubljana: 1956-1970

As a coach: Olimpija Ljubljana (1970-1971) and Rudar Trbovlje (1976)



Club Highlights:



5 times Champion of the Yugoslavian League: 1957, 1959, 1961, 1966 and 1970



National Team Highlights:



209 appearances with the Yugoslavian National Team from 1956 to 1970: participated in 3 Olympic Games (Rome 1960, Tokyo 1964 and Mexico 1968) and 3 World Championships (Rio de Janeiro 1963, Montevideo 1967 and Ljubljana 1970)

World Champion in Ljubljana 1970

Olympic Silver medalist in Mexico 1968

2 times Silver medalist in World Championships: Rio de Janeiro 1963 and Montevideo 1967

3 times Silver medalist in European Championships: Belgrade 1961, Germany 1965 and Italy 1969

Bronze medalist in the 1963 European Championship in Wroclaw



Individual Highlights:



MVP of the 1967 World Championship in Montevideo

Best Sportsman of the Year 1967 in the former Yugoslavia

Ivo Daneu mastered the hook shot and used this unstoppable weapon to regularly score even from as far as the 6-7 meter range



Oscar FURLONG







Born on 22nd October 1927, in Buenos Aires, Argentina

Nationality: Argentinean

Height: 1.88 m

Position: Power forward/Center



Enshrined as a player in the FIBA Hall of Fame on 12th September 2007



Club:



Gimnasia y Esgrima de Villa del Parque: 1944-1956

Southern Methodist University (NCAA): 1953-1956

In 1957, the Argentinean military dictatorship sanctioned all the members of the 1950 World Champion team with the accusation that they had received "compensations and special treatments" from the government of Juan Domingo Per?n in 1950, a time when basketball had an amateur status. Such an unfair sanction, unanimously considered a "sports genocide", forced Furlong to retire when he was 29 years old. The sanction was only lifted in 1967. Too late for Furlong and most of his teammates?



Club Highlights:



6 times Champion of Buenos Aires (the Argentinean national championship was only created in 1984): 1945, 1946, 1947, 1948, 1951 and 1954



National Team Highlights:



50 appearances with the Argentinean National Team from 1947 to 1955: participated in 2 Olympic Games (London 1948 and Helsinki 1952) and in the Buenos Aires 1950 World Championship

World Champion in Buenos Aires 1950

Gold medalist in the World University Games of 1953 in Dortmund

2 times Silver medalist in the Pan American Games: Buenos Aires 1951 and Mexico City 1955



Individual Highlights:



After the 1948 London Games, Furlong received a formal offer to join the Minneapolis Lakers (NBA), but declined it. The Baltimore Bullets where not successful either

MVP and Top Scorer of the 1950 World Championship in Buenos Aires

Furlong introduced the jump-shot in Argentina after learning it during his three seasons in the Southern Methodist University (Division I, NCAA)



Nikos GALIS







Born on 23rd July 1957, in New Jersey, U.S.A.

Nationality: Greek

Height: 1.83 m

Position: Shooting guard



Enshrined as a player in the FIBA Hall of Fame on 12th September 2007



Club:



Seton Hall University (NCAA): 1975-1979

Aris Thessaloniki: 1979-1992

Panathinaikos: 1992-1995



Club Highlights:



8 times Champion of the Greek League: 1983, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1990 and 1991

7 times Champion of the Greek Cup: 1985, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1992 and 1993



National Team Highlights:



European Champion in Athens 1987

Silver medalist in the 1989 European Championship in Zagreb



Individual Highlights:



Nikos Galis is one of the biggest scoring-machines in basketball's history: averaged over 30 points a game during his 16-year career in Europe (both in the national and continental club competitions); top scorer of the 1986 World Championship and in four of the five European Championships in which he took part; 3rd top scorer in the NCAA's 1978-1979 season (27.5 points per game)?

