NEW YORK - The U.S. men's Olympic basketball team is made up of all the guys you'd expect to see picked in the first round of the NBA Draft -- Dwyane Wade, LeBron James, Carmelo Anthony, Kobe Bryant and Jason Kidd.

And then there's former Duke star Carlos Boozer. Boozer, now with the Utah Jazz, and Milwaukee Bucks guard Michael Redd were second-round picks. And proud of it.

"Oh, this is the top of the list," Boozer said, putting the experience in perspective during a USA Basketball news conference at The Plaza Hotel on Monday. "I'm a second-round pick like Redd, and to make it all the way to the top and have a chance to be a gold medalist -- that's cool."

A two-time Olympian in Boozer's case. He won a bronze for the U.S. at the 2004 Athens Olympics.

Boozer, a 2007 and 2008 NBA All-Star, would have been celebrated on five continents for that accomplishment, but that young, hastily thrown together 2004 Olympic team was chastised for missing the gold. Part of the trouble was the U.S. still believed it should dominate in Athens.

"We laid back waiting to see what would happen," Boozer said. "Not every game but a lot of games we were waiting instead of playing our game. We were worried about not having shooters or not getting calls or this or that. Instead of being positive."

Boozer said he, Anthony, James and Wade, U.S. teammates in '04, learned the hard way about international basketball. The U.S. no longer could phone it in.

"When we lost in Athens, obviously we knew other teams had been playing together for years, but we still had that confidence that we'd win, and it hurt us a little," Boozer said. "But the four guys on this team have a chance to redeem ourselves."

In order to change any bad mojo left from Athens, the four returning Olympians changed jersey numbers for Beijing.

When the U.S. opens Olympic play against host China on Aug. 10, Boozer will wear No. 4 instead of No. 7. Anthony will wear No. 15 instead of No. 8. James and Wade swapped jersey numbers -- James will wear No. 6 and Wade will wear No. 9.

Boozer says he'll "do what I do" on the court for the U.S. -- rebound, run, pass and bring emotion. That had U.S. coach Mike Krzyzewski recalling the old days.

"It has been unbelievable ... having him, one, because he's good," Krzyzewski said. "He's a unique player. With his body type, he can play the four or five internationally, and he's real mature already."

Krzyzewski adores Boozer, who helped the coach win a third NCAA title in 2001 as a sophomore. But he said that Boozer wasn't included on the U.S. roster because of his Duke connections.

"He was picked because he's an all-star, and we're lucky to have him," Krzyzewski said. "He's a real important guy on this team. Size-wise we need him."

One thing the U.S. doesn't have in abundance is bulk. Orlando center Dwight Howard and Boozer are it. Toronto power forward Chris Bosh is the other big man, and he's on the lanky side.

Boozer is also the only U.S. player heading to Beijing who hadn't spent time with the national team the past two summers. Does he feel out of place?

"I feel more honored because they could have chosen someone else," Boozer said. "I'm very proud to be on this team. If we're fortunate enough to win, it's going to be great. We have great team chemistry. I don't see that as bad at all."