and luke ridnour made the team...

The fact that Allen Iverson agreed to play in the 2004 Olympics, and then actually did, should be reason enough for USA Basketball to include him on the team that will try to qualify for Beijing in 2008.

And given how hard it was for the United States to attract and retain NBA players for that squad, Iverson should be made a lifetime member of the men's senior national team. He should be able to play when he's 50 and has every inch of his body covered by tight black sleeves.

No one wanted to play in Athens. Not Shaq. Not Kobe. Not Kevin Garnett or Vince Carter or Tracy McGrady or Jason Kidd or Ray Allen or Jermaine O'Neal or Kenyon Martin or Karl Malone or Elton Brand or - sheesh, I'm out of breath - Rip Hamilton or Ben Wallace.

But Iverson did. He committed. And he played. It was a simple transaction. Iverson stood by his word when just about every other elite player - save for Tim Duncan - came up with an excuse to bail.

So how does USA Basketball reward Iverson now that it is sending out invitations - 22 to NBA players - to try out for a team that will begin preparing for 2008 this summer? By telling Iverson thanks, but no thanks.