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USA Basketball boss to stay for Rio Games?

Posted By HOOPSWORLD On August 31, 2012 @ 7:59 pm In All,Wirenews | Comments Disabled

In all likelihood, Jerry Colangelo will remain chairman of USA Basketball through the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics, even as men’s coach Mike Krzyzewski steps down.

“I’ve decided I’m going to continue,” Colangelo told USA TODAY Sports. “I’m committed to our organization during this transition period. I want to make sure, as good as things are, that once the baton is handed over to someone it’s in even better shape. That’s the plan for these next four years.”

Colangelo said his decision was not influenced by a decision from FIBA, international basketball’s government body, not to ask the International Olympic Committee to make the men’s competition an under-23 event.

“It didn’t have anything to do with my willingness to continue,” he said. “I’ve been encouraged to continue and if somebody didn’t want me there, it would take about three seconds for me to walk.”

Colangelo was non-committal about his future during the London Olympics and said he came to his decision following downtime after the U.S. men’s and women’s teams won gold in London three weeks ago.

“I said, ‘If I’m healthy and I have the time to do it, it’s a passion of mine, then why not?’ ” Colangelo said.

There is a formal procedure, based on USA Basketball’s constitution, which must be followed, though. Colangelo must be nominated for a spot on the board of directors for the 2013-16 quadrennial, on which Colangelo said he has been assured a spot.

USA Basketball’s new board of directors is expected to be named by early 2013, and it then will elect a chairman. Given Colangelo’s desire to return and the success of the senior and junior programs, it’s unlikely someone else is named chairman.

Since Colangelo joined USA Basketball in 2005 following the men’s troubling bronze-medal performance at the 2004 Athens Olympics, the U.S. men are 62-1 with gold medals at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, 2010 world championship and 2012 London Olympics. The women were in fine shape before Colangelo joined and have continued, winning the past five Olympics gold medals and boasting a 41-game Olympic winning streak.

The USA also is the defending world champion in under-17 and … [For more on USA Basketball boss wants to stay for Rio Games, click here.]


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