He knows full well it's a team that has won gold in 12 of the 14 Olympics in which it has participated, including all three with NBA players filling its roster.
As one of nine committee members responsible for selecting the dozen men who will represent American basketball in the 2004 Summer Games, then, Kevin O'Connor feels at least a few pounds of the world's weight on his shoulders.
"I'm a very, very small part in a big picture," said O'Connor, the Jazz's senior vice president for basketball operations.
"But anybody on the committee," O'Connor added, "has a responsibility to put the best team we can on the floor."
That in mind, who can blame O'Connor and other USA Basketball committee members — most of them fellow NBA executives — if they feel a bit light-headed?
Formation of the team that will travel to Athens, Greece, in August, after all, has taken more twists and turns than an afternoon soap.
By April of last year, the committee had chosen nine players to form the core of an eventual 12-man roster.
Officially, eight — Kobe Bryant of the Los Angeles Lakers being the lone exception — are still in place.
In reality, though, it now appears only two — San Antonio's Tim Duncan and Philadelphia's Allen Iverson — are safe bets to actually go to Athens.
"You hope there's not movement," O'Connor said, "but injuries put you in a position where
you may have to make changes."
New Jersey Nets point guard Jason Kidd still is participating in the ongoing NBA playoffs, for instance, but the New York Daily News reported Thursday that Kidd said he will not go to the Olympics because of a need to rest his sore left knee.
It's not just health issues, though, that are behind the roster instability.
Bryant officially withdrew late last month, his agent citing scheduling concerns related to a pending sexual assault trial in Colorado. Bryant expressed a desire to keep open the option of playing should circumstances change, but it seems unlikely they will.
Seattle's Ray Allen, meanwhile, has said he will pull out because he has a baby on the way.
Karl Malone of the Lakers also has dropped heavy hints he has no plans to go to Greece, meaning the former Jazz star would forfeit an opportunity to perhaps become the first three-time gold medal-winner in men's Olympic basketball history.
Of the original nine, commitments from Sacramento's Mike Bibby, Orlando's Tracy McGrady and now Indiana's Jermaine O'Neal all also reportedly are uncertain.
O'Neal was one of the first team members to express worry about security issues in Greece.
The latest update: The Orlando Sentinel reported Thursday that McGrady is leaning toward pulling out due to concerns over threats of terrorism in Athens, where bombs exploded just last week.
Where does it leave the committee?
"The biggest concern all of us would have," O'Connor said, "is putting a team on the floor that's representative."
Toronto's Vince Carter, the Lakers' Shaquille O'Neal and NBA MVP Kevin Garnett of the Minnesota Timberwolves all reportedly had invitations extended to them, either formally or informally.
But two of those three seem out for certain.
For that, blame offseason wedding bells, at least in part: Carter cited his coming marriage in declining, and Garnett has publicly mentioned the same.
That leaves O'Neal as the only possibility among the aforementioned three, and it's a slim chance at that.
Another likely selection seemed to be Los Angeles Clippers power forward Elton Brand, but the Associated Press reported Tuesday that he is not expected to participate, either.
And newspapers in both New York and Detroit reported Thursday that New Jersey Nets power forward Kenyon Martin has turned down an invitation, supposedly so he can focus on his efforts to hit the jackpot in this summer's NBA free-agency market.
Assuming, then, that Duncan and Iverson do not pull out — even Duncan has expressed concerns about security, though he remains committed to participating — as many as 10 roster spots are in flux.
Five of those, though, reportedly will be claimed by players who were not among the original core group.
Nothing formal has been announced by USA Basketball, but AP reported after a selection-committee conference call Tuesday that NBA Rookie of the Year LeBron James of the Cleveland Cavaliers has been invited to replace Bryant, New York Knicks point guard Stephon Marbury has been invited to replace Kidd and Phoenix's Shawn Marion will be added for front-court depth.
On Wednesday, ESPN.com reported Phoenix Suns power forward Amare Stoudemire — who earlier in the week made an impassioned plea to join the team — also has been invited.
Rumors that an invitation will be accepted by New Jersey swingman Richard Jefferson, also apparently substantiated, surfaced a few weeks back.
With the July 26 opening of its training camp less than 11 weeks away, then, that would seem to leave five more spots still potentially vacant.
Two could be filled by the two O'Neals. But if they both decline, and Malone really is out, it could wind up being some combination of Miami's Lamar Odom, Sacramento's Brad Miller and Detroit's Ben Wallace that take the front-court spots.
Then it's down to three — the Allen, Bibby and McGrady spots.
AP reported that if Bibby actually pulls out, Minnesota's Sam Cassell would be invited in his place, and that if McGrady definitely does not go, his position might be offered to either NBA Defensive Player of the Year Ron Artest or Denver rookie Carmelo Anthony.
The final spot could go to one of the NBA's potential superstars of the future, like Anthony, who has lobbied hard in his local media for an invitation, or Miami guard Dwayne Wade.
Dizzy?
Probably not nearly as much as committee members like the Jazz's O'Connor, who actually considers the headache of having to help sort it all out quite an honor.
"It's really," he said, "been a wonderful experience for me."
Building A Team
Timeline for formation of USA Basketball's still-incomplete men's 2004 Olympic roster:
Nov. 26, 2002: Larry Brown named head coach.
Feb. 13, 2003: Ray Allen, Tim Duncan, Jason Kidd and Tracy McGrady first four of nine "core group" players named.
April 14, 2003: Mike Bibby and Karl Malone added.
April 29, 2003: Kobe Bryant, Allen Iverson and Jermaine O'Neal named, completing "core group" guaranteed Olympic roster spots.
May 29, 2003: Elton Brand, Nick Collison and Richard Jefferson added as "role players" for team playing in Olympic qualifying tournament, with no Olympic-roster guarantees.
July 18, 2003: Vince Carter added to replace Bryant for qualifying tourney, with no guarantee for future.
Aug. 18, 2003: Kenyon Martin added to replace Malone for qualifying tourney, with no guarantee for future.
April 30, 2004: Bryant withdraws, citing legal concerns related to pending sexual assault trial.
Today: Duncan and Iverson still expected to play; Allen, Kidd, McGrady, Bibby, Malone and O'Neal either out, unlikely or uncertain; LeBron James, Richard Jefferson, Stephon Marbury, Shawn Marion and Amare Stoudamire reportedly will fill five of the 10 roster sports either officially vacant or unofficially in flux.
E-mail: tbuckley@desnews.com