London Calling 2012.

Keelin Godsey lives with his fiancée in North Adams, Mass. In June, he'll be competing for a spot on the U.S. track and field team -- the women's hammer team, to be exact.

If you're furrowing your brow, you're not alone. Godsey is a transgender athlete -- the first Olympic hopeful in the U.S. to identify as one. He has the body of a female, but strongly identifies as a male. In the latest issue of Sports Illustrated, Pablo S. Torre and David Epstein explore the slowly increasing public awareness of transgenders in sports, and the challenges Godsey has faced on his road to the Olympics.

Although he went by his given name of Kelly and wore his blond hair long at his Colorado high school, Godsey was regularly tormented for being masculine. He was viciously beat up, even by female classmates. If homosexuality is still misunderstood in our culture, then the transgendered are even more puzzling to a society hung up on gender roles and sexuality. Add sports to the equation, and it becomes even more confusing. We accept the division of men and women in sports because it typically creates the most equal playing field -- so how should professional organizations handle transgender athletes?

There was Yale tennis star Richard Raskin, who became Renée Richards in 1975. There was Kyle Allums, a guard on the George Washington women’s basketball team who came out in 2010 as a transgender. There were plenty in between. But transgender athletes have been fighting a long battle for recognition in professional sports. In 2004 the International Olympic Committee decided, in order to compete against those not of their birth sex, trans athletes have to undergo sex reassignment surgery followed by two years of hormone therapy. The NCAA followed with their own, slightly different policy. Godsey hasn’t had any hormone therapy or cosmetic surgery, so he can still compete against women, which he has always done.

"And Keelin — let's make no mistake about this, this has been incredibly tough, and at times tormenting and tortuous, for Keelin Godsey, a person who identifies fully as a male, and wishes to live as a male in all walks of life,” Torre told NPR in an interview about his Sports Illustrated piece. “But, it's his passion for sports and the opportunity to make the Olympic team" that are behind Godsey's choice.

Godsey does plan to undergo the hormone therapy and surgery necessary to fully transition to a male body, either after the Olympics or sooner, if he doesn't advance to the U.S. team.

"How long could I possibly put off going on testosterone? I'm human," Godsey told Sports Illustrated. "I'm human."

Full Story >>

Tags:

Journey, Track And Field

Generally speaking, carrying the iconic Olympic torch is one of the coolest things you can be a part of, but one American singer has big plans for his special piece of sports memorabilia.

Will.i.am spent most of his time tweeting while he was carrying the Olympic torch around Britain. The Black Eyed Peas star told the Sun of London his out-of-the-ordinary scheme. "It's going in my house, on the wall. I'm turning it into a lamp."

Hopefully he won't ever need that Olympic torch to be turned into a searchlight for his career.

Aside from his music, Will.i.am, 37, is spending time in London as a celebrity coach on "The Voice UK." Furthermore, he's sounding a lot like a soon to be expatriate. "When I think of the Queen I think of my mum -- loyalty, perseverance and strength. I love it in Britain -- I don't want to go home.”

For the most part, the music star says his Olympic torch run has made him feel like an honorary Brit.

Full Story >>

Tags:

2012 Olympics, London 2012, Olympics, Will.i.am

Over the past few weeks, ThePostGame has caught you up on the status of both the London hopefuls and the Select Team roster training with them. Before we continue to speculate on who will end up with the privilege of representing the Red, White and Blue this summer, we thought we’d take a journey back into the past. With quite a few great teams having been fortunate enough to represent the U.S. in the Summer Olympics over the past 20 years, it made us curious as to how they stacked up. Here is our rankings of those squads from worst to first.

5) 2004 Athens Team
Coach: Larry Brown
Guards: Allen Iverson, Stephon Marbury, Dwyane Wade
Forwards: Carmelo Anthony, Carlos Boozer, LeBron James, Richard Jefferson, Shawn Marion, Lamar Odom, Amar’e Stoudamire
Centers: Tim Duncan, Emeka Okafor

To some it may be no surprise that the group that produced the nightmare finish in Greece sits at the bottom of the list, but it was much closer than one might think. The team was top heavy, headlined by Duncan (closing in on his fifth ring) and Iverson (one of the best pure scorers ever and a Hall of Fame lock) in their primes, but the rest of the roster was either callow or ordinary.

