March 12, 2002

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (AP) Raef LaFrentz of Dallas, Andre Miller of Cleveland and Paul Pierce of Boston were added Tuesday to the U.S. basketball team for the World Championships.

Duke's Jason Williams was added to the team as an alternate and will be joined by one other college player. Williams is expected to be a top pick in the NBA draft in June.

The World Championships will be played in Indianapolis Aug. 29-Sept. 8, the first time the tournament has been in the United States.

Already on the team, to be coached by George Karl of the Milwaukee Bucks, are seven other pros: Jermaine O'Neal and Reggie Miller of Indiana; Ray Allen of Milwaukee; Jason Kidd of New Jersey; Antonio Davis of Toronto; Michael Finley of Dallas; and Shawn Marion of Phoenix.

The United States won the World Championship in 1994, 1986 and 1954. The last world title was won by Yugoslavia in 1998, with the Americans taking the bronze with a team made up of CBA, college and overseas players because of an NBA labor dispute.