April 25--Tom Thibodeau will be roaming the United Center sidelines even before his first training camp with the Minnesota Timberwolves.
USA Basketball announced on Monday that one of its five exhibitions in advance of this summer's Rio de Janeiro Olympics will be against Venezuela at the United Center on July 29.
Whether Bulls' All-Star Jimmy Butler joins his former coach in Thibodeau will be known by then as the 12-man roster will be selected by USA Basketball chairman Jerry Colangelo, coach Mike Krzyzewski and their staff in late June. Butler is one of 31 finalists for the Olympic team.
"With only a short period of training available, our training and exhibition games are critical in helping us prepare for the challenges we will face in Rio in defending our gold medal," Colangelo said in a release.
Other exhibition and training sessions will take place in Las Vegas from July 18-22 with an exhibition against Argentina on July 22; in Los Angeles from July 23-25 with an exhibition against China at the Staples Center on July 24; in Oakland, Calif., with another exhibition against China on July 26; and, following the Chicago stop, in Houston from July 30 to August 1 with an exhibition against Nigeria at the Toyota Center on August 1.
USA Basketball's opening-round game in Rio de Janeiro is set for August 6 against China.
"Building our team chemistry is vital and the 2016 USA Basketball Showcase will offer our players and coaches the opportunity to become familiar with each other and gain critical international experience against a variety of differing styles," Krzyzewski said in a statement.
Beyond Thibodeau, Thunder assistant Monty Williams and Syracuse University's Jim Boeheim assist Krzyzewski.
Tickets for the exhibitions go on sale April 29. For more information, visit www.usab.com/showcase.