MVP of the 1987 European Championship in Athens

First torchbearer during the Olympic flame's final route at the 2004 Athens Olympic Games



Hortencia MARCARI







Born on 23rd September 1959, in Potirendaba, S?o Paulo, Brazil

Nationality: Brazilian

Height: 1.74 m

Position: Shooting guard



Enshrined as a player in the FIBA Hall of Fame on 12th September 2007



Club:



S?o Caetano Esporte Clube: 1973-1981

Associa??o Prudentina: 1982-1983

C.A Minercal: 1984-1990

C.A Constecca/Sedox: 1991

NCNB Ponte Preta: 1992-1993

ADC Seara: 1994-1996



Club Highlights:



3 times Champion of the Intercontinental Cup: 1991, 1993 and 1994

2 times Pan American Champion: 1994 and 1995

4 times South American Champion: 1983, 1984, 1993 and 1996

7 times Champion of the Brazilian Cup: 1984, 1987, 1989, 1991, 1992, 1994 and 1995

9 times Champion of the S?o Paulo League: 1982, 1983, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1992 and 1993



National Team Highlights:



137 appearances with the Brazilian National Team, averaging 24.4 points per game: participated in 2 Olympic Games (Barcelona 1992 and Atlanta 1996) and in 5 World Championships (Seoul 1979, Brazil 1983, Moscow 1986, Malaysia 1990 and Australia 1994)

World Champion in Australia 1994 (averaging 27.6 points per game)

Olympic Silver medalist in Atlanta 1996

Gold medalist in the Pan American Games of Havana 1991

Silver medalist in the Pan American Games of Indianapolis 1987

Bronze medalist in the Pan American Games of Caracas 1983

4 times Gold medalist in the South American Championships: Bolivia 1978, Peru 1981, Brazil 1986 and Chile 1989



Individual Highlights:



Top scorer of the 1992 Barcelona Olympic Games (94 points in total/18.8 points per game)



Pierluigi MARZORATI







Born on 12th September 1952, in Figino Serenza (Como), Italy

Nationality: Italian

Height: 1.87 m

Position: Playmaker



Enshrined as a player in the FIBA Hall of Fame on 12th September 2007



Club:



Pallacanestro Cant?: 1969-1991

As an executive: Vice President of Pallacanestro Cant? (1991-1996)



Club Highlights:



2 times Champion of the European Cup for Men's Champion Clubs (current Euroleague): 1982 and 19831

4 times Champion of the European Cup Winner's Cup: 1977, 1978, 1979 and 1981

4 times Champion of the European Cup Radivoj Korac: 1973, 1974, 1975 and 199

2 times Champion of the Intercontinental Cup: 1975 and 1982

2 times Champion of the Italian League: 1975 and 1981



National Team Highlights:



278 appearances (all-time record) and 2,209 points with the Italian National Team: participated in 4 Olympic Games (Munich 1972, Montreal 1976, Moscow 1980 and Los Angeles 1984), 2 World Championships (Manila 1978 and Spain 1986) and 8 European Championships/EuroBaskets (1971, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1979, 1981, 1983 and 1985)

Olympic Silver medalist in Moscow 1980

European Champion in Nantes 1983

3 times Bronze medalist in European Championships: Germany 1971, Yugoslavia 1975 and Germany 1985



Individual Highlights:



Played an impressive number of 22 consecutive seasons (692 games) in the same club, Pallacanestro Cant?, scoring a total of 8,659 points

Pallacanestro Cant? retired his #14 jersey in 1991

On 8th October 2006, Marzorati started in Pallacanestro Cant?'s first game of the season (vs. Benetton Treviso) to commemorate the 70th anniversary of the club, thus becoming the first player in history to compete in official games in five different decades and, at age 54, the oldest player to have ever taken part in an official competition



Ann MEYERS







Born on 26th March 1955, in San Diego (California), U.S.A

Nationality: United States Citizen

Height: 1.75 m

Position: Guard



Enshrined as a player in the FIBA Hall of Fame on 12th September 2007



Club:



UCLA (Association for Intercollegiate Athletics for Women -AIAW-): 1974-1978

New Jersey Gems (Women's Professional Basketball League -WBL-): 1979-1980



Club Highlights:



1978 National Collegiate Champion



National Team Highlights:



World Champion in Seoul 1979

Olympic Silver medalist in Montreal 1976

Gold medalist in the Pan American Games of Mexico City 1975

Silver medalist in the Pan American Games of San Juan 1979

Silver medalist in the World University Games of 1977 in Sofia



Individual Highlights:



First woman ever to receive a full athletic scholarship from UCLA

4 times Kodak All-American: 1975, 1976, 1977 and 1978

1978 Broderick Award Winner (recognizing the best collegiate player in the U.S.A.)

Co-MVP and Top Scorer of the WBL in 1979-1980

Only woman ever to sign a free-agent contract with an NBA franchise (in September 1979, with the Indiana Pacers, but did not make the team and was released)