Anthony, James, Stoudamire and Wade weren’t the players we know them as today, while the other youngster, Okafor, has never been much more than solid despite his lofty draft status (and he barely saw the floor during the Olympics). Jefferson and Odom were in their primes but never even saw an All-Star team during their careers.
Boozer and Marion saw a few combined, but definitely were never considered among the best at their positions at any given point. Plus Boozer, at the time of the Olympics, was only 22-years-old himself and hardly an established veteran. Marbury, ever the enigma, was ultra-talented and made a few All-Star teams because of it, but was a selfish gunner who was undeniably difficult to get along with on and off the court.

All this added up to a disappointing bronze medal finish for the U.S. that year, the only time since professionals have represented our country that that has happened. That result, while not the only reason, leaves this team at the bottom of the rankings.

4) 2000 Sydney Team
Coach: Rudy Tomjanovich
Guards: Ray Allen, Vince Carter, Tim Hardaway, Allan Houston, Jason Kidd, Gary Payton, Steve Smith
Forwards: Shareef Abdur-Rahim, Vin Baker, Kevin Garnett, Antonio McDyess
Center: Alonzo Mourning

The 2000 team that brought back the Gold from Australia is probably the most unheralded of the group. Garnett and Kidd, both in their primes at the time, led the team and are both locks for the Hall of Fame. Payton and a then-25-year-old Allen, two players also likely to be enshrined, joined forces with an aging Hardaway (five All-Star appearances) and an emerging Carter to form a very formidable backcourt. Carter produced one of basketball's most memorable moments with his famous dunk over the 7-foot-2 Frederic Weis. "Le dunk de la mort" (The Dunk of Death) was perhaps the moment that launched Vinsanity into full swing.

Smith and Abdur-Rahim each made a lone All-Star team and were very solid pros. Abdur-Rahim might have been a bigger name had he not been stuck on dreadful teams the majority of his career. The rest of the roster is a case of “What might have been."

Mourning, a brutally physical and dominant center, saw his incredible career sidetracked by a serious kidney disease. Houston, whose game wasn’t nearly at the level of Mourning's, still met an early end to his career, too, due to a devastating knee injury. Baker was extremely productive during his NBA career despite having problems with alcohol abuse. His four All-Star appearances might have been double that had the troubled forward kept his life under control off the court.

The fact that this team allowed the aura of invincibility built by the first two "Dream Teams" to fade thanks to several tight games during the tournament almost knocked them to the bottom of the rankings. However, thanks to KG, Kidd and a few other potential Hall of Famers, they brought home the gold and the fourth spot on our rankings.

3) The 2008 Beijing Team
Coach: Mike Krzyzewski
Guards: Kobe Bryant, Jason Kidd, Chris Paul, Michael Redd, Dwyane Wade, Deron Williams
Forwards: Carmelo Anthony, Carlos Boozer, Chris Bosh, LeBron James, Tayshaun Prince
Center: Dwight Howard

The "Redeem Team" was an impressive collection of today's stars sent to China with one mission; to bring the Gold back to the U.S. Bryant, the best player in the world at the time, and a 35-year-old Kidd led this group of megastars all in their primes. James wasn't quite yet ready to overtake Bryant for NBA supremacy, but he, Anthony and Wade were a far cry from the inexperienced youngsters that got knocked around in Athens. Paul and Williams, while not on that 2004 team, were starting their battle for the title of the NBA’s best point guard and played a major role for the team.

Bosh, just getting started on his streak of seven straight All-Star appearances joined Boozer, fresh off his first one in a frontcourt anchored by Howard. While Howard's offensive game was still quite raw, he was already the defensive presence in the middle that we know him as four years later. The rest of the roster was filled out by Redd, a sharpshooter with an All-Star appearance to his name, and Prince, the versatile forward from the 2004 NBA Champion Pistons.

This impressive roster blew through the competition until enduring over Spain 118-107 in a very entertaining contest. The resulting gold medal was the first for USA in all competitions since the aforementioned 2000 team.

2) The 1996 Atlanta Team
Coach: Lenny Wilkins
Guards: Anfernee Hardaway, Reggie Miller, Gary Payton, Mitch Richmond, John Stockton
Forwards: Charles Barkley, Grant Hill, Karl Malone, Scottie Pippen
Centers: Shaquille O’Neal, Hakeem Olajuwon, David Robinson

The team that followed up the spectacle that was the Dream Team lives in their shadow again on our list despite an incredibly impressive collection of talent. Shaq and Payton were just getting started on their resumes while Miller, Olajuwon Pippen, Robinson and Malone were in the middle of their Hall of Fame primes. Barkley was nearing the end of his illustrious career and Stockton was 34, but both were still incredibly productive.

