05/21/2001

Team USA Roster Boasts Top NBA Players, College Standout
for 2001 Goodwill Games

With 100 days to go before the start of the 2001 Goodwill Games, eleven top young NBA players including, 2001 NBA Rookie of the Year Mike Miller (Orlando Magic), 2001 All-NBA Rookie first team selections Marc Jackson (Golden State Warriors) and Kenyon Martin (New Jersey Nets), and this season's college Player of the Year Shane Battier (Duke '01) were named to basketball's Team USA, Goodwill Games officials announced today. The 12-member team will consist of NBA players who were drafted in either 1999 or 2000, or who were 22 years old or younger at the time of the selection process. Player selections were made by the USA Basketball Men's Senior National Team Committee. The Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Center will play host to basketball competition from Sept. 3 -9.
Members of the 2001 USA Basketball Men's Goodwill Games Team are: Battier; Baron Davis (Charlotte Hornets); Jackson; Rashard Lewis (Seattle SuperSonics); Mark Madsen (Los Angeles Lakers); Shawn Marion (Phoenix Suns); Martin; Andre Miller (Cleveland Cavaliers); Mike Miller; Jermaine O'Neal (Indiana Pacers); Wally Szczerbiak (Minnesota Timberwolves); and Jason Terry (Atlanta Hawks).

Minnesota Timberwolves head coach Flip Saunders was named as head coach of the 12-member USA team on March 21, and Orlando Magic head coach Glenn Rivers, Michigan State University head coach Tom Izzo and University of Dayton (Ohio) mentor Oliver Purnell were named as assistant coaches on May 16.

"USA Basketball will be very well represented at the 2001 Goodwill Games in Brisbane," said Stu Jackson, chair of USA Basketball's Senior Men's National Team Committee and the NBA's senior vice president of Basketball Operations. "With the 12 young players named, we have assembled a team with great athletic ability as well as depth and versatility at every position. All of the players have a very bright NBA future, and they will benefit from the international basketball experience gained at the Goodwill Games. We are proud to have them represent the NBA and USA Basketball."

While Mike Miller earned Rookie of the Year honors, he was also selected to the 2001 NBA All-Rookie first team. He was joined on the first team by Golden State's Jackson and the Nets Martin. Eight of the chosen players - Davis, Jackson, Marion, Martin, Andre Miller, Mike Miller, Szczerbiak and Terry - participated in the 2001 Schick Rookie Challenge that was held during the annual NBA All-Star Weekend. Szczerbiak was selected the MVP of the game. The USA Goodwill Games Team also includes four members of the 2000 NBA All-Rookie teams - Szczerbiak (first team); Andre Miller (first team); Marion (second team) and Terry (second team). Both Szczerbiak and Andre Miller were part of the 1998 Goodwill Games Team USA that defeated Team Australia for gold.

Also selected to the squad was Battier, who completed his four-year career at Duke with the 2001 NCAA championship and was honored as the consensus 2001 College Player of the Year.

"This will be the first time that NBA players will be competing at the Goodwill Games which will be thrilling for the young players, who will be able to showcase their talents on an international level, as well as for the fans watching the Games in person or through our live television coverage on TNT," said Mike Plant, president of Goodwill Games, Inc

The Goodwill Games Basketball competition will be Sept. 3-9, and will be televised in the United States on Turner Network Television (TNT). The eight-team Goodwill Games basketball field also includes Argentina, host-country Australia, Brazil, Canada, Cuba, New Zealand and Puerto Rico.

Team USA is the defending Goodwill Games champions having won the gold in New York at the 1998 Games with a thrilling 93-85 overtime win vs. Australia. The USA men have medaled in all four Goodwill Games competitions and in the process compiled an overall win-loss record of 19-6 (.760 winning percentage). The USA captured gold in 1998 and 1986, silver in 1990 and bronze in 1994. All four of those USA Goodwill Games Teams were comprised of college players.

The Goodwill Games, to be held Aug. 29-Sept. 9, 2001, in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia, will feature 14 sports: athletics, basketball, beach volleyball, boxing, cycling (track), diving, figure skating, gymnastics, rhythmic gymnastics, swimming, trampoline, triathlon, weightlifting and sure lifesaving. TNT is the host network for the Goodwill Games. Nine Network Australia will broadcast the 2001 Goodwill Games locally. Goodwill Games, Inc. is a division of Turner Sports, the sports programming and production business of Turner Broadcasting System, Inc.

The schedule is as follows:

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