Draw by the International Basketball Federation and Olympic Officials for Participating Countries - 2003-11-10

The United States men's basketball team will avoid competing against tough rivals Argentina, Spain, Serbia, and Montenegro in the first round of next year's Olympic Games. On Saturday, the draw for the 12 participating countries in men's basketball at the 2004 Olympics was conducted by the International Basketball Federation and Olympic officials. The United States was placed in Group B, which also includes Greece - the Olympic host - Lithuania, the European basketball champion, Puerto Rico, Australia, the Oceania champion, and Angola, the African champion. Argentina, Spain, Serbia, and Montenegro, all of whom achieved surprising victories against the U.S. team at the 2002 World Championship in Indianapolis, are in Group A this time. The U.S. national basketball team, featuring stars from the NBA such as Tim Duncan, Jason Kidd, and Allen Iverson, qualified for next summer's Olympic Games after winning the gold medal at the North and Central American tournament held in Puerto Rico, organized by the International Basketball Federation, where the U.S. team won all 10 of its matches. In the championship game of that tournament, the U.S. team defeated Argentina 106 to 73, partially avenging their loss to Argentina at the 2002 World Championship. The Argentine team features NBA player Manu Ginóbili and skilled forwards Andrés Nocioni and Fabricio Oberto. The United States has won the Olympic gold medal in men's basketball three times and has a total of 109 wins and only 2 losses in Olympic history. Americans won the gold medal at the Sydney Olympics in Australia in 2000 by defeating France in the basketball final. Lithuania will also have NBA players at next year's Olympics in Greece, including Zydrunas Ilgauskas and Darius Songaila.