FIBA Basketball

    USA - Tooley: We hope to have our best players in London

    LONDON (Olympics) - Today marks exactly one year to go to the Final of the 2012 Olympic Basketball Tournament. When that momentous day comes around, USA Basketball's Executive Director and CEO Jim Tooley expects his country's men's national team to stand where they have been more often than not - on the top step of the podium. Tooley joined USA ...

    LONDON (Olympics) - Today marks exactly one year to go to the Final of the 2012 Olympic Basketball Tournament.

    When that momentous day comes around, USA Basketball's Executive Director and CEO Jim Tooley hopes his country's men's national team to stand where they have been more often than not - on the top step of the podium.

    Tooley joined USA Basketball in 1993 and, under his guidance, the men's programme captured gold medal after gold medal, including ones at the 1996 and 2000 Olympics as well as the 1994 FIBA World Championship.

    In 2001, he was promoted to his current role, which has him overseeing both the men's and women's programmes.

    Tooley talked to FIBA about the USA men's team and the reigning Olympic champions' prospective opponents.

    FIBA: The Olympic Games are a year away now. Where do things stand with the men's team?
    Tooley: We feel we're in a very good position because we have a number of outstanding players from the 2008 (Beijing Olympics) team who are still interested in playing and are still in the prime of their careers.

    We also have a great group of guys from the 2010 team that won the FIBA World Championship, and I’m sure there will be some other players who didn't play on either team that we'll give serious consideration to as well.

    We feel really confident that the guys want to play and are going to play. The labour issue with the NBA is a separate matter. Like everyone we’re hopeful it can be settled quickly, but we feel good that our guys will play in London.

    FIBA: What will be the likely composition of the team? Will it be a majority of players from 2008? Or from the 2010 team?
    Tooley: We believe we will get the best players from both teams for 2012. Imagine the USA team that can be fielded by combining players from those last two gold medal teams!

    To be able to have players like Kobe (Bryant), Dwyane Wade, Dwight Howard, Kevin Durant and any of the other national team members play together will make this a very special team, one basketball fans worldwide will enjoy watching play.

    It's a little premature to say exactly which guys will be selected for the USA Olympic team, but we do have a lot of talent between those two teams and we could also add some new players who have had breakthrough seasons.

    FIBA: How are you preparing for your prospective opponents in London?
    Tooley: We have scouts at all of the continental championships to keep an eye not only the teams that immediately qualify but also teams that qualify for the FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament.

    FIBA: Probably the most anticipated continental championship this summer will be EuroBasket in Lithuania. What are your thoughts on that tournament?

    Tooley: Well having EuroBasket go from 16 to 24 teams shows the depth of talented teams that Europe has and it's not clear cut who will come out of it - Lithuania, Spain, Turkey, Russia, Serbia, Greece, France are all strong.  It's a very tough competition.

    Whatever top two teams come out of it (to book the automatic places for the Olympics) will have earned it and then three, four, five and six will be among the favourites to come out of the Olympic Qualifying Tournament next year.

    FIBA