Preliminary 19-Man USA Men's Olympic Basketball Roster Announced

The 2008 USA Men's Olympic Basketball Team after defeating Spain 118-107 in the Gold Medal Match.

Hard to believe that photo is from 4 years ago. Lebron James is notably crying behind Jason Kidd, emotional over winning a gold medal at the Olympics after winning bronze way back in 2004. The Olympics are a funny thing in basketball. FIBA is slowly gaining more traction and weight, but until it becomes as huge an organization as FIFA, the Olympic Gold Medal is still the highest honor any basketball player or team can hope to achieve.


USA Men's Basketball coach Mike Krzyzewski has unveiled the preliminary 19-man roster for the 2012 London Olympics, which must eventually be cut to 12.


The 19-man roster after the break:

• G Chauncey Billups (2007 FIBA Americas Champion)
• G Kobe Bryant (2007 FIBA Americas Champion, 2008 Olympic Gold Medal)
• G Eric Gordon (2010 FIBA World Champion)
• G Chris Paul (2004 USA World Champion Young Men, 2006 FIBA World Champion, 2008 Olympic Gold Medal)
• G Derrick Rose (2010 FIBA World Champion)
• G Dwyane Wade (2004 Olympic Bronze Medal, 2006 FIBA World Champion, 2008 Olympic Gold Medal)
• G Russell Westbrook (2010 FIBA World Champion)
• G Deron Williams (2002 FIBA Americas U-18 Champion, 2007 FIBA Americas Champion, 2008 Olympic Gold Medal)
• F Lamarcus Aldridge (N/A)
• F Carmelo Anthony (2001 Youth Development Festival, 2004 Olympic Bronze Medal, 2006 FIBA World Champion, 2008 Olympic Gold Medal)
• F Chris Bosh (2002 Junior World Championships Qualifier, 2006 FIBA World Champion, 2008 Olympic Gold Medal)
• F Kevin Durant (2010 FIBA World Champion)
• F Blake Griffin (N/A)
• F Andre Iguodala (2002 Junior World Championships Qualifier, 2010 FIBA World Champion)
• F Lebron James (2001 Youth Development Festival, 2004 Olympic Bronze Medal, 2006 FIBA World Champion, 2007 FIBA Americas Champion, 2008 Olympic Gold Medal)
• F Kevin Love (2010 FIBA World Champion)
• F Lamar Odom (2004 Olympic Bronze Medal, 2010 FIBA World Champion)
• C Tyson Chandler (2007 FIBA Americas Champion, 2010 FIBA World Champion)
• C Dwight Howard (2006 FIBA World Champion, 2007 FIBA Americas Champion, 2008 Olympic Gold Medal)

That's quite the impressive list. Aldridge and Griffin are noticeably the only people on the list with no international experience because Griffin was sidelined his true rookie season and Lamarcus Aldridge was battling various medical issues that took both out of consideration for the 2010 FIBA World Championship. Curiously, Coach K only has 2 centers on the 19-man roster, which means that it is pretty much a sure thing that Chandler and Howard will be the centers on the 12-man roster. 7 players from that 19 will be cut in the coming weeks, all of them guards (8) and forwards (9). My best guess to keep that ratio fair, 3 guards and 4 forwards will be cut. I'm questioning why Chandler is on the list and not Andrew Bynum, considering that Bynum has been universally recognized as the 2nd best center in the NBA.