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The Honolulu Advertiser
Posted on: Sunday, June 22, 2008

U.S. hoops team taking shape

Associated Press

Hawaii news photo - The Honolulu Advertiser

Troy Dumais won the men's 3-meter springboard at the U.S. Olympic diving trials in Indianapolis and qualified for his third Olympics.

MICHAEL CONROY | Associated Press

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AKRON, Ohio — LeBron James and Dwyane Wade cruised city streets on bicycles yesterday for charity.

Soon, the NBA superstars will be touring China for gold.

James and Wade have been selected to play on the U.S. Olympic basketball team, which will be formally introduced tomorrow by coach Mike Krzyzewski and USA Basketball managing director Jerry Colangelo. The 12-man squad, which will also include NBA MVP Kobe Bryant, Jason Kidd and Carmelo Anthony, will try to win a gold medal that has eluded the Americans since 1996.

This will be the second Olympics for Cleveland's James and Miami's Wade, who were on the American team that finished a disappointing third and won a bronze medal at the Athens Games in 2004.

"It's easy to focus on USA Basketball right now," James said. "We have one goal, and that's to win a gold medal. We're very excited about it. We don't worry about the rest. We worry about getting in shape and getting ready to win a gold medal, that's our only concern."

James was joined at his "King for Kids Bike-a-thon" by Wade, Cavaliers coach Mike Brown, former Indians center fielder Kenny Lofton and NBA great Spencer Haywood, the leading scorer on the 1968 U.S. team that won gold in Mexico City. More than 2,000 riders took part in the event held in James' hometown.

While James' spot on the U.S. roster was a given, Wade's wasn't assured until recently.

His season ended in March, shut down by a left knee that never was right following surgery in 2007. Wade has been in Chicago working out since early May, and while he was there, both James and New Orleans Hornets guard Chris Paul — also expected to be named to the U.S. team — joined their good friend to help him polish his game.

"One thing that really helped my confidence was when LeBron and C.P. came to Chicago and we played together," said Wade, a 6-foot-4 guard, who missed 31 games last season, an absence that sent the Heat plummeting to a 15-67 record. "It's all about me being healthy. I've never doubted my talent. It's just making sure I'm healthy for the long haul."

GYMNASTICS

REIGNING GOLD MEDALIST PAUL HAMM ON TEAM

Paul Hamm is going to his third Olympics. And he didn't even have to do a routine.

The reigning Olympic gold medalist, who missed this week's trials at Philadelphia with a broken hand, was selected for the U.S. team for the Beijing Games yesterday, along with Jonathan Horton. The remaining four members of the team, along with alternates, will be announced this afternoon.

"It's strange. It doesn't feel the same as it would for Jonathan," Hamm said. "I understand where the committee stands, and I feel I can do the job they want me to do. But it's definitely a little bittersweet for me."

Hamm still will have to show a selection committee that he is physically able to compete at a training camp July 22 in Colorado Springs, Colo.

DIVING

DUMAIS EARNS SPOT ON THIRD OLYMPIC TEAM

Troy Dumais earned his third trip to the Olympics with a dominating performance in 3-meter springboard at the U.S. trials yesterday at Indianapolis.

Christina Loukas also locked up her first trip to the Olympics with an easy win in the women's 3-meter. No one was close to her overall score of 1092.10.

"It's not really hit me yet," said Loukas, a 22-year-old from Riverwoods, Ill.

Dumais, a 28-year-old native from Ventura, Calif., earned a couple of perfect 10s for his second dive, overcame a bit of a wobble on his next-to-last attempt and blew away the 12-diver field with a total of 1552.90 over three rounds.