Retired General Martin E. Dempsey, the new chairman of USA Basketball, said Thursday that whether Team USA players ever embrace President-elect Donald Trump is not that important.They are not representing President-elect Trump, Dempsey said on the ESPN/ABC News podcast Capital Games. They are representing the country where we have a system that stood the test of time with three separate and equal branches of government, representing 350 million people.Dempsey is the new chairman of USA Basketball, but he wont have a primary role with the senior mens national team for the next four years.Outgoing chairman Jerry Colangelