Okafor suiting up for Olympic squad
(China Daily)
Updated: 2004-06-28 06:44

Emeka Okafor, the second pick in the National Basketball Association draft, has accepted an offer to play for the United States Olympic basketball team at the Athens Games.

Emeka Okafor, of the University of Connecticut, shakes hands with NBA Commissioner David Stern (L) after he was drafted number two by the expansion Charlotte Bobcats in the NBA draft in New York, June 24, 2004. [Reuters]

Okafor, a forward whose father is from Nigeria, led the University of Connecticut to the US college championship. His confirmation on Friday completed a lineup of US NBA talent that will try to win a fourth consecutive Olympic gold medal.

But it will be far from a "Dream Team" lineup thanks to rejections from several top NBA stars, including Kobe Bryant, Shaquille O'Neal, Kevin Garnett, Jason Kidd, Ben Wallace, Ray Allen, Vince Carter, Karl Malone, Mike Bibby and NBA scoring champion Tracy McGrady.

The US lineup will include San Antonio's Tim Duncan and Philadelphia's Allen Iverson, the only original members of the squad who will actually play in Athens.

Cleveland's LeBron James, the NBA's Rookie of the Year, and Denver's Carmelo Anthony, last year's second draft pick who had a stellar season, lead the second-tier NBA players who were called upon to replace the league's elite.

Phoenix's Amare Stoudamire and Shawn Marion, Miami's Lamar Odom and Dwayne Wade, Cleveland's Carlos Boozer, New Jersey's Richard Jefferson and New York's Stephon Marbury round out the US Olympic lineup.

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