Nets' Kidd "The Man" When It Comes To U.S. Hoops Success

LAS VEGAS -- Make no mistake about who is the leader of the USA men's basketball team.
The New Jersey Nets' Jason Kidd got that job the minute he stepped onto the court as a member of the team, which is trying to qualify for the 2008 Olympics.

The oldest player on the squad at 34, Kidd is the floor general everyone looks up to, respects and is eager to play with.

"I want to help the younger guys," he said. "That's everybody I guess, since I'm the oldest."
The team is training for the Tournament of the Americas Olympic qualifying tournament that begins Wednesday. The top two teams in the 10-country field qualify for the 2008 Olympics in Beijing.

Kidd is also the only member of the team with an Olympic gold medal (2000) and is a perfect 28-0 in international competition (including the 1999 and 2003 qualifying tournaments and the 2000 Olympics). An injury kept him off the 2004 Olympic team and personal issues prohibited him from playing in last summer's world championships in Japan.

Healthy now, Kidd is eager to do whatever he can to help the United States re-establish its international basketball prowess.

"I'm here to make the game easier and go out there and show the world that we are the best and come back with a gold medal," Kidd said.

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source : indystar.com