<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div><div class='quotemain'>If USA Basketball has its way, the Americans will have home-court advantage in their attempt to qualify for the 2008 Olympics in China.FIBA, the world governing body for the sport, is contemplating moving the Americas Zone Olympic Qualifying Tournament from Caracas, Venezuela. Las Vegas, the team's home training site this summer, is being mentioned as a possible replacement site for the event, scheduled for Aug. 20 to Sept. 3, 2007. The Americans were forced to qualify for the Beijing Games after finishing third at the FIBA World Championships in Japan earlier this month. The champion and runner-up of the Americas Zone Olympic qualifying tournament will advance to the Olympics.Between the political unrest in Venezuela and President Hugo Sanchez's open disdain for the United States, there are concerns regarding Team USA's security. There are also concerns from FIBA about Venezuela's financial ability to host the tournament."Right now, it's all premature," said Jerry Colangelo, managing director for USA Basketball's senior men's program, when asked Tuesday if the tournament could be moved to Las Vegas. "There's a question right now about Venezuela's ability to host, and there's speculation that it might be moved."That would be FIBA's call. But if there's a shot that it would be hosted in the United States, then Las Vegas would be the natural place. Our team trains there. The facilities and the hotels are there. We would love to see it there."But that's getting ahead of ourselves right now. We have to wait and see what FIBA does."According to Javier Otero, communications director for FIBA Americas, an Oct. 2 meeting in Puerto Rico will determine where the tournament is held. In addition to Las Vegas, San Juan, Puerto Rico, and Santiago, Chile, could host the tournament.Forty-three countries from North, Central and South America are represented in the FIBA Americas Zone"This is a new process," Otero said. "Las Vegas is being proposed by USA Basketball. But this will be a hard decision for the committee. We'll know more on Oct. 2."Pat Christenson, president of Las Vegas Events, and Daren Libonati, director of the Thomas & Mack Center, both confirmed they had been contacted by USA Basketball about Las Vegas hosting the pre-Olympic tourney. Christenson helped broker the three-year deal to have Team USA train in Las Vegas through 2008, and he said the city would be ready to step in."Absolutely," he said. "If USA Basketball can convince FIBA to move it, and if we had a practical deal with USA Basketball, I don't see any reason it wouldn't work. I think we'd have enough time to do some out-of-market campaigning, and I'm sure the locals would support it."Libonati, who already had the Thomas & Mack and Cox Pavilion reserved for USA Basketball from July 22 to 31 for its training camp, has also set aside the entire month of August in the event FIBA moves the Olympic qualifying tournament to Las Vegas."We've had conversations with them," Libonati said of discussions with both USA Basketball and the NBA. "If the dates don't shift (into July), we'd be able to accommodate the tournament."Moving the tournament would require much work. For starters, FIBA would have to approve the move. The dates might also have to change, though it appears that wouldn't be necessary if the event moved to Las Vegas.Hotel rooms for the teams, fans and media would have to be secured. Law enforcement agencies at the local, state and federal levels would be involved to provide security for teams and whatever foreign dignitaries might attend the tournament. Team USA played Puerto Rico in an exhibition game at the 18,500-seat Thomas & Mack before leaving for the world championships last month in Japan. The game sold out, and the players and coach Mike Krzyzewski said afterward they were impressed with the energy and support Las Vegas gave the team. Team USA is scheduled to play exhibition games at the Thomas & Mack in 2007 and 2008. If the tournament comes here, it would not interfere with any other basketball events. The Vegas Summer League, which features 16 NBA teams, will play at Cox Pavilion from July 5 to 14. The three high school summer tournaments -- the Big Time, the Super 64 and the Main Event -- will be played in high school gyms from July 22 to 26.The only potential problem would be finding facilities where teams could train before the tournament, should any squads choose to arrive in late July. Most high school gyms are booked for summer tournaments, as are other facilities such as the Doolittle Recreation Center, which has two courts, and the Tarkanian Basketball Academy, which has four courts.</div>http://www.reviewjournal.com/lvrj_home/200...ts/9749661.htmlThis could probaly help out team USA to have a chance to qualify for the 08 olympics at home.
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Dmoney0199 @ Sep 20 2006, 02:49 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'>According to Javier Otero, communications director for FIBA Americas, an Oct. 2 meeting in Puerto Rico will determine where the tournament is held. In addition to Las Vegas, San Juan, Puerto Rico, and Santiago, Chile, could host the tournament.</div>Man...I hope they do it here, I've never seen Team USA play live...hell, I've never seen an NBA game.Heat come every year for a preseason game but I hate them so I dont go
Even if they had this in puerto rico, in a way it could still be a advantage for the U.S, I mean puerto rico isen't even that far from America and I'm sure a lot of Americans would be on vacation in Puerto Rico during the time of this event.
