Source- USAbasketball.com USA World Championship finalist Amar? Stoudemire (Phoenix Suns) will not participate the in team's exhibition game versus Puerto Rico this evening and will not travel with the team during its pre-World Championship tour, USA Basketball Senior National Team Managing Director Jerry Colangelo announced today. "During the past few days of our training camp we concluded that it would be difficult for Amar? to continue with the rehabilitation he needs to do while the team continues its training in Asia. He is not quite where he needs to be and he needs to continue his work here in the States to get ready for the season. He is also expecting the birth of a child, so we decided it would be best if he returned home," said Colangelo.Stoudemire is recovering from arthroscopic surgery on his right knee that was done April 5, 2006, and he also underwent surgery to repair a joint surface defect in his left knee on Oct. 15, 2005. He played in three Phoenix games in 2005-06. The 14 finalists contending for the 12-man 2006 USA Basketball Men's World Championship Team roster include: Carmelo Anthony (Denver Nuggets); Gilbert Arenas (Washington Wizards); Shane Battier (Houston Rockets); Chris Bosh (Toronto Raptors); Bruce Bowen (San Antonio Spurs); Elton Brand (Los Angeles Clippers); Kirk Hinrich (Chicago Bulls); Dwight Howard (Orlando Magic); LeBron James (Cleveland Cavaliers); Antawn Jamison (Washington Wizards); Joe Johnson (Atlanta Hawks); Brad Miller (Sacramento Kings); Chris Paul (New Orleans/Oklahoma City Hornets); and Dwyane Wade (Miami Heat).Duke University head coach Mike Krzyzewski was named on Oct. 26, 2005, head coach of the USA Senior Team Program for 2006-2008, and named as assistant coaches were Syracuse University (N.Y.) and Hall of Fame mentor Jim Boeheim, Phoenix Suns head mentor Mike D'Antoni and Portland Trail Blazers head coach Nate McMillan.The USA Team will conclude its training in Las Vegas Thursday evening when it meets Puerto Rico in the 2006 State Farm USA Basketball Challenge at the Thomas & Mack Center (8 p.m. PDT). The game is being televised live by ESPN2.The USA's training moves to Guangzhou, China, where the team will train Aug. 6, and play two games as part of the China Basketball Challenge, facing China on Aug. 7 and Brazil on Aug. 8.From Aug. 11-15 the USA will participate in the five-team World Basketball Challenge 2006 that will be held in Seoul, Korea, at the site of the 1988 Olympic Games basketball competition - Jamsil Gymnasium. The Challenge features national teams from the United States, Italy, Korea, Lithuania and Turkey.The World Basketball Challenge 2006 officially gets underway Friday, Aug. 11, when Korea plays Turkey (6 p.m., all times local). On Saturday, Aug. 12, Korea will take on Lithuania (2 p.m.), while Italy and Turkey (4 p.m.) will clash in the evening's second game. The USA opens its play on Sunday, Aug. 13, against Lithuania (2 p.m.), and Korea versus Italy (4 p.m.) caps the day's schedule. The Challenge concludes Tuesday, Aug. 15, with Korea meeting the U.S. (3 p.m. local time). The U.S. squad is also scheduled to train in Seoul on Aug. 11, 12, 14, and 16. The USA's visit to China and Korea mark the first time that a USA men's senior national basketball team comprised of NBA players has visited either country.The United States will depart on Aug.17 for Sapporo, Japan, where it will play its preliminary round games of the 2006 FIBA World Championship for Men from Aug. 19-24.
good move..let him be a star and help lead his team with steve nash instead of being a role player on a team which is already stackedgood news for the suns..he should be ready for the season
I thought it would be good for him to play a couple games against some real competition before returning home. I also heard his knee is healed but he doesen't have the explosiveness he did before and he worries about his knee too much. When doing stretches I heard he doesen't put much pressure on that knee at all. I'm pretty worried but we need him to be ready about 8 months from now. Hopefully he'll be near 100% by then. I mean, that'll be almost 2 years after the surgery...
This is very good news for the Suns organization. He needs to get all the rest he can get for himself. I think playing on it right now instead of making it heal could only further injure him.
just because he isent on the roster for the world championships does not mean he wont be on the roster for the olympics. I still expect amare to play in the olympics, but you know the person who is doing the olympic comittee always has a steak in the suns so im not suprised about this and its a great move for the suns organization and i hope he gets his explosiveness i miss the old amare and i hope he returns to that
Good news for Amare's body, however hasn't he healed by now? I think it's time he get some practice in so he's not rusty when he gets back to the league. I understand that he's been working out with the team but he needs to start playing in some games. He could really help team USA out, I guess the good news is that Antawn gets more time! Are they planning on taking another player who was cut back into the team? I don't think they should go into the FIBA league without 15 players however I do not think that it will hurt them too much. Also for those saying that this is a good news for Pheonix, they want to come into the season winning games and they need Amare ready to go and at his best.
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Fabolous @ Aug 3 2006, 05:17 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'>I rather have him sit out until hes 101%</div>THAT'S MATHMATICALLY IMPOSSIBLE Z0MG!!!!!!!Hell, I'd be worried about it too. what if the stitches or wahtever just split apart, and BLAH his knee fell out. hahaha, but seriously, i can imagine easily y he's worried.
Good move, Amare needs to focus on his NBA career. I hope he comes back alright, and I hope one day he regains that explosiveness, or at least most of it.I think the final 2 people cut should be Jamison and Miller or Jamison and Bowen. Who do you guys think the last 2 players cut should be?Also whats the deal with Kobe and Pierce? They both opted for surgery this summer, but are they going to be playing in 2008?
Yes they are going to play. Everyone that's cut can be put back on the team if they are chosen.I think it should be Jamison and Bowen, even though I like Bowen on the team. Brad Miller is great for international ball.
