NBA teams
Marc Stein, ESPN Senior Writer 8y

Team USA to play 5 exhibition games before departing for Rio

NBA, Olympic Sports, Basketball

USA Basketball announced Monday that it will play five exhibition games on American soil this summer before departing for the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro.

Coach Mike Krzyzewski and the 12-man roster, which is expected to be revealed in late June, ‎will convene in Las Vegas on July 17 to begin a training camp that spans nearly a week and culminates with a July 22 exhibition game at a site to be announced against 2004 Olympic champion Argentina.

Team USA will follow with games against 2015 FIBA Asia champion China at the Staples Center in Los Angeles on July 24 and at Oracle Arena in Oakland on July 26. The tour will also include games against 2015 FIBA Americas gold medalist Venezuela on July 29 at United Center in Chicago and 2015 FIBA Africa champion Nigeria at the Toyota Center in Houston on Aug. 1.

Houston is being utilized by the U.S. Olympic Committee as a send-off point to furnish numerous Olympic teams with the required credentials and supplies before heading off to Brazil.

"Building our team chemistry quickly is vital and the 2016 USA Basketball Showcase will offer our players and coaches the opportunity to become familiar with each other, to develop chemistry and to gain critical international experience against a variety of differing styles," Krzyzewski said in a statement.

"We'll face some excellent and experienced international teams, which will be important in our preparations. Playing five exhibition games in the United States in front of home crowds will be memorable for our players and fans alike and we look forward to representing the United States in the best manner we can."

Olympic men's basketball runs from Aug. 6 to 21 ‎in Rio with a 12-team field and the Americans ranking as heavy favorites after gold-medal successes in Beijing in 2008 and London in 2012. The team is 75-1 in a decade under Krzyzewski, who is making his Team USA farewell in these games before giving way to San Antonio Spurs coach Gregg Popovich.

After the withdrawals of Anthony Davis (injury) and Chris Paul (rest), 29 players remain in contention for the 12-man Olympic roster, which will be selected by Krzyzewski, USA Basketball chairman Jerry Colangelo and the USAB committee: LaMarcus Aldridge, Carmelo Anthony, Harrison Barnes, Bradley Beal, Jimmy Butler, Mike Conley, DeMarcus Cousins, Stephen Curry, DeMar DeRozan, Andre Drummond, Kevin Durant, Kenneth Faried, Rudy Gay, Paul George, Draymond Green, Blake Griffin, James Harden, Gordon Hayward, Dwight Howard, Andre Iguodala, Kyrie Irving, LeBron James, DeAndre Jordan, Kawhi Leonard, Damian Lillard, Kevin Love, Klay Thompson, John Wall and Russell Westbrook.

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