USA – James McAdoo: “To wear the USA jersey across my chest is absolutely crazy”

HAMBURG (FIBA U17 World Championship) – Saturday’s group A game between the USA and Lithuania really saw the Americans get into their stride. One of the players who impressed was James Mc Adoo (16 points), who after a disappointing first game really found his range.

FIBA.com caught up with the talented forward to talk about the Championship, some of the talent on show and what it means for him to be playing for the USA.

FIBA: James how has this trip and this World Championship been for you ?

Mc Adoo: It has been awesome, we have been away for a long time, we were in San Antonio, Texas for a bit, then travelled over to Lithuania and now we’re here.

I miss my family because I have been away for a long time, but I am here with a part of my family, my other family, which is my team.

We’re at the World Championship but I don’t think that it has hit me yet.

FIBA: Have you spotted any great players that you have played against or that you have watched?

Mc Adoo: I am a student of the game, so I have watched and tried to learn. I can’t say that I have been scared of any of the players, I am just trying to play my game. I am happy with my game defensively and offensively. But there are definitely some really great players here.

Argentina’s has a big number 14 (Matias Bortolin Vara), he was pretty good yesterday. He reminds my of Dirk Nowitzki, who is one of the players I really look up to.

Lithuania’s number 8 (Mantas Mockevicius) also looks really good, he can run and drive with a lot of speed and power. He will be a great player, he already is a great player.

I expect China to have some good players, but I haven’t really seen them yet.

FIBA: This is a World Championship, the first World Championship any of the players here will have played in. What does playing here feel like?

Mc Adoo: It’s different from high-school basketball or from my summer team. To wear the USA jersey across my chest is absolutely crazy, it feels really amazing. It is really difficult to believe, I didn’t even know that this kind of stuff existed.

FIBA: What do you get up to between games? How do you keep busy?

Mc Adoo: I spend a lot of time sleeping, or I keep in touch with my family. The team has a bible study group, so that also keeps me doing stuff.

When do you go back and how much are you looking forward to that?

Mc Adoo: We fly back on the 12th, hopefully with a gold medal, it’s what were here for. Then I have another tournament down in Georgia with some of the guys. I have never been away from home for this amount of time, so I am looking forward to seeing my family again.

FIBA: What about the senior World Championship in Turkey this summer, how do you think that will go?

Mc Adoo: I think the USA is going to win. I think Lebron is not playing and some of the big guys may not be there, but they are going to win because they will be playing as a team, just like we are trying to do.

FIBA: Do you expect to be playing some day at the World Championship?

Mc Adoo: Of course it is my goal, it has to be my goal. To play in the FIBA World Championship and to go to the Olympics would be amazing. It is a dream of mine.

FIBA