USA – Team USA are Redd-y for the Olympics

MILWAUKEE (Olympics) – Outside shooting was the Achilles heel of the United States at the Athens Games where the Americans finished with a bronze medal.

Milwaukee Bucks sharpshooter Michael Redd will be doing his best to shore up that weakness after being named in Team USA’s Olympic squad.

The 30-year-old, who played for his country at the 2007 FIBA Americas Championship, is ecstatic to be in Mike Krzyzewski’s squad.

"If I never play, I'm just going to be the biggest cheerleader on the bench," Redd said.

"I'm just happy to be on that team and to be part of that story. Obviously, when I get in there, I'm just going to do what I do - play basketball, have fun, shoot the basketball and hopefully a couple of them will go down."

Redd knocked down 45.3% (29 of 64) of his shots from three-point range last year in Las Vegas where the US went undefeated at the FIBA Americas Championship.

He has been sensational in the NBA, much better than a lot of people expected. Making the Olympic team has confirmed his standing in the game.

"I can appreciate it because of the route I took to get here, being a second round pick, being a guy that nobody really expected that much from to now being an Olympian," said Redd.

Team USA’s managing director Jerry Colangelo knew Redd badly wanted to be in the Olympic team back in 2005, when he interviewed the player for a place in the national team set-up.

Redd showed up at a hotel where Colangelo was staying, knocked on his door and then asked if he could use the bathroom to change from his sweats into a suit.

Colangelo later said: “That was pretty darn impressive.”

Redd sees additional significance to being in this year’s team.

"It's special, man. It's special,” Redd said.

“You're representing the whole country, and this is a phenomenal year with the presidential race and everything going on."

Team USA will meet for a minicamp from June 27-29 in Las Vegas and gather again from July 20-25 in Las Vegas to play the Canadian national team on July 25 at the Thomas & Mack Center.

Redd and Co will play Russia and Australia in friendlies in early August in Shanghai before taking on Olympic hosts China on August 10 in Beijing.

FIBA