UCLA retired her #15 jersey on 3rd February 1990

Winner of the 2006 United States Sports Academy's (USSA) Ronald Reagan Media Award after over two and a half decades devoted to sports broadcasting and journalism

General Manager of the Phoenix Mercury (WNBA) and Vice President of the Phoenix Suns (NBA) since September 2006



Amaury PASOS







Born on 11th December 1935, in S?o Paulo, Brazil

Nationality: Brazilian

Height: 1.91 m

Position: Power Forward



Enshrined as a player in the FIBA Hall of Fame on 12th September 2007



Club:



Clube de Regatas Tiet?: 1949-1961

C. R. S?rio: 1962-1965

Corinthians: 1966-1972



Club Highlights:



2 times Champion of the Brazilian League: 1966 and 1969

3 times champion of the S?o Paulo League: 1966, 1968 and 1969



National Team Highlights:



96 appearances with the Brazilian National Team: participated in 3 Olympic Games (Melbourne 1956, Rome 1960 and Tokyo 1964) and in 4 World Championships (Rio de Janeiro 1954, Santiago de Chile 1959, Rio de Janeiro 1963 and Montevideo 1967)

2 times World Champion: Santiago de Chile 1959 and Rio de Janeiro 1963

Silver medalist in the Rio de Janeiro 1954 World Championship

2 times Olympic Bronze medalist: Rome 1960 and Tokyo 1964

Bronze medalist in the Montevideo 1967 World Championship

Silver medalist in the Pan American Games of S?o Paulo 1963

Bronze medalist in the Pan American Games of Mexico City 1955



Individual Highlights:



MVP of the 1959 World Championship in Santiago de Chile



Emiliano RODR?GUEZ







Born on 10th June 1937, in San Feliz de Tor?o (Le?n), Spain

Nationality: Spanish

Height: 1.91 m

Position: Forward



Enshrined as a player in the FIBA Hall of Fame on 12th September 2007



Club:



Aismalibar: 1958-1960

Real Madrid: 1960-1973



Club Highlights:



4 times Champion of the European Cup for Men's Champion Clubs (current Euroleague): 1964, 1965, 1967 and 1968

12 times Champion of the Spanish League: 1961, 1962, 1963, 1964, 1965, 1966, 1968, 1969, 1970, 1971, 1972 and 1973

9 times Champion of the Spanish Cup: 1961, 1962, 1965, 1966, 1967, 1970, 1971, 1972 and 1973



National Team Highlights:



175 consecutive appearances with the Spanish National Team: participated in 2 Olympic Games (Rome 1960 and Mexico 1968) and 7 European Championships/EuroBaskets (1959, 1961, 1963, 1965, 1967, 1969 and 1971)



Individual Highlights:



3 times Top Scorer of the Spanish League: 1959, 1963 and 1964

MVP of the 1963 Wroclaw European Championship/EuroBasket

1973 Fair Play Award from UNESCO

FIBA Order of Merit in 1997



Bill RUSSELL







Born on 12th February 1934, in Monroe (Louisiana), United States

Nationality: USA

Height: 2.13 m

Position: Center



Enshrined as a player in the FIBA Hall of Fame on 12th September 2007



Club:



University of San Francisco (NCAA): 1953-1956

Boston Celtics: 1956-1969



As a coach:



head coach and player of the Boston Celtics (1966-1969), head coach and general manager of the Seattle SuperSonics (1973-1977) and head coach of the Sacramento Kings (1987-1988)



Club Highlights:



2 times NCAA Champion: 1955 and 1956

11 times NBA Champion: 1957, 1959, 1960, 1961, 1962, 1963, 1964, 1965, 1966, 1968 and 1969



National Team Highlights:



Olympic Gold medalist in Melbourne 1956



Individual Highlights:



1955 NCAA Tournament Most Outstanding Player

5 times MVP of the NBA: 1958, 1961, 1962, 1963 and 1965

Member of 3 All-NBA First Teams (1959, 1963 and 1965), 8 All-NBA Second Teams and of the 1969 NBA All-Defensive First Team

12 times NBA All-Star: 1958-1969

MVP of the 1963 NBA All-Star Game

2nd all-time leading rebounder in NBA history (21,620 rebounds in total/22.5 per game)

