Too green for red, white, and blue

But US keeping eye on Rondo, Perkins

While the NBA champion Celtics won't be represented at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, they could have a presence in USA Basketball's future.

USA Basketball officials announced its 12-member Olympic team yesterday: NBA stars Carmelo Anthony, Carlos Boozer, Chris Bosh, Kobe Bryant, Dwight Howard, LeBron James, Jason Kidd, Chris Paul, Tayshaun Prince, Michael Redd, Dwyane Wade, and Deron Williams. Coach Mike Krzyzewski said the starting five will likely be Kidd and Bryant at the guards, James and Anthony at forward, and Howard at center.

But USA Basketball also plans to invite Celtics guard Rajon Rondo and center Kendrick Perkins as well as ex-Celtic Al Jefferson to play on its select team that will scrimmage and practice against the national team in Las Vegas from July 21-24. The select team includes young NBA standouts who could be prospects for Team USA in the future.

With a good showing, Perkins, 23, and Rondo, 22, could be considered for the 2010 World Championships in Turkey and the 2012 Olympics in London.

The select team will learn offensive and defensive sets from US assistant coach P.J. Carlesimo before practicing and scrimmaging against the national team.

Perkins was excited about USA Basketball's interest and said he wants to participate. He averaged 6.9 points, 6.1 rebounds, and 1.4 blocks in 24.5 minutes per game during the regular season and was a major physical presence against the Lakers in the NBA Finals.

"It would be an honor to play against them," said Perkins. "I would love to play against them and hope to play for them one day. It's an honor. It will be fun."

Perkins was hampered with a strained left shoulder that caused him to miss Game 5 of the Finals, but he doesn't believe it will need surgery or keep him from being a part of the select team.

"It's good," said Perkins. "I'm doing rehab, treatment. It still has to get reevaluated. But it doesn't look like it will be serious." Rondo, who averaged 10.6 points, 4.2 rebounds, 5.1 assists, and 1.68 steals in 29.9 minutes per game during the regular season, got the news at his basketball camp in Lexington, Ky.

"This is a great surprise," he said through his publicist. "I'm honored to be invited and I hope I will be able to participate."

The Celtics have three players with impressive USA Basketball experience in Kevin Garnett, Ray Allen, and Paul Pierce. Garnett and Allen played on the team that won gold at the 2000 Sydney Olympics - the last time the US won Olympic gold. But Garnett has turned down overtures to play this year and Allen didn't receive strong consideration.

"We never got any positive feedback regarding [Garnett's] interest," said USA Basketball managing director Jerry Colangelo. "It was more of, 'I've been there. I've done that. It was time for someone else to do it.' I've had conversations with his people on a number of occasions just to check the temperature of the water. And there was never any positive response.

Pierce played for the 2002 World Championship team that went medal-less. He was originally considered a potential candidate for the 2008 team, but injuries kept him from training the past two years. Pierce, however, has said that he is very supportive of USA Basketball and plans to attend the exhibition against Canada in Las Vegas July 25.

"It's just unfortunate," Colangelo said. "His injuries prevented him from participating each of the past two summers. That made it difficult to consider him because of the time, investment, and equity other guys had put into it."