The three "outcasts" on this roster unlikely to see Springfield still combined for 17 All-Star appearances. Richmond had six of those to his name and the lights out shooter was widely considered to be one of the toughest shooting guards to play against in his generation. Hill and Hardaway would no doubt have experienced greater heights to their careers had it not been for injuries. Hill, just 23 at the time, had already appeared in two of his seven All-Star Games.

As impressive as this group of ballers was, there is no doubt who will occupy the top spot in these rankings.

1) The 1992 Barcelona Team
Coach: Chuck Daly
Guards: Clyde Drexler, Magic Johnson, Michael Jordan, John Stockton
Forwards: Charles Barkley, Larry Bird, Karl Malone, Chris Mullin, Scottie Pippen, Christian Laettner
Centers: David Robinson, Patrick Ewing

The "Dream Team" was no doubt the most impressive basketball roster ever to be assembled. This group received every accolade that was real or speculative. It had the best player to ever grace the court (Jordan) two players considered among the game's best shooters (Mullin and Bird) two of the best passers ever (Magic and Stockton) and a host of other players inhabiting the NBA's Top 50 Greatest Players. Even Christian Laettner, the ugly duckling of this group, was one of the greatest college basketball players ever and former No. 3 overall pick. As if there was any doubt, this team is by far and away the most talented group of basketball players to represent the U.S.

As we look back on these great Olympic teams from the past, it is easy to wonder how the current pool of players will stack up when they are trimmed to 12 in July. Will they be better than the 2008 team? Have injuries to several elite players robbed their chance at *gasp* even surpassing the '96 squad? Or will those injuries and dropouts cause them to tumble all the way down to the bottom of the list? The fun, as always, is in the debate.

-- Brett Koremenos is the Editor at NBA Playbook and a contributor to Hoopspeak. Follow him on Twitter.

ThePostGame brings you the most interesting sports stories on the web.

Full Story >>

Tags:

2012 Olympics, Dream, Dream Team, London 2012, USA Basketball

Make no mistake about it, ever since the Dream Team was first assembled two decades ago, Team USA has always been filled with a collection of NBA superstars that are household names to anyone that remotely follows basketball. The same cannot be said for the Select Team, a squad that to most casual fans is filled with a name or two that most may not be familiar with. Perhaps even its purpose too, is a bit of an enigma.

There's a group of players that drives the Dream Team to gold, and they don't always get the credit they deserve. Those guys were named earlier this week, and their role is ultra important, both in terms of immediate and future success.

Having seen Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook, Kevin Love and Andre Iguodala go through the program, the Select Team has shown not only its usefulness in impacting Team USA's preparations, but its ability to continue to mold the careers of the young players that inhabit the roster. In fact, it's become somewhat of a stepping stone on the path to stardom for many that have gone through it. That doesn't mean every player involved will turn into an NBA All-Star or make an Olympic team, but the Select Team has a way of boosting development in ways most can't initially appreciate.

Full Story >>

Tags:

2012 Olympics, Dream, London 2012, USA Basketball

No, we weren't there. But we're pretty sure the Olympic Games have never been the same since tug-of-war and dueling pistol were included in the program. There were plenty of sports on the docket that we'll likely never see again, and that's really too bad. With the help of Olympic.org and a great list in the New York Times, here are the Olympic sports we'd like to see make a comeback in our lifetime.

Water Skiing
Water skiing had its 15 minutes of Olympic fame at the 1972 Summer Games in Munich. This wasn't just any water skiing -- the events included slalom, figure skiing and ski jumping for men and women. The U.S. won three gold medals, two silver and a bronze.

Tug-of-war
If only we could bring this one back. Who wouldn't want to watch a group of professional athletes acting like schoolchildren? Tug-of-war made its Olympic debut in 1900 and said its farewell at 1920 games in Paris, France. Great Britain was the last country to win the gold, but an American team representing the Milwaukee Athletic Club won in 1904. If they ever did bring the event back, it should also be standard procedure that all male participants sport a dapper mustache and wear ridiculously tight tank tops. Hipsters will be jealous, but this would never get old.

Croquet
There's something so civilized about croquet. You can play it wearing a suit, and mon dieu, that's what they did in 1900 at the Paris Games. Croquet would certainly add a much-needed fashionable edge to the modern Olympics. Leotards and Speedos are just becoming so tired. And if fashion's not your thing, then you should at least support croquet's return for the simple fact that after an inspiring match, you could go out back and whack a ball around yourself. Your Olympic glory dreams will be much more within your reach. Just make sure you reel in the power. Olympic events don't include neighbors' windows as hazards. That won't go over well.

Tandem Bicycle
Tandem cycling events emerged in the Olympics in 1906, but never returned after the 1972 Munich Games. How unfortunate. The sport could be summer's answer to figure skating. Rumors of romance between the athletes? Outrageous matching spandex? IOC, we're waiting impatiently.

Dueling Pistol
It's not quite as awesome as you might imagine -- less John Wayne, more "Police Academy." Instead of actually fighting a duel, the contestants shot at a dummy in a frock coat. Still, we think today's Olympic fans would be thrilled if the dueling pistol was resurrected. And don't be alarmed by the man in the upper right corner. That's Karoly Takacs of Hungary, who actually won the rapid fire pistol shooting event in the 1948 Olympics. The photo, however, gives you a quite clear idea of what those dummies would have been facing.

It's a crime we've lost these events over the years. Who needs rhythmic gymnastics when you could have any of these back?

ThePostGame brings you the most interesting sports stories on the web.

Full Story >>

Tags:

Athletics, Croquet, Dueling Pistol, London 2012, Tandem Bicycle, Tug of War, Water Skiing

Let it snow. We could be welcoming the world to Salt Lake City, Denver, Reno-Lake Tahoe or Bozeman, Mont. for the 2022 Winter Olympics.

Last week, the International Olympic Committee and the United States Olympic Committee negotiated how to divide television and marketing revenue from the events, according to a New York Times story citing two officials who asked to remain anonymous until the agreement was voted on by both sides.

The U.S. was holding out on supporting a bid until Olympic officials knew exactly how the revenue would be shared. Olympic committees in other countries expressed distaste for how much money the U.S. has been receiving -- 12.75 percent of the U.S. broadcasting deals and 20 percent of global marketing revenue. Other nations wanted those percentages lowered, but the U.S. didn't budge -- hence Chicago's big loss in the bid for the 2016 Summer Games. Mounting tension and uncertainty over that revenue kept U.S. officials from supporting bids from Chicago, New York, Dallas and Las Vegas for the 2020 Summer Games.

A signed agreement came on Wednessday. Patrick Sandusky, a spokesman for the U.S. Olympic Committee, told the Times they'll consider backing a bid once everything is finalized. The 2022 Winter Games would be the earliest we'd see the Olympics returning to the U.S.

ThePostGame brings you the most interesting sports stories on the web.

Full Story >>

Tags:

2012 Olympics, London 2012

Jeremy Lin may not have made it back in time to keep the Knicks afloat in the NBA playoffs, but he's found a valuable role with the USA basketball team this summer, according to the official team site.

Lin headlines a group picked by the coaches to scrimmage against the gold medal hopeful first team when camp gets underway in Las Vegas in early July.

Joining Lin will be Ryan Anderson (Orlando Magic / California); DeJuan Blair (San Antonio Spurs / Pittsburgh); DeMarcus Cousins (Sacramento Kings / Kentucky); DeMar DeRozan (Toronto Raptors / USC); Derrick Favors (Utah Jazz / Georgia Tech); Paul George (Indiana Pacers / Fresno State); Taj Gibson (Chicago Bulls / USC); Gordon Hayward (Utah Jazz / Butler); Irving (Cleveland Cavaliers / Duke); Kawhi Leonard (San Antonio Spurs / San Diego State); Jeremy Lin (New York Knicks / Harvard); Klay Thompson (Golden State Warriors / Washington State); and John Wall (Washington Wizards / Kentucky).

Whether Lin will actually play is probably another matter. The point guard is now a free agent, and much like Deron Williams of the first team, his involvement with Team USA may depend on whether his contract status for the following season has been sorted out. Suffering an injury while unsigned would be an unfortunate turn after setting the world on fire with the Knicks, but being a part of the Team USA camp would also be a significant career milestone.

ThePostGame brings you the most interesting sports stories on the web.

Full Story >>

Tags:

Jeremy Lin, New York Knicks, USA Basketball

Carrying the Olympic torch is a once in a lifetime opportunity, but even that was not enough to keep someone away from Twitter.

That was the case for music star Will.i.am. The musician most known for his role with The Black Eyed Peas multitasked, tweeting details of his experience as the 109th torchbearer to his over 3.1 million followers.

In what could be an Olympic Games first, he seemed much more interested in the phone he was holding in his righthand than the iconic flame he was carrying with his left hand.

