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New York Knicks guard Immanuel Quickley on Wednesday called it an extraordinary experience to be invited to compete with the USA Basketball select team this week.
Quickley, who was named to the NBA All-Rookie second team, was among 17 players named to the select team that opened training camp this week in Las Vegas, Nevada. The select team is practicing and scrimmaging daily to prepare the U.S. national team for the Olympics.
The 22-year-old previously played for the U.S. in the 2017 FIBA U-17 Basketball World Cup and the 2019 FIBA U-19 Basketball World Cup. However, his appearance with the select team is the first time he has competed against the senior team.
“When I first got selected it was, obviously, an extraordinary experience,” Quickley said. “Being a part of USA Basketball is one of the best things on any level. I played U-17 and U-19 so when I was selected to the select team I was really grateful, excited.”
That experience includes being mentored by some of the best players in the world.
With the U.S. Olympic roster featuring the likes of Kevin Durant, Damian Lillard and Jayson Tatum among others, Quickley and the rest of the select team has a tremendous opportunity to learn from elite players and coaches this week.
“Just to get to pick people’s brains, like I was talking to Kevin Durant today,” Quickley said. “Being around the best basketball players in the world is a great experience. He told me we can get some work in while we’re both here so that’s probably the best thing any of these guys could say that they’re willing to work out with us and willing to teach us.”
The opportunity to talk and practice against Durant and others should only help Quickley develop this summer. The work he is putting in against the Olympic roster cannot be replicated in a typical offseason workout and that figures to pay huge dividends for his development.
Workin' against the 🇺🇸 Select Teamers pic.twitter.com/aSMn3p4x2S
— USA Basketball (@usabasketball) July 7, 2021
The U.S. will be among five countries that will play five exhibition games in Las Vegas prior to heading to Japan for the Olympics. The Americans will face Nigeria on July 10; two games against Australia and one apiece versus Argentina and Spain will follow.
Preliminary play in the Olympics, which will feature 12 teams across three groups, will begin July 25 and run through Aug. 2. The quarterfinals will start on Aug. 3 and consist of the top two teams in each group from the preliminary phase.
The semifinals will take place on Aug. 5 with the gold and bronze medal games on Aug. 7.
This post originally appeared on Rookie Wire! Follow us on Facebook!
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