Krzyzewski Names D'Antoni, McMillan, And Boeheim His Assistants

NBA coaches will answer to a college coach, Mike Krzyzewski of Duke, for the first time in USA Basketball history in the three-year run-up to the 2008 Summer Olympics in China.

"This staff encompasses all the areas that need to be addressed," Krzyzewski said in a statement to The Associated Press. "We have NBA experience. We have international experience. We have backgrounds to teach different styles of basketball, including zone offense and defense."

USA Basketball men's senior national team managing director Jerry Colangelo said the core — "six to 10 players" — of the 20-member 2006-2008 national team will be announced by the end of December or early January. The rest will be selected by March.

Via USA Today

General Basketball

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Traylor Eyes Comeback After Heart Surgery

Free agent Robert "Tractor" Traylor plans to resume working out in six weeks after heart surgery last week, his agent, Andre Colona, said Monday.

Colona said that Traylor, who played for Cleveland last season, failed a physical with the New Jersey Nets during the offseason because of an enlarged aorta. The condition was discovered when Traylor had an echocardiogram during team physicals — as part of his exam with the Nets.

"We were upset at the time when he failed his physical," Colona said. "But for that test, he would have been playing and wouldn't have known the danger he would have been facing. After we looked at everything and sorted it out, it was a blessing in disguise."

Colona said the procedure was "preventative" and Traylor could have played with the condition but there would have been a 40% chance his aorta would rupture.

Via USA Today

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Congress Puts NBA On Notice Over Steroids

Congress is sending a message to the NFL, NBA, NHL and their players: Now that baseball strengthened its steroids policy, we're turning our attention to you.

But those other leagues and unions aren't necessarily planning to get right to work rewriting drug-testing programs that already have been made tougher since lawmakers began focusing on the issue eight months ago.

"We don't think we need to stiffen our penalties," NFL Players Association executive director Gene Upshaw said Wednesday. "Let Congress act if they want to," Upshaw said. "We have put a responsible model in place. We didn't need Congress to tell us to put it in, so why would we need them to modify it?"

"It's actually our model that they have been holding up as the way to go."

Via Sports Illustrated

General Basketball

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