2010 USA Basketball Men's National Team Medical Staff Announced

June 23 , 2010 - Colorado Springs, Colorado

Denver Nuggets team physician Steve Traina, and a pair of USA Basketball and NBA experienced athletic trainers, Joe Sharpe of the Oklahoma City Thunder and Dallas Mavericks athletic trainer Casey Smith, were announced today as the medical staff for USA Basketball's 2010 Men's National Team.

The trio will handle all medical responsibilities during the 2010 USA National Team's training camps and exhibition games which will be held in Las Vegas, Nev. (July 19-24), New York, N.Y. (Aug. 10-16), Madrid, Spain (Aug. 17-22), Athens, Greece (Aug. 23-26), as well as for the Aug. 28-Sept. 12 FIBA World Championship for Men.

"We're fortunate to have the services of three experienced and respected professionals for the 2010 USA National Team medical staff," said USA Basketball chairman Jerry Colangelo. "Dr. Traina has been involved with numerous professional sports teams including the Denver Nuggets since 1986, and our two athletic trainers have worked with USA Basketball teams many times and are well known and respected by our team and staff."

Dr. Traina has been a team physician for the Denver Nuggets since 1986. He has also been a consulting physician to the Colorado Avalanche, Colorado Crush, Denver Broncos, and serves as one of the Boxing Commissioners for the State of Colorado. Dr. Traina received a B.A. from Central College and obtained his medical degree from the University of Illinois. He completed his surgical internship and orthopaedic surgical residency through the University of Illinois at Cook County Hospital in Chicago. He then pursued a fellowship in adult reconstructive surgery through the University of Colorado School of Medicine.

Sharpe closed out his second season with the Oklahoma City Thunder in 2009-10 and previously served as the head athletic trainer for the Charlotte Bobcats from its inception into the NBA in 2004 through 2008.

Prior to Charlotte, Sharpe was the assistant athletic trainer/strength and conditioning coach for the Minnesota Timberwolves for two seasons, which included the team's Midwest Division title and run to the Western Conference Finals. Sharpe was also the head basketball athletic trainer at the University of Connecticut during a nine-year stint with the Huskies and was in charge of the team's medical care during its NCAA Championship season in 1999.

Sharpe has served USA Basketball on several occasions. In 2009 he was an athletic trainer for the USA's Men's National Team mini-camp in Las Vegas. He was also the athletic trainer for the 2008 USA Basketball Men's U18 Team that captured a silver medal in Argentina, and was athletic trainer for the 2002 USA Junior World Championship Qualifying Team that earned the bronze medal in Isla de Margarita, Venezuela. Additionally, in 2002, he served at the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Lake Placid, New York, and was a member of the USOC medical staff for the 2007 University World Games in Bangkok, Thailand.

Smith completed in 2009-10 his sixth season as the NBA Dallas Mavericks head athletic trainer after four years with the Phoenix Suns. His first three seasons in Phoenix were spent as the assistant athletic trainer and in his last year Smith added the additional duties of being the head strength and conditioning coach.

He served as an athletic trainer with the 2006-08 USA Basketball Senior National Team during its training and exhibition tours, and was an athletic trainer for the gold medalist 2008 U.S. Olympic team, the 2007 USA Olympic Qualifying Team and the 2006 USA World Championship Team that won a bronze medal in Japan.

Prior to his work in the NBA, Smith was the athletic trainer for men's basketball at Arizona State University from 1997-2000 and the director of athletic training services at Morgantown Physical Therapy Associates in West Virginia before that.

He also has spent time during three summers working for the United States Olympic Committee, serving in the capacity of a volunteer at the Colorado Springs Olympic Training Center in 2002; as the athletic trainer for men's basketball in the 2003 Pan American Games; and as the athletic trainer for the USA men's boxing team for the 2004 Summer Olympic Games in Athens, Greece.