Prince relishes chance to contribute to Olympics
by Kevin Tresolini on Aug. 09, 2008, under SportsU.S. hopes new emphasis helps
Tayshaun Prince (left), talking with Team USA coach Mike Krzyzewski, has made the All-NBA defensive second team four successive seasons.
BEIJING – Tayshaun Prince’s arrival as an Olympian was delayed by more practical matters.
Growing up in Compton, Calif., and dazzled by the nearby Los Angeles Lakers, the young Prince aspired to an NBA future.
Focusing on that dream has led to success with the Detroit Pistons, and now a spot on the U.S. Olympic team has become an unexpected bonus.
He finds himself here for the Summer Games not inadvertently or accidentally but, as someone who has never been an NBA all-star, somewhat under the radar.
But having made the All-NBA defensive second team four successive seasons, Prince certainly provides the U.S. with an ingredient it sometimes lacked in 2004, when it struggled to a third-place Olympic finish at Athens.
At age 28, the Olympic rookie is actually the fourth oldest player on the U.S. roster.
“Unfortunately, it took me awhile,” Prince said of being viewed as an Olympic-caliber player, “because I always dreamed about getting into the NBA. That was my first and foremost goal. I didn’t have the Olympic status as the top of my goal because, as a little kid, in my country, you watch the NBA all the time. I set that as my ultimate goal.”
Olympic and national team play would have to wait.
But Prince’s potential value filling a key role for the revamped, more team-oriented, U.S. approach was quite apparent to Jerry Colangelo, managing director of the U.S. team, as 2007 Olympic qualifying approached.
“He’s a winner,” Colangelo said. “Very versatile. He’s a stopper defensively. He has length. He can guard three positions, at least, on the court. And he’s a gamer. He can make big shots when you need them.
“It’s going to be hard for Coach K – Mike Krzyzewski – to play 12 guys. But Tayshaun’s a guy who’s ready whenever he’s called upon and he knows that’s his role and he’s a great teammate for all these guys.”
In five tune-up games, Prince ranked 11th among the 12 U.S. players by playing 8.8 minutes per game. He averaged 2.2 points and 1.4 rebounds.
Prince exhibited his value in his first appearances with the U.S. team in the 2007 FIBA Americas Championship, the Olympic qualifier. He averaged 7.3 points off the bench and was second on the team with 5.1 rebounds per game, appearing in nine of the victorious Americans’ 10 games.
He relishes the opportunity to contribute again as the U.S. seeks the most prized of international basketball baubles – Olympic gold, once deemed to be the Americans’ private property.
“When you represent your country, not too many people get the opportunity so you cherish that,” Prince said. “To have that type of experience, that goes at the top.”
