MEN'S FIBA AMERICAS CHAMPIONSHIP 2007

Las Vegas, Nevada - August 22-September 2, 2007

The USA Basketball Men's Senior National Team program began to pay dividends in its second year. The 2007 USA Senior Team, comprised of 12 players selected from the 33-member senior National Team program, rumbled over its opposition at the FIBA Americas Championship in Las Vegas, Nevada, and finished 10-0 to win gold and capture one of the FIBA Americas zone's two qualifying berths for the 2008 Beijing Olympics.

2007 USA FIBA Americas Men's Olympic Qualifying Team 2007 USA RESULTS (10-0) USA 112 Venezuela 69 USA 123 U.S. Virgin Islands 59 USA 113 Canada 63 USA 113 Brazil 76 USA 127 Mexico 100 USA 117 Puerto Rico 78 USA 118 Uruguay 79 USA 91 Argentina 76 USA 135 Puerto Rico 91 USA 118 Argentina 81 2007FIBA AMERICAS CHAMPIONSHIP FINAL STANDINGS 1. *USA (10-0) 6. Uruguay (3-5) 2. *Argentina (8-2) 7. Mexico (2-6) 3. #Puerto Rico (5-5) 8. Venezuela (2-6) 4. #Brazil (5-5) 9. Panama (1-3) 5. #Canada (4-4) 10. U.S. Virgin Islands (0-4) *Qualified for the 2008 Olympics #Qualified for 2008 FIBA World Olympic Qualifying Tournament

In winning its 10 games in just 12 days, the USA extended its unbeaten streak in Olympic qualifying play to 36 consecutive wins, a run that dates back to the 1992 Tournament of the Americas.

The USA team in its 10 games averaged 116.7 ppg., the most by a USA senior national team since the 1994 USA World Championship Team averaged 120.1 ppg.; and the USA defeated its 10 opponents by an average of 39.5 ppg., the largest margin by a senior squad since the 1992 U.S. Olympic Team defeated its opponents by 43.8 ppg.

The USA team led the FIBA Americas Championship overall team statistical rankings in 13 of 17 categories. The USA team shot 58.7 percent from the field, a sizzling 47.0 percent from 3-point and a solid 72.0 percent from the foul line. The USA team averaged 59.7 points by halftime of its 10 games and its average lead at halftime was 23.0 ppg. Of the USA's 420 made field goals, 259 were assisted meaning an astounding 61.7 percent of the team's made field goals were assisted on.

The USA team rewrote eight USA team records for the Olympic qualifying event and added a pair of single game marks. USA players wrote themselves into eight single game records and four competition records.

Competing in preliminary group play Aug. 22-26, behind 17 points from Carmelo Anthony and Michael Redd the Americans opened impressively with a 112-69 victory over Venezuela. Anthony and Redd again teamed to lead the U.S. scoring effort with 22 points each as the USA easily disposed of the U.S. Virgin Islands 123-59. Clamping down defensively and fueled by Anthony?s 25 points on 9-for-12 shooting, the U.S. posted a 113-63 decision over Canada. The USA closed out its preliminary play 4-0 after posting a one-sided 113-76 win against Brazil. Anthony and LeBron James combined to shoot 16-24 as each tallied 21 points in the win.

Advancing to the second round, the USA and Anthony continued their march and behind 28 points from Anthony claimed a 127-100 win over Mexico. James poured in 21 points as the U.S. rolled to a 117-78 win against Puerto Rico. James had a perfect shooting night and sank 11-of-11 shots from the floor, including a 4-for-4 from 3-point, to finish with 26 points as the U.S. manhandled Uruguay to the tune of 118-79. Meeting previously unbeaten Argentina in the final second round game, the U.S. sprinted out earlier and never looked back in a 91-76 victory that saw Kobe Bryant lead the charge with 27 points.

Moving on to semifinals action with a berth in the 2008 Olympics going to the victor, the USA dominated Puerto Rico 135-91 as Anthony and Redd recorded 27 and 23 points, respectively. Facing 2004 Olympic champion Argentina in the Sept. 2 gold medal contest, the Americans sprinted to a 35-14 first quarter advantage and stormed on to a lopsided 118-81 win. James saved his best offensive effort for last, scoring a USA Olympic qualifying record 31 points on 11-of-15 shooting that included a sizzling 8-for-11 show from beyond the 3-point arc. Dwight Howard added 20 points on perfect 7-for-7 shooting from the field.

Statistically, there were plenty of impressive individual stat lines. Anthony averaged 21.2 ppg., a team high and the second most overall in the championship. James accounted for 18.1 ppg., Bryant added 15.3 ppg., Redd posted 14.4 ppg., while Amare Stoudemire, 11.1 ppg., and Howard, 10.0 ppg., also finished the tournament averaging in double-figures. Howard, 5.3 rpg., Anthony, 5.2 rpg., and Tayshaun Prince, 5.2 rpg., paced the U.S. effort on the glass, while James, 4.7 apg., Jason Kidd, 4.6 apg., Deron Williams, 4.6 apg., and Chauncey Billups, 2.6 apg., led the USA?s magnificent passing attack.

While the USA and Argentina secured the two berths for the 2008 Beijing Olympics, third place finishing Puerto Rico, fourth place Brazil and fifth place Canada each earned a spot in the 2008 FIBA World Olympic Qualifying Tournament that will be conducted in July 2008.

2007 USA Men's Olympic Qualifying Team Cumulative Statistics