LAS VEGAS -- Kyrie Irving says Mike Krzyzewski calls him the one that got away because Irvings career at Duke lasted just 11 games in his freshman season before he declared for the NBA draft.This summer, Irving is making up for lost time, committing to play for Krzyzewski and USA Basketball despite coming off an intense calendar year that started with a six-month rehab after knee surgery and ended with the longest NBA season imaginable, helping the Cleveland Cavaliers win the championship in a seven-game Finals.Part of me would have wanted to probably think about rest and think about whats going on, but I can rest in training camp or getting ready for the season, Irving told ESPN.com this week at Team USA training camp in Las Vegas in preparation for next months Rio Olympics.I know the team will understand and Ill be at my best no matter what. I mean, this is [Krzyzewskis] last hurrah, so its an emotional thing and this will be our cemented championship if we come home with a gold. We got one in the world championship [in 2014], and now I want to win a gold with him, and Im the one that got away from him. So, Im glad that we can do this.USA Basketballs fascination with Irving predates his time with the Blue Devils. Jim Boeheim, Syracuses head coach and a U.S. assistant, remembers watching Irving play in high school and considering him one of the two best high school guards he has ever seen, along with Isiah Thomas. Every time he played, Boeheim said of Irving, he put on a show.Krzyzewski won the recruiting battle for the ballhandling wizard out of New Jersey, edging schools like Texas, Kentucky, Indiana, Georgia Tech and Seton Hall. A right toe injury cut short Irvings lone college season, but the Cavs drafted him No. 1 overall in 2011 anyway. Now the three-time All-Star has become the player that Coach K envisioned.In high school, I thought he would be great, Krzyzewski said. Hes better. And the thing about him is, hes still getting better. And hes smart.Hes smart people-wise and hes smart game-wise. But hes smart game-wise not when the game stops. A lot of people are smart after the game or when the game stops; hes smart while the game is going on at a high level. And the really good ones are like that. And thats what Ive learned. LeBron [James] is like that. Kobe [Bryant] is like that. Chris Paul, Carmelo [Anthony] is like that. Steph [Curry] is like that.Its heady company for Irving. Three of the names Krzyzewski mentioned were league MVPs, another is considered the best point guard of his generation and the other one of the best pure scorers to lace them up. Krzyzewski is pushing Irving, who is wearing his idol Bryants No. 10 for the Olympics, to continue his rise.I think a player has a dogs life in their career ... 13, 15 [years], Krzyzewski said. Hopefully that long. So when you feel that momentum going where youre getting better, Im not sure you want to stop.I know he wants to play for the U.S., wants to win a gold medal. I think down the list, he wants to play for me. Im not saying way down the list. But the primary thing, Kyrie wants to be a great player, and this gives him an opportunity to play with different people. It brings out different qualities of him ... leadership. And our guys usually become better in this. They usually have really good years [coming off USA Basketball], and then he can rest after. Hell still have about six weeks before the season. So, Im proud of him.Still just 24 years old, Irving is the second-youngest player on USAs 12-man roster this summer, born a couple of months before Harrison Barnes.Im definitely one of the leaders of the team, and its crazy because Im still one of the youngest on this team, our Olympic team, Irving said. Its crazy to think that a lot of things that Ive been dreaming of as a kid are coming a lot quicker than I anticipated. But its been five years since I got drafted from Duke, and Im just happy for the opportunities that are in front of me.Irving will try to add an Olympic gold medal to the FIBA World Cup gold he won in Madrid when he was named MVP of the tournament. Hell try to add another championship with the Cavs next season, of course, but thats not on his mind at the moment.I havent thought about it, Irving said. I havent thought about a repeat yet. Ill think about it when it comes to October.Being around the Warriors Kevin Durant, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green all summer could speed that thought process, but Irvings answer is in line with his mantra of staying in the moment. Its the same reason he had little interest in reliving the Cavs epic Finals win over Golden State -- including his clinching 3-pointer over Curry in Game 7 -- when asked about it this week.I dont really have time to really sit there and realize the accomplishment of The Shot, he said. I know it was a very big shot and the magnitude of it was huge. But ... I wouldnt be me if I didnt continue to strive to think about the next thing that I have to accomplish and I want to accomplish, whether that be team- or personal-wise.So, it was a big shot, Im very ecstatic we won the championship and Im glad that shot happened in Golden State. It was a very big team, morale win for us. On the road in the NBA Finals, I mean, Ive been waiting for that type of moment. And I remember a person asked me, they were like, Are you ready for Game 7? And I told everybody, Im ready to relish in that moment. I want it, Im ready to be in it, Im ready to live in it and I meant that.As far as the Cavs go, Irving said he was confident the team would re-sign J.R. Smith and excited about the offseason additions of Chris Andersen and Mike Dunleavy.?I think hell enjoy it a lot better than anyone else, Irving said of Dunleavy, another former Duke star, because hell be getting standstill jump shots with us driving it.Yet in conversation, Irving