According to Jason, senior leader of the Olympic basketball squad, Team USA has one mission when it takes the floor in China: Playing the game at its highest level.

As he told USA Today:

"I think it’s just understanding that every time we take the floor, that everybody’s watching and that we want to show the world that we can play the game the right way, and play as a team…I think that’s what the international teams have started to understand – to play as a team and win as a team."

THE VALUE OF EXPERIENCE
If the US learned anything from the Athens Games in 2004 — when the team finished with a Bronze medal for the first time — it was that veteran leadership matters.

They’ve also put an emphasis on maturity. The 2004 squad averaged 23.6 years, the youngest of the five U.S. Olympic teams comprised of professionals. This year’s team averages 26.08 years – and its spiritual leader is the 35-year-old Kidd, a veteran of five U.S. teams, including the 2000 Olympic gold medal winner.

RELATED STORIES
Team USA aims for redemption in Beijing (USA Today, July 10, 2008)
http://www.usatoday.com/sports/olympics/2008-07-10-1850487580_x.htm