AP's Brian Mahoney wrote the following account after USA Basketball and Nike sprung for a full day of promotion, photos, media activities, morning show appearances and a noon time public event at Rockefeller Center in New York City:
US Olympic team in New York state of mind
NEW YORK — Gazing out from the top deck of a yacht Monday, Dwyane Wade wondered why the Statue of Liberty's torch seemed so shiny.
Turns out, Wade learned, the new torch was covered with 24 karat gold during the statue's restoration in 1986.
New gold? Sounds good to someone who so far has been decorated in nothing but bronze.
"Everybody looks better in gold," Wade said. "Especially around this time."
A morning sail to see the statue started a busy day for Wade and his U.S. Olympic basketball teammates, who were selected last week, practiced once in Las Vegas, then came to New York for a formal introduction.
And a bit of inspiration, after what for some players was their first trip to see the American landmark.
"I look at it like that's history," said Wade, who has bronze medals from the 2004 Olympics and '06 world championships. "You got Team USA that's about to make history and can go down in history as well, so it's a good combination."
The Americans posed on the yacht for a photo shoot in front of the statue, then headed to Rockefeller Center for a pep rally on a makeshift court where the plaza's famed ice rink sits in the winter. After that, it was off to the Plaza Hotel to meet with the media.
It was a chance for USA Basketball and Nike, the organizers of the event, to show off a team they believe will be both successful and likable - unlike the American team in 2004, which was neither.
USA Basketball managing director Jerry Colangelo said his goal when taking control of the program three years ago following the Athens debacle was to, "try to elevate the perception people have of USA basketball and change the culture, because in '04 we had basically hit rock bottom in terms of culture of perception. And so I think we've done that."
"I think it's been great for the players, they've responded extremely well," Colangelo said of Monday's events. "They've been very cooperative, and then again to bring attention to what we're trying to do. This is a team that we believe is together, they're focused, we're on a mission and we want people to jump on and be supportive and enjoy this."
The fans certainly did at the Rockefeller Center event, where hundreds watched the players and coaches get introduced, chanting "MVP!" when it was Kobe Bryant's turn and nearly rushing the court when LeBron James charged toward them moments earlier.
Nobody even seemed to fret when the teams of Chris Paul and Deron Williams, competing against Michael Redd and Tayshaun Prince, combined to make nothing from the outside besides Paul's free throw in a game of U-S-A (a shortened version of H-O-R-S-E) that was trimmed to sudden death after all the missed shots threatened to put them behind schedule.
Are those dreaded U.S. perimeter woes popping up already?
"Not at all. I was out there having fun with the fans," Redd said with a laugh. "It was fun. I wanted to make them, but they just didn't go in."
For Redd, who plays outside the spotlight in Milwaukee, it was a chance to perform before the type of crowds Bryant, James and Wade always draw. And the attention will follow right to China, where basketball has become one of the most popular sports. The Americans open against the host Chinese on Aug. 10.
"I think for us in particular, there's a lot of focus being placed on this ballclub," Bryant said. "And a lot of hype surrounding it, pressure that comes along with that. So in terms of scrutiny or the microscope, that's going to be placed on us more so than other events."
The crowd also got a medical update from center Dwight Howard, who had to miss practice Saturday in Las Vegas because of what coach Mike Krzyzewski called a stress fracture in his sternum. Howard, who donned a Superman cape to win the slam dunk competition at All-Star weekend, said he'd be ready before the Olympics.
"Nothing can stop Superman," Howard said.
The Americans will take a couple of weeks off before reconvening in Las Vegas for training camp beginning July 21. They will play an exhibition game against Canada later that week before heading to China to finish their preparations before trying for their first gold medal in eight years.
"I thought the many things that happened this week gave them a deeper sense of who they're representing, what they're a part of," Krzyzewski said. "They already had a pretty deep understanding, but you can't go through all the things we've gone through this weekend and not feel a little bit deeper with commitment, pride and a sense of purpose for what we're supposed to do."
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