Few in professional sports had a resume as diverse as Jerry Colangelo's. He was an assistant with the Chicago Bulls who became the first general manager of the expansion Suns, then came to own the Phoenix franchise, as well as the WNBA's Mercury and baseball's Arizona Diamondbacks. After the U.S. men's basketball team's uninspiring performances at the 2002 world championships and the 2004 Olympics in Athens, Colangelo was named the program's managing director and charged with returning it to prominence. The sports columnist Dan Bickley shared the story of the United States' victory at the 2008 Beijing Olympics in a new book, "Return of the Gold: The Journey of Jerry Colangelo and the Redeem Team." Colangelo recently visited the NBA Store in New York to discuss the process.
Q. How did you originally become involved with USA Basketball?
A. It was a great opportunity to serve, and it came at a most appropriate time for me. I had sold the Suns, let go of the Diamondbacks, fought prostate cancer. So it was kind of a watershed moment. When I was at home recuperating, David Stern asked me if I wanted to take over USA Basketball. It was a quick decision on my part because I needed a shot.
Q: What can you tell us about your book, "Return of the Gold: The Journey of Jerry Colangelo and the Redeem Team"?
A: The book is about that journey in terms of returning the gold, but it's somewhat of a life story regarding my own journey. It's meant to serve as encouragement for people trying to make it, and I share personal experiences about reaching for the stars and not being afraid to fail.
Q. What aspects of the journey does the book delve into?
A. The book is about that journey in terms of returning the gold, but it's somewhat of a life story regarding my own journey. It's meant to serve as encouragement for people trying to make it, and I share personal experiences about reaching for the stars and not being afraid to fail. Second, it's a strong look at leadership and building a company. Literally, taking over USA Basketball, that was what was involved. It serves as a textbook in how you rebuild, restructure. Usually, you start at the bottom and work up. In this way, I started up and worked down.
Q. How long would you like to remain in charge of the organization?
A. I'm looking at 2012 and seeing how I feel after that. The time commitment isn't a big thing for me. I'm flexible in that regard.
Q. Do you foresee any drastic changes to the roster next summer?
A. Free agency this summer might have an impact on who represents us at the world championships in Turkey. I'm hopeful that those guys — LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, Chris Bosh — can work things out before then. One player who sticks out is Kevin Durant. He almost made it last time, and he keeps getting better and better.