Will.i.am, 37, from Los Angeles, also paid tribute to the memory of the King of Pop, he briefly walked backwards with the torch, mimicking Michael Jackson's legendary moonwalk.

"That was like, a surreal moment. You know I remember in 1984, the Olympics in Los Angeles, and me being a little Will, watching it on TV, wishing I could be at the Olympic Games, and I had that flashback when they handed me the torch to run through Taunton. So it's like a blessed moment, and a surreal moment, and an 'I-can't-believe-it moment' all at the same time," Will.i.am told the Telegraph of London.

-- Follow Ben Maller on Twitter @BenMaller.

ThePostGame brings you the most interesting sports stories on the web.

Full Story >>

Tags:

2012 Olympics, London 2012, Music, Olympics, Will.i.am

Hope Solo is looking for love.

That's not us talking. That's direct from the U.S. soccer goalie who was the recipient of multiple marriage proposals and formal invitations during the women's World Cup last summer.

In an interview with dating-advice site YourTango.com, Solo said her schedule is crazy as she prepares for the Olympics but can make time for other interests, including romance.

"I can't be all soccer -- go, go, go, go -- I need a social life," she said. "I need a life outside of soccer. So I very much welcome, you know, new love interests and dating and friends and family."

Helping the U.S. finish second at the World Cup boosted Solo's status from soccer star to cultural phenom. She appeared nude in ESPN The Magazine's Body Issue and placed fourth with partner Maksim Chmerkovskiy on "Dancing With The Stars."

Full Story >>

Tags:

Hope Solo, Olympics, Soccer

In case you didn't hear yet, the NBA lockout ruined everything. Thanks to last summer's disagreement over the new CBA between owners and players, the NBA's corresponding schedule was straight from hell. Most teams played 66 games in just about double the number of days and even saw back-to-backs added to the latter playoff rounds.

This scheduling has caused some nightmares for the USA basketball brain trust of Jerry Colangelo and Mike Krzyzewski as they try to plan a training camp filled with healthy bodies. Injuries have influenced a process in which talent and fit should have been the deciding factors in selecting the 12-man roster to represent the U.S. in the 2012 Summer Olympics. The battle for the gold medal has instead become a war of attrition, with the remaining grind of the remaining NBA playoff rounds sure to claim another victim or two.

Because of this, USA Basketball has already added two names to the current roster pool (James Harden and Anthony Davis) and a few more could be added as training camp in Las Vegas approaches July 6. We'll take a look at how the pool of 22 is shaping up and try to figure out who will be representing the Stars and Stripes in London.

LaMarcus Aldridge: Aldridge saw his NBA season end in early April due to a torn labrum in hip. He has just begun walking and team president Larry Miller has been optimistic about his rehab process. The odds of him being physically ready to help Team USA are small, but not totally impossible.

Carmelo Anthony: Thanks to the Miami Heat, Melo has been able to enjoy a nice period of rest before training camp. Word is outside of some normal bumps and bruises, Anthony is healthy and all systems go to nail down a starting spot for Team USA.

Chauncey Billups: The aging Billups sadly lost out on perhaps his last opportunity to represent his country when he ruptured his Achilles tendon this February. His sage leadership, professionalism and ability to space the floor will be missed.

Chris Bosh: Bosh suffered an abdominal strain midway through Game 1 of Miami's Eastern Conference semifinal tilt against Indiana. The timetable for the injury is "indefinite" but could put into question his availability for Team USA. More than likely, Bosh will want to come back before being fully healed to help his teammates in their quest for the Larry O’Brien trophy. Should the Heat play deep into June with Bosh at far less than 100 percent, it's not beyond reason to think he may just use the summer to rest and recover.

Kobe Bryant: Bryant, like others still alive in the playoffs, will most likely be a last-minute call depending on how far his Laker squad advances and what that extra mileage does to his troublesome right knee. Knowing the competitor Bryant is and how much he enjoyed his last experience with Team USA, he is most likely a lock to be on the squad.

Tyson Chandler: There were rumors the reigning Defensive Player of the Year was contemplating surgery on a troublesome wrist, but Chandler decided against it and is solely focused on playing a key role for Team USA. Without Dwight Howard, Chandler is the only defensive-minded big man on the roster, something that will most likely earn him a starting role and major minutes in London.

Kevin Durant: Yet another Team USA member that will most likely have to weigh his health status after his playoff run concludes. But given his youth and the fact he was the go-to guy for the 2010 FIBA World Championship squad, it would be a major shock if Durant wasn't on the roster.

