JERRY COLANGELO

The Basketball Hall of Fame has added 16 new members.

Retiring Duke Hall of Famer Mike Krzyzewski's influence on the sport will last long past his final game.

Golden State Warriors coach Steve Kerr has been formally announced as the next coach of the U.S. men’s basketball team.

USA Basketball will face Puerto Rico, Mexico and Cuba in the first round of qualifying for the 2023 Basketball World Cup.

The basketball coach who in recent years has questioned the soul of America brought home the gold for Team USA.

With the gold medal in jeopardy, the U.S. knew where to turn to protect it.

France — the new official nemesis of USA Basketball — awaits the Americans in the gold-medal game on Saturday. “We came here with one goal and that’s to win a gold medal,” U.S. guard Damian Lillard said. Later Saturday, Luka Doncic and Slovenia will meet Patty Mills and Australia for the bronze, the winning side assured of claiming its first Olympic men's basketball medal. The Americans — looking for a 16th gold medal in 19 Olympic appearances — don’t have that luxury. “We’re here for the gold medal,” U.S. center Bam Adebayo said.

For USA Basketball, some eras will end Saturday.

Wake up.

There were 49 NBA players at the Tokyo Games when the Olympics started.

There is no aura of invincibility around this U.S. men’s basketball team.

Damian Lillard was nearly flat on his back, trying to save a possession the U.S. couldn’t afford to lose.

Major international basketball is back in the Tokyo area for the first time since a memorable world championship in 2006.

For Colangelo, who was also diagnosed with prostate cancer that year, a career in sports seemed to be heading toward its finish. When the U.S. stumbled to a third-place finish that summer in Athens, Greece — the first time it hadn’t won Olympic gold when using NBA players — former NBA Commissioner David Stern decided the USA Basketball program needed to be overhauled. The guy he had in mind to take over was Colangelo, who had been a trusted confidante on many matters in basketball and beyond. “For the country, for USA Basketball, for the players who have committed the time to do this under the circumstances, we want to win. It’s all about winning the gold medal.”That was a foregone conclusion when the Americans first started using NBA players in 1992.

The two regular-season games between Milwaukee and Phoenix this season fit the same script.

Experience mattered to USA Basketball when putting together a roster for the Tokyo Olympics.

Vanessa Bryant got a private tour to see some of the newly remodeled Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame on Friday, viewing the exhibit that will honor the life and legacy of her late husband before the rest of the world gets their first look.

Kobe.

USA Basketball has announced that Grant Hill will be the replacement for Jerry Colangelo as its men’s national team managing director following the Tokyo Olympics.

United States' Sebastian Soto reacts at the end of a Concacaf Men's Olympic qualifying championship semi-final soccer match against Honduras in Guadalajara, Mexico, Sunday, March 28, 2021. Lalas maintains the burden to improve the Olympic effort lies with Kreis, senior national team coach Gregg Berhalter and U.S. men’s national team general manager Brian McBride. FIFA regulations say clubs don’t have to release players for Olympic qualifying or the Olympics. FIFA restricts Olympic qualifying to players 23 and under. AdNone of Honduras’ players on the roster for last week’s national team exhibition against Greece were Olympic age eligible.

USA Basketball is a step closer to choosing the team that will play in this summer’s rescheduled Tokyo Olympics, releasing the names Thursday of 57 players who are part of the pool to fill the squad. It’s also already drawing major interest from some NBA stars who have yet to taste Olympic gold. USA Basketball will pare the list to a 12-person Olympic team by early summer. Jordan, who now plays for Brooklyn, is also a newcomer to the pool even though he was on the 2016 Olympic team. “But for USA Basketball to receive the commitment of so many outstanding players remains an indicator of the great honor of representing your country means to these men.”

Los Angeles Clippers forward Kawhi Leonard (2) shoots against Washington Wizards center Moritz Wagner, left, during the second half of an NBA basketball game, Thursday, March 4, 2021, in Washington. (AP Photo/Nick Wass)Kawhi Leonard is planning to play for Gregg Popovich again and chase a gold medal. Leonard said Sunday at the All-Star Game in Atlanta that he is planning to compete with USA Basketball this summer at the rescheduled Tokyo Olympics — which would reunite him with Popovich. Popovich will serve as head coach at the Olympics for the first time. “If I feel up to it and feel ready to go around that time, then I'm going to play," Leonard said.

(AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)Golden State coach Steve Kerr was supposed to be in Tokyo for the Olympics this summer. Then again, Kerr isn't certain if he or anyone else from the NBA will be there at all. FIBA pushed back the dates for the four remaining qualifying tournaments to June 29 through July 4, 2021, meaning they would end 19 days before the rescheduled start of the delayed Tokyo Olympics. Toronto coach Nick Nurse is scheduled to coach Canada in that qualifying tournament and, he hopes, the Olympics. Nurse, Popovich and Kerr surely arent the only coaches wondering on this point.

The league and the players know they must go above and beyond in the interest of safety. The rough very rough draft of the NBA calendar suggests next season will start Dec. 1. Meanwhile, the 2020 NBA finalists arent even slated to get nine weeks off before next season starts. The Warriors Klay Thompson last played a year ago, when he tore his ACL in the NBA Finals. But for the players who play deep into this season, then play deep into next season, thats a lot of basketball without a lot of time off.