had an easier time looking decades ahead than he did to next season.I know that were engraved in history, in Cleveland sports history, forever, Irving said. That team, well be coming back 40 years from now and well be old as heck and waving to the crowd like the Miracle at Richfield team [of 1975-76] that came back. I shook every single one of their hands. That will be us. That will be us talking about our championship team and waving to the crowd and stuff like that.Im appreciative of it. I wish I could share a lot of my emotions of how I really felt about it, because it meant a great deal to myself and my family and as well as to the city of Cleveland. Im just truly thankful to be in this position and now I get to go for a gold medal. Detlef Schrempf Jersey . -- Lou Brocks shoulder-to-shoulder collision with Bill Freehan during the 1968 World Series and Pete Roses bruising hit on Ray Fosse in the 1970 All-Star game could become relics of baseball history, like the dead-ball era. Discount Thunder Jerseys . While hell be dialed in to that tournament on a course he loves, you can forgive him if his eyes glance down the calendar just a bit, towards April. http://www.cheapthunderjerseyschina.com/ . P.A. Parenteau scored early in the third period to help the Avs edge Toronto 2-1 on Tuesday night. Cory Sarich also scored for Colorado (3-0-0), which is off to its best ever start. 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JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- Its probably the most important game in Gus Bradleys coaching career.Coming off a 38-14 loss at San Diego and being 0-2 for the third time in four years, Bradley is seemingly down to just a few chances to turn things around in Jacksonville.The first one comes at home against Baltimore (2-0) on Sunday.Its about us this week and how we come back and how do we handle getting punched in the mouth, and how do we respond to play at a high level, said Bradley, whose 12-38 record in four seasons is the second worst in NFL history for anyone who has coached at least 50 games.The Jaguars believe last weeks lackluster effort on the West Coast was a fluke, and that the way they played against Green Bay in a 27-23 loss in the opener was more indicative of what kind of team theyve assembled. Now, they need to prove it.We had a pretty sound, realistic group of guys that believes in themselves, believes in one another, and understands that when we play well and do well like were supposed to do, well be fine and well execute and well move the ball, quarterback Blake Bortles said. We just havent done that in back-to-back weeks.The Ravens have done enough in two weeks to be among the leagues undefeated teams. They edged Buffalo in the opener and then overcame a 20-0 deficit to win at Cleveland last week. They have a chance to start 3-0 for the third time in franchise history.Resilient. We are a resilient team, able to face all opposition and shortcomings, veteran receiver Steve Smith said. It was an ugly win, but we pulled through.The Jaguars have been involved in plenty of ugly losses since starting to overhaul the roster in 2013. But this season was supposed to be different. Owner Shad Khan said a winning record is everyones reasonable expectation, and general manager Dave Caldwell said before the opener that we can match up with virtually almost anybody. Our guys just have to perform to a high level.It didnt happen against the Chargers, frustrating players, coaches and fans, and raising speculation about Bradleys job security.Bradley said all the right things this week: calling the blowout an aberration and vowing to get back on track against the Ravens.We went out there and thought we were going to play better than we did and we didnt play as well, Bradley said. We have to come back and get that right.ddddddddddddHere are some other things to know about the Ravens and Jaguars:TOTAL RECALL: The Ravens havent forgotten about last years controversial loss to Jacksonville. The NFL acknowledged that officials failed to penalize the Jaguars for not being set on the next-to-last play of the game. After the ball was snapped, Ravens linebacker Elvis Dumervil grabbed Bortles facemask while making a tackle and Jacksonville got one more play with no time left on the clock. Jason Myers 53-yard field goal gave the Jaguars a 22-20 victory.You know, I dont really ever forget that game, coach John Harbaugh said. It doesnt have to be spurred. Thats always been kind of on my mind.RUN FOR COVER: The Ravens have found no room to run the football. Baltimore is averaging a mere 3 yards per carry. Justin Forsett and Terrance West are sharing the workload for the 23rd-ranked rushing game. Its a work in progress, Pro Bowl guard Marshal Yanda said. Were 2-0, but we definitely need to get the run game going. All three Ravens touchdowns this season have come on passes from Joe Flacco to Mike Wallace.DEFENDING A-ROB: Allen Robinson has just nine catches for 126 yards and no touchdowns, a big reason Jacksonvilles offense has sputtered. Teams are putting a safety over the top of him, even when hes lined up alone on one side of the formation. The Jaguars plan to move him around against the Ravens, hoping to get him freed up more.AT THE TOP: Baltimore owns the top-ranked pass defense in the NFL. That might not mean much after Week 2, but its significant because of the change the backfield experienced during the offseason. Safety Eric Weddle signed as a free agent and has one of the teams two interceptions. Lardarius Webb has made the transition from cornerback to free safety, and cornerback Shareece Wright had 11 tackles in the opener.IVORY RETURNS: Jacksonvilles run game, which ranks 30th, should get a boost with the return of Chris Ivory. A 1,000-yard rusher with the New York Jets last season, Ivory missed the first two games with a '
