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<!--EZCODE LINK START--><a href="http://theseoultimes.com/ST/?url=/ST/db/read.php?idx=3611" target="top">US Basketball Team to Train, Play 2 Games at Jamsil</a><!--EZCODE LINK END--><br>
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LeBron James (left) and Kobe Bryant <br>
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USA Basketball and the Korean Basketball Association (KBA) has announced recently that the 2006 USA Basketball Men's Senior National Team, in preparation for the 2006 FIBA World Championship, will participate in the five-team World Basketball Challenge 2006 that will be held Aug. 11-15 at the site of the 1988 Olympic Games basketball competition - Jamsil Gymnasium, in Seoul, Korea. The USA's visit to Korea marks the first time that a USA men's senior national team has visited the country. <br>
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Organized by the Korean Basketball Association, USA Basketball and the East Marketing Group, the event is Korea's first-ever World Basketball Challenge. The Challenge will feature world-class players representing national teams from the United States, Italy, Korea, Lithuania and Turkey. The event announcement was made Tuesday at a press conference in Seoul, Korea.<br>
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"We are very excited to bring our senior men's team to Korea for the first time, and we are grateful to the Korean Basketball Association and East Marketing Group for their efforts in staging what we know will be a competitive and first-rate international basketball competition," said USA Basketball President Val Ackerman. <br>
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"This is an excellent competitive opportunity and a critical piece of our team's pre-World Championship training," said Jerry Colangelo, USA Basketball's Senior National Team program managing director. "We look forward to bringing the USA team to Seoul and we are excited to face experienced national teams from Korea and Lithuania." <br>
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The World Basketball Challenge 2006 officially gets underway Friday, Aug. 11, when Korea plays Turkey (7 p.m., all times local). On Saturday, Aug. 12, Korea will take on Lithuania (3 p.m.), while Italy and Turkey (6 p.m.) will clash in the evening's second game. The USA opens its play on Sunday, Aug. 13, against Lithuania (3 p.m.), and Korea versus Italy (6 p.m.) caps the day's schedule. The Challenge concludes Tuesday, Aug. 15, with Korea meeting the U.S. (3 p.m. local time). <br>
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"The World Basketball Challenge 2006 is going to be the best and the largest event in the history of Korean basketball to date," said Koo Young Kwan, CEO of the East Marketing Group. "This event, which is being held in commemoration of the 100th anniversary of the introduction of basketball to Korea, will stimulate the Korean basketball market by providing Korean basketball fans an opportunity to watch a world-class basketball event." <br>
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The USA and Lithuania met twice in the 2004 Olympic Games. Lithuania rallied late to take a 94-90 decision in preliminary play (Aug. 21), however, the Americans captured a 104-96 win in the bronze medal game (Aug. 28). Overall, in World Championship and Olympic competitions, the USA is 5-2 versus Lithuania. <br>
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Against Korea, USA teams in World Championship or Olympic competitions are 3-0. The USA earned an 88-62 victory in 1998 and a 146-67 win in the 1990 World Championships, and the two teams met in the 1964 Olympics, a game the U.S. won 116-50. <br>
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In addition to its World Basketball Challenge games, the USA is scheduled to train Aug. 11, 12 and 14, and the U.S. will close out its training in Korea with practices on Aug. 16 and 17. The United States team will depart Aug.17 for Sapporo, Japan, where it will play its preliminary round games of the 2006 FIBA World Championship for Men. <br>
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USA Basketball announced on March 5 the 23 players who had been named members of the 2006-2008 USA Basketball Men's Senior National Team program. The national team members will assemble for the first time when the USA opens training in mid-July. The exact training dates and sites will be announced at a later date. <br>
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USA Basketball during its domestic training will announce 12-15 players for the USA team that will travel to Korea and ultimately compete in the FIBA World Championship. The USA must reduce its roster to 12 by the start of the World Championship which is being held Aug. 19-Sept. 3 in Japan. <br>
Named to the 2006-08 USA Senior National Team were: Carmelo Anthony (Denver Nuggets); Gilbert Arenas (Washington Wizards); Shane Battier (Memphis Grizzlies); Chauncey Billups (Detroit Pistons); Chris Bosh (Toronto Raptors); Bruce Bowen (San Antonio Spurs); Elton Brand (Los Angeles Clippers); Kobe Bryant (Los Angeles Lakers); Dwight Howard (Orlando Magic); LeBron James (Cleveland Cavaliers); Antawn Jamison (Washington Wizards); Joe Johnson (Atlanta Hawks); Shawn Marion (Phoenix Suns); Brad Miller (Sacramento Kings); Adam Morrison (Gonzaga University); Lamar Odom (Los Angeles Lakers); Chris Paul (New Orleans/Oklahoma City Hornets); Paul Pierce (Boston Celtics); J.J. Redick (Duke University); Michael Redd (Milwaukee Bucks); Luke Ridnour (Seattle SuperSonics); Amaré Stoudemire (Phoenix Suns); and Dwyane Wade (Miami Heat). <br>
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The USA Senior National Team coaching staff for 2006-2008 is also set. Duke head coach Mike Krzyzewski was named on Oct. 26, 2005, head coach of the USA Senior Team program for 2006-2008. Named assistant coaches were Syracuse University (N.Y.) and Hall of Fame mentor Jim Boeheim, Phoenix Suns head mentor Mike D'Antoni, and Portland Trail Blazers head coach Nate McMillan. <br>
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FIBA, citing the improved level of play on a global level and the fact that basketball is the most widespread indoor team sport around the world, increased the number of men's teams competing in the 2006 Worlds from 16 to 24. The 24 qualified teams were placed into four preliminary round groups consisting of six teams each. The USA was placed into preliminary round Group D, and was joined by Puerto Rico (wild card qualifier and ranked by FIBA #11), Slovenia (European zone sixth place finisher and ranked by FIBA #22), Italy (wild card qualifier and ranked by FIBA #6), China (Asia Zone champion and ranked by FIBA #14) and Senegal (Africa Zone runner-up and ranked by FIBA #30). Group D will play its preliminary round games Aug. 19-24 in Sapporo City, Japan. <br>
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Each team at the '06 World Championship will play the other teams in its preliminary group, the top four finishing teams from each preliminary group will qualify for the Eighth-Finals. Winners of the Eighth-Finals games will advance to the quarterfinals, while losers are eliminated from the competition. Winners of the quarterfinals games will advance to the medal round semifinals, while the quarterfinals losers will play in the consolation round semifinals and play out for fifth-eighth places. Winners of the medal round semifinals will advance to the gold medal game, while medal round semifinals losers will meet in the bronze medal game. All games from the Eighth-Finals to the Finals will be played on a one-game elimination basis for the gold medal. Games from the Eighth-Finals to the Finals will be played in Saitama City, Saitama, Japan. <br>
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