London on the radar for US men's basketball squad

BEIJING -- The United States men's basketball team hoping to earn an Olympic gold medal Sunday could also be very similar team going for gold in London in four years.

The US will hope to land its first Olympic gold medal in eight years against Spain Sunday at the Olympic Basketball Gymnasium. Regardless of the outcome for the favored Americans, Kobe Bryant, LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, Carmelo Anthony, Dwight Howard, Chris Paul, Chris Bosh and Deron Williams are all expected to at the very least consider playing for the 2012 London Olympics team if asked. If such is the case, the undefeated and dominating Americans (7-0) would be more experienced and formidable during the next Games.

"I will only be 27 years old. I want all the gold medals I can get throughout my career," said Anthony, who is participating in his second Olympics.

Paul, who is 23, said: "I'm sure if you ask those guys if they want to play in 2012, they'll say yes."

But before USA will look ahead, it has a very important game Sunday against Spain for the gold medal. The Americans already hammered the Spaniards 119-82 in preliminary action. The US players admit that they could be very emotional if they win Sunday, especially the likes of James, Wade and Anthony since they won bronze medals during the 2004 Olympics and 2006 World Championships.

"Everybody is excited," Anthony said. "I know that we are excited. Four years was a long time ago, but it seems like it was just yesterday. And everything could be turned around in a snap of a finger."

Said Wade: "It could be emotional. We've thought about. But at the same time we have to win this game... But I think everybody has thought about that moment where you lean down and put the gold medal around your neck and you hear your country's song being played. That's when your emotions really come out because you really reflect on the journey...

"We talked about on the bus ride over (for Saturday's practice at Beijing Normal University). We are not going to shy away from our sensitivity. We know Melo is going to cry. We're not shying away from it. We know it's going to be a great moment, but we know we still have a job to do to get that moment.

The American squad at the 2004 Olympics was inexperienced, had chemistry problems and issues with coach Larry Brown. Sunday, US team is a happy bunch that seems to get along great with coach Mike Krzyzewski and each other. The players are often attending Olympic events together and are extremely close knit. Krzyzewski said he has had no problems with any of the players.

The bond that Team USA has now is one reason why returning to play in the Olympics again is appealing.

"If we were at home we'd probably all be together any way," Paul said. "Here, we are together and doing what we love, playing basketball and representing USA. We have an opportunity to win the gold medal."

Anthony, who plays in the NBA for the underachieving Nuggets, said: "I wish I can take this team back. After this, I have to go back to reality."

The Americans have been in China for about a month now and also spent seven days in Las Vegas together for training camp. USA Basketball brought its own chefs from the United States to cook for the team and Bryant even brought a barber. The players have also had to deal with the language barrier in the Mandarin-speaking city. The team returns back home Monday after taking a lengthy charter flight to Minneapolis before going their separate ways.

But in four years, the US team could be in London in half the time it takes to get to Beijing. A flight from New York's Kennedy to London Heathrow is about seven hours long. Moreover, it will be much easier to get around in Great Britain since English is also the primary language and the country isn't close to being as big on the NBA as China is.

"London? Everybody wants to go to London," Anthony said. "It will be different going into London than it is coming into here. Hopefully, we'll have a gold medal from this year and we'll go there champions of the world. It will be totally different. Than we'll all have more years in the NBA."

Said Williams: "It will be probably an easier city to adjust, too."

The US is expected to have a new coach replacing Krzyzewski with one early possibility being US assistant and Knicks coach Mike D'Antoni. Veteran guard Jason Kidd, 35, is playing in his last Olympics while Michael Redd (29), Tayshaun Prince (28) and Carlos Boozer (26) will be in their early 30s and not expected to be back. Although Bryant would be 34 at the time of the next Olympics, he is the world's most popular NBA player and he said he would return if asked.

Anthony, Bosh, Howard, Paul and Williams have all said they want to play for USA in London. The big question marks are James and Wade, who like Anthony would be playing in their third Olympics. Winning a gold medal Sunday could make going through the whole three-year process again less appealing for James and Wade.

James and Wade, however, aren't ready to make a decision and have time to mull their options.

"I don't know," James said. "Right now you look at 2012 being so far away, I'm so focused on what's going on right here I don't know what my future holds with the Olympics or Team USA."

Said Wade: "That would be something we can talk about later. I'm really focused on '08, 2012 is so far away from here. I haven't really thought about it at all."