USA - Knicks hold Stoudemire out of FIBA World Championship

LAS VEGAS (FIBA World Championship) - Amare Stoudemire has been ruled out of the 2010 FIBA World Championship after the New York Knicks declined to release the forward for Team USA duty.

Stoudemire, who joined the Knicks as a free agent this summer after eight seasons with the Phoenix Suns, has battled knee problems throughout his career, and the Knicks had problems insuring his contract before deciding to make him unavailable.

Speaking at the Team USA camp in Las Vegas, Stoudemire admitted he was disappointed, but said he could understand the decision.

"I'd love to play as it's a great honour to be back in the mist of USA Basketball, but as of right now, from a New York Knicks standpoint, they want to make sure I'm totally healthy for next season and so they made a decision to now allow me to play," he said.

"It's a great opportunity to play USA Basketball, but I understand both sides. I definitely understand the Knicks' concern, they want to make sure I'm totally healthy and I'm looking forward to having a big year with the Knicks.

"I feel good about the decision, but at the same time I want to continue to have a great relationship with USA Basketball."

The decision from the Knicks came as coach Mike Krzyzewski was gathering his players for their first training camp and USA Basketball chairman Jerry Colangelo expressed frustration that it happened so late.

"It was a little late in the process, be it as it is, he won't be able to play," Colangelo said. "He's disappointed, we're disappointed.

"But the team has the right to pull him like they did because of the lack of insurance coverage and his pre-existing injury situations. So, we just move forward."

Krzyzewski is working with a very different set of players to the ones who won gold at the Beijing Olympics two years ago with several of the country's biggest names not present.

But that has not changed his goal - to win the USA's first FIBA World Championship crown since 16 years.

"It’s the World Championship," he said. "There is not a guy playing in the NBA who has won a World Championship. The last time we won a World Championship was in 1994. Also if you win it gets you a bye into the Olympics.

"But the main thing is to win a World Championship. Around the world there are 24 teams that compete for this. There are only 12 that compete for the Olympics. The world thinks this is pretty good and we are part of the world. We should look at it like they are looking at it. That is what we have learned over the last four years."

FIBA