The Boston Celtics retired his #6 jersey on 12th March 1972

Named one of the 50 Greatest Players in NBA History in 1996



Uljana SEMJONOVA







Born on 9th March 1952, in Medumi (Daugavpils District), Latvia

Nationality: Latvian

Height: 2.13 m

Position: Center



Enshrined as a player in the FIBA Hall of Fame on 12th September 2007



Club:



TTT Riga: 1967-1987

Tintoretto (Spain): 1987-1988

Valenciennes Orchies (France): 1988-1989



Club Highlights:



11 times Champion of the European Cup for Women's Champions Clubs (current EuroLeague Women): 1968, 1969, 1970, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1974, 1975, 1977, 1981 and 1982

Champion of the 1987 European Cup Liliana Ronchetti

15 times Champion of the USSR League: 1968, 1969, 1970, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1976, 1977, 1979, 1980, 1981, 1982, 1983 and 1984



National Team Highlights:



Played in the USSR Women's National Team for 18 straight years (1968-1986) in which her teams remained completely undefeated

2 times Olympic Gold medalist: Montreal 1976 and Moscow 1980

3 times World Champion: S?o Paulo 1971, Colombia 1975 and Brazil 1983

10 times in a row European Champion: Italy 1968, Netherlands 1970, Bulgaria 1972, Italy 1974, France 1976, Poland 1978, Yugoslavia 1980, Italy 1981, Hungary 1983 and Italy 1985



Individual Highlights:



Winningest player in the history of women's basketball

Named Latvia's Most Popular Athlete 12 times from 1970 to 1985

Chairwoman of the Latvian Olympian Social Foundation (an organization devoted to the support of sports veterans) since 1991

Australia - Gaze makes cut for FIBA Hall of Fame

From http://www.southdragons.com.au

Australian basketball legend Andrew Gaze has been included in a list of 34 world-renowned basketball figures as a candidate for induction into the 2007 Class of the FIBA Hall of Fame.

FIBA, the governing body of world basketball, will announce the final 2007 Class list on June 18, with the official enshrinement ceremony taking place on September 12 in Madrid, Spain.

Administrator Alistair Ramsay, who played an integral role in the formation of the Oceania Zone of which Basketball Australia is a part, was also named in the 2007 Class.

"It was a surprise to be included and a bit intimidating I might add, when you see the other names on the list," Gaze said.

"It?s only a preliminary thing, so it's nothing to get excited about just yet, but it?s an honour to be part of the group."

"I wouldn't mind a trip to Spain, though. That?d be great. I don't think I've been there since the Barcelona Olympics."

Keravnos Strovolos, AEL Limassol, Omonia Nicosia, APOEL Nicosia, Apollon Limassol, AEK Kitiou, Cyprus NT and everything about Cyprus Basketball will be discussed here.

Philippines - National team to fight for 2008 Olympic ticket

From english.people.com.cn

The Philippine men's national basketball team seemed determined to compete for a ticket to 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing as the coach reacted to Wednesday's draw for the FIBA-Asia Men's Championship, a local newspaper reported on Thursday.

Chot Reyes, head coach of the national team San Miguel-Pilipinas, said that the Philippines fell into a "group of death" including defending champion China and Middle Eastern powerhouses Jordan and Iran, the Manila Bulletin reported.

"Unfortunately, we're in the Group of Death," the report quoted Reyes as saying on learning of the draws from the host city Tokushima, Japan.

"This team and this country have come too far to be denied," he said. "It is not our style to dwell on negatives, so our only focus now is how to beat Iran and Jordan."

The Philippines won the title for the Southeast Asia Basketball Associations (SEABA) Men's Championship in Ratchaburi, Thailand two weeks ago.

Indonesia, the only other Southeast Asian team in the field at Tokushima, finished second to the Philippines in that tournament.

FIBA in February this year lifted a ban that had prevented Philippine basketball team from attending any international match since 2005.

The FIBA-Asia Championship, scheduled on July 28 to Aug. 5, will pick the continent's representative to the Beijing Olympics in August next year.

If China, which is seeded to the Olympics as host country, makes it to the Tokushima final, the other finalist automatically qualifies to the Games.

And if the Chinese fails to advance to the championship, only the winner will go to Beijing.

USA - Our ideal roster for Team USA in 2007

From msn.foxsports.com

Download source here

This summer is an important one for USA Basketball ... and some of its biggest guns will be locked in the drawer.

D-Wade, Arenas, Chris Paul and Paul Pierce are just some of the superstars who won't be available for Team USA in the '07 FIBA Americas tournament, which is a qualifier for the '08 Olympics. Not to mention names like KG, Shaq and T-Mac who just aren't part of the USA Basketball program for one reason or another.

Team USA doesn't have to win the tournament this summer to stay alive for an Olympic bid, but they do at least need a top-3 finish to qualify for a last-ditch qualifier in '08 right before the Games. So that said, who gives the U.S. the best chance to win? We went through the players who have been invited to this year's USA Basketball training camp and picked the ideal 12-man roster.

Amare Stoudemire: One of the top bigs in the game. Great hands, able to leap tall buildings in a single bound, and the guy will dunk on your grandmother ? he's ruthless like that. Amare has improved his perimeter game tremendously so he won't be a liability in the zone-heavy international game. He also runs like a deer and Team USA figures to do a lot of running. On top of that, STAT is a decent shot blocker and rebounder, but overall, he isn't as beastly defensively as he is offensively. But that won't matter with this guy around.

Elton Brand: Call him methodical and unorthodox if you want, but this man gets the job done. He scores in the post and is another big man who can hit the 15-footer. Team USA's greyhounds can't run if they don't have the ball, and Brand will give them plenty of opportunities since he is an animal on the boards. He defends the post well but is also freakishly nimble, so he can step out and show on the pick-and-roll. The walking double-double is the best on-the-ball shot-blocker in the game.

LeBron James: Absolutely unstoppable going to the basket and in the open court, LeBron is the main reason Team USA has a huge advantage over any team in the world in an up-tempo game. He is an excellent passer and he's selfless (he just doesn't get to show it as much playing for the Cavs), so he is a perfect fit on a team that is loaded with unstoppable scorers.

Kobe Bryant: There's no way this man gets left off of any basketball team. He must be one of the aliens from "Space Jam," because the stuff he does on the court isn't human. Mister 81 can carry his team offensively and is a terror defensively when he wants to be. His shooting range is limitless, so the zone defenses won't bother him. If the U.S. needs a bucket late he is the guy.

Chauncey Billups: Didn't play last year due to family obligations, but he will be a welcome addition to the team. The best shooting point guard in Team USA's camp is also the best PG available until further notice by Jason Kidd.

Carmelo Anthony: How good would it be to have this guy coming off the bench as your sixth man? He is effective anywhere on the floor and is deadly from 20 feet in, so the shorter international three-point line is a plus. 'Melo also has international experience, but is another player who didn't play much in the last Olympics, so he'll have a chip on his shoulder this summer.

Carlos Boozer: Another big man who is effective in the post but can also step in to the soft spots of a zone defense and knock down shots from 15-18 feet. Booze is also a great rebounder who will give the U.S. plenty of second-shot chances and opportunities to run.

Deron Williams: Remember Mike Bibby's breakout '02 postseason, when he played like missing a shot would have gotten him arrested? That's what Deron's '07 playoff run was reminiscent of ... and one of the reasons he belongs on this squad. Williams is a deadly mid-range shooter (how many Jazz runs are ignited by one of his pull-ups from the free throw line?) and a solid three-point shooter. And when Team USA wants to run, he can switch the tempo.

Michael Redd: The '04 U.S. team has about 38 swingmen and no shooters, so Redd will be a much-needed addition. One of the deadliest shooters in the game will laugh in the face of zone defenses.

Mike Miller: I'm still waking up in cold sweats trying to shake images of Team USA firing bricks in in the '04 Olympics. Miller is one of the few pure shooters invited to the '07 training camp, and he needs to be on the roster. He's not in the same class as Redd, but defenses must respect his outside game.

Brad Miller: I know some of you are scratching your head about this selection, but Brad "no relation to Mike" Miller has all the skills that are essential in international basketball. He's an excellent passer, a good shooter and a solid rebounder. Brad is pretty limited aside from that, but it's not like he'd be logging major minutes for Team USA anyway.

Shane Battier: This is a no-brainer. Battier is a selfless player who can guard anyone from the opposing team's top scorer to the ball boy and not complain either way. He rarely makes mistakes, can guard up to four positions and is a decent shooter.