The final 12 members of the U.S. Olympic basketball team were unveiled Saturday, July 7 in a high-rise casino hotel in Las Vegas.

Nine players had already been announced as part of the squad prior to the Saturday unveiling, televised on NBATV – Carmelo Anthony (New York Knicks), Kobe Bryant (Los Angeles Lakers), Tyson Chandler (New York Knicks), Kevin Durant (Oklahoma City Thunder), LeBron James (Miami Heat), Kevin Love (Minnesota Timberwolves), Chris Paul (Los Angeles Clippers), Russell Westbrook (Oklahoma City Thunder) and Deron Williams (Brooklyn Nets).

The final three to make the cut were Clippers forward Blake Griffin, Thunder guard and NBA
Sixth Man of the Year, James Harden, and Philadelphia 76ers guard/forward Andre Iguodala.

Griffin, Harden and Iguodala beat out other candidates Rudy Gay (Memphis Grizzlies), Eric Gordon (New Orleans Hornets) and No. 1 overall pick of the 2012 draft Anthony Davis (Hornets). With Chandler the only true center on the U.S. team, Griffin’s size and athleticism will alleviate the frontcourt pressure and offer another big body down low.

The U.S. Olympic team roster left off All-Star big men Dwight Howard (Orlando Magic) and LaMarcus Aldridge (Portland Trailblazers) due to injuries, while Lakers center Andrew Bynum withdrew his name for consideration.

Chris Bosh and Dwyane Wade, two members of the 2012 NBA Champion Heat team, also were left off the team because of injury, unable to join James, their teammate in Miami. With Harden being selected, the Oklahoma City Thunder became the first team to have three players selected to a single Olympics squad.

Five of the players selected to the 2012 team headed to London won the gold medal in the 2008 Olympics in Beijing – Anthony, Bryant, James, Paul and Williams – and will try to retain their undefeated records in the Games.