Team USA may hold key to gold

This year’s team is trying to do something to elevate the perception people have of USA basketball.

NEW YORK (AP) — Gazing out from the top deck of a yacht Monday, Dwyane Wade wondered why the Statue of Liberty’s torch seemed so shiny.

Turns out, Wade learned, the new torch was covered with 24 karat gold during the statue’s restoration in 1986.

New gold? Sounds good to someone who so far has been decorated in nothing but bronze.

“Everybody looks better in gold,” Wade said. “Especially around this time.”

A morning sail to see the statue started a busy day for Wade and his U.S. Olympic basketball teammates, who were selected last week, practiced once in Las Vegas, then came to New York for a formal introduction.

And a bit of inspiration, after what for some players was their first trip to see the American landmark.

“I look at it like that’s history,” said Wade, who has bronze medals from the 2004 Olympics and ’06 world championships. “You got Team USA that’s about to make history and can go down in history as well, so it’s a good combination.”

The Americans posed on the yacht for a photo shoot in front of the statue, then headed to Rockefeller Center for a pep rally on a makeshift court where the plaza’s famed ice rink sits in the winter. After that, it was off to the Plaza Hotel to meet with the media.

It was a chance for USA Basketball and Nike, the organizers of the event, to show off a team they believe will be both successful and likable — unlike the American team in 2004, which was neither.

USA Basketball managing director Jerry Colangelo said his goal when taking control of the program three years ago following the Athens debacle was to, “try to elevate the perception people have of USA basketball and change the culture, because in ’04 we had basically hit rock bottom in terms of culture of perception. And so I think we’ve done that.”

“I think it’s been great for the players, they’ve responded extremely well,” Colangelo said of Monday’s events. “They’ve been very cooperative, and then again to bring attention to what we’re trying to do. This is a team that we believe is together, they’re focused, we’re on a mission and we want people to jump on and be supportive and enjoy this.”

The fans certainly did at the Rockefeller Center event, where hundreds watched the players and coaches get introduced, chanting “MVP!” when it was Kobe Bryant’s turn and nearly rushing the court when LeBron James charged toward them moments earlier.

The Americans will take a couple of weeks off before reconvening in Las Vegas for training camp beginning July 21. They will play an exhibition game against Canada later that week before heading to China to finish their preparations before trying for their first gold medal in eight years.