Colorado Springs (FIBA Basketball World Cup 2019 Americas Qualifiers) -"To get out there and play for your country is amazing. I'm excited to play tomorrow and I can't wait."

Such was the anticipation of Dwayne Bacon on the eve of his first game in the USA jersey, against Uruguay last Friday.  Tonight the USA plays away at Panama.

Even for athletes at the pinnacle of their sport, such as the NBA where Bacon will be entering his second season with the Charlotte Hornets, getting to wear your national team jersey is something quite different, something quite special.

"When I got the call to go to training camp and try out for the qualifying team it was a no-brainer for me," Bacon told FIBA just ahead of the USA game against Uruguay last Friday.

"I used to express to my dad and mom that I wanted to play for my country. So, just to have a jersey is going to be something that is a soft moment for me because it is something I've always wanted to do."

Wearing the USA jersey puts Bacon into a unique status on his NBA team, which includes French legends Nic Batum and Tony Parker (joining the Hornets this season from San Antonio), and Willy Hernangomez of Spain. It even puts him ahead of teammate Kemba Walker who was called into the USA National Team camp earlier this summer but who has yet to play for his country.

In fact, only two others in the Hornets organization have worn the USA jersey in competition on the senior level: the team owner and Chairman Michael Jordan (1984, 1992 Olympic Games, Pan-American Games 1983, FIBA Americas Championship 1992) and President of Basketball Operations/General Manager Mitch Kupchak (1976 Olympic Games).

Dwayne Bacon joins owner Michael Jordan and GM Mitch Kupchak as a member of the Charlotte Hornets organization to wear the USA jersey.

Bacon is already pulling for Walker to be on the team that (eventually) goes to China next summer. "Hopefully he makes it and they go on to win it all." He said that Walker congratulated him on the call-up and pushed him to play his best.

Bacon said that he was already a bit familiar with USA head coach Jeff Van Gundy, noting that he was close with former Hornets bench leader Steve Clifford and had attended a few Hornets practices. "I've enjoyed practicing with him and learning from him. I'm looking forward to him coaching these next two games and building a bigger and better relationship.

He said that USA WCQ veterans Reggie Hearn and Jameel Warney, who had previously play Uruguay in Montivideo at the FIBA AmeriCup, gave the rest of the squad a preview of what to expect and what not to expect.

 "They told the entire team that it's definitely tougher than the NBA, that those guys are physical, that you have to play through a lot of things, and not to expect fouls (called). Just play the game. Go out there and play the right way for our country."

Bacon started and scored 10 points in 19 minutes as the balance American attack swamped an undermanned Uruguay in Las Vegas on Friday 114-57. Frank Mason III (Sacramento Kings) led the USA with 16 points and 8 assists. Fellow NBA players Derrick White (San Antonio Spurs) and Henry Ellenson (Detroit Pistons) added 14 and 10 respectively.

The USA National Team for this WCQ window.

Last season, of the NBA contracted athletes, Bacon played the most of the NBA players, 53 games. Mason was next with 52 games, Ellenson 38, and Isaiah Hicks 18 (NY Knicks). A full regular season is 82 games.

Van Gundy believes that having these young yet unproven NBA players provides an edge to both the USA team and the players themselves.

"I think guys like Frank (Mason), Derrick White, Dwayne Bacon and Henry Ellenson, they all have something in common (in) that they are on rosters and have yet to carve out an every-night role, so they are very hungry. These games, I think if used right, can get their game sharp so that when they go to training camp to fight for minutes, they’ll be in a good frame of mind. I think this helps us, certainly, but I think it helps the individual players as well."

Knowing that his is but a small part of the overall USA effort to get to the FIBA Basketball World Cup in China, the experience is not diminished in any way.

"I get to take home that jersey and frame it. It's something that I can always look back to, something that I can always tell my kids and my family about one day when I retire from basketball. 'Look, this is something I did to help the KD's and the LeBron's and the Westbrook's, whoever is playing, compete for a FIBA championship.' It's gonna be great."

FIBA