Rudy Gay: Rest and health are no issue for Gay after seeing his Grizzlies team bow out in the first round to the Clippers. His biggest deterrent to a spot in the top 12 is most likely the health and participation of everyone else.

Eric Gordon: Gordon has been battling knee issues for the better part of the past year. The Hornets let him come back for one game in January only to be shut him down again until a handful of games in April. It's not entirely clear where his health is at and that uncertain status also ties into the fact that Gordon is set to become a restricted free agent this off-season. Re-injuring the knee playing for Team USA could cost Gordon millions in future earnings so it will be interesting to see if that factors into his participation this summer.

Blake Griffin: Griffin has dealt with a nagging knee sprain of late, but his participation in the playoffs has now come to a close. Griffin should have enough time to rest up and get healthy before training camp opens in early July. The question for Griffin, outside of health, is how well his unrefined game translates to a much less open international style of play.

Dwight Howard: Howard's recent back surgery will relegate him to spectators like the rest of us as Team USA heads to London. His size and defensive ability will definitely be missed.

Andre Iguodala: Iguodala, despite being less heralded than other names on this roster, should have a spot locked up should his health status allow him to participate. An unselfish player and devastating perimeter defender, Iguodala will fit nicely into this roster under the role of "glue guy."

LeBron James: As long as the best player in the world and reigning MVP is healthy and wants to play, there will be spot in London for him. James took quite a bit from his last go-round with Team USA so it would be rather unexpected if he begged off no matter how long his playoff run lasts.

Kevin Love: Love is one of a handful of players whose team missed out of the playoffs and should be plenty rested come July. Of all the big men on the roster, Love’s game is the best fit for the international style of play. Expect him to see major minutes in Team's USA’s quest for gold.

Lamar Odom(?): Odom is coming off a total circus of a season in Dallas. Personal tragedy and a pre-season move from L.A. to Dallas sent him spiraling into a less than agreeable employee for Mavericks owner Mark Cuban. However, if Odom is ready to concentrate on basketball again, his value as a versatile big man was proven during the team's gold-medal-winning performance at the 2010 FIBA World Championships.

While Odom's implosion this season makes it seem like he could never be a serious candidate, the uber-talented Rob Mahony of TheBleacherReport and the TwoManGame has a very interesting perspective that make you think otherwise:

"There's another factor at work that I don't think should be discounted. USA Basketball very much cherishes its reputation as a summer camp of sorts for the best American players. This is where Carmelo Anthony goes to (supposedly) improve his defense. This is where LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, and Chris Bosh conspire to team up. This is where Kobe Bryant instills work ethic in you, Jason Kidd's leadership rubs off on everyone, etc. Just spinning conjecture, but I'd suppose that Krzyzewski and Colangelo would somewhat welcome the challenge of being able to turn around the trajectory of a guy like Odom. If Lamar could make the team, have a good run, and be back to his old ways in the NBA this year, the program would look very, very good."

How all this factors into Odom's candidacy remains a mystery that will have to be solved during training camp and exhibitions this July.

Chris Paul: As a teammate of Griffin, Paul's season is now over. He has been dealing with a nagging groin injury and the severity of that injury will most likely determine his status for Team USA. If it's just a simple strain, there should be enough recovery time to have him at 100 percent come training camp.

Derrick Rose: Rose's ACL tear will have him missing not only the Olympics, but a huge portion of the 2012-2013 NBA season.

Dwyane Wade: Wade has been non-committal on his involvement with Team USA this summer. He, like Kobe, will have to see how an aging and beat-up body feels when training camp rolls around.

Russell Westbrook: Westbrook, like Durant, will be weighing his health status after the Thunder's postseason run concludes.

Deron Williams: The Nets' missing the playoffs has given Williams plenty of time to rest, but the veteran guard is going into the off-season as an unrestricted free agent. With max contract dollars hanging in the balance, there could be issues with his involvement in USA Basketball. However, if Williams signs quickly, he should be a lock for the roster.

James Harden: Added late to the pool (along with Anthony Davis) due to the injury problems, Harden brings a unique element to the group. His ability to run the pick-and-roll, spread the floor and be a playmaker could make him a darkhorse candidate for one of the final roster spots.

Anthony Davis: As a potential superstar, Davis was included mostly about to ensure his participation in the future. He has virtually no chance of making the roster, but the camp will certainly be a tremendous learning experience for him.

-- Brett Koremenos is the Editor at NBA Playbook and a contributor to Hoopspeak. Follow him on Twitter.

ThePostGame brings you the most interesting sports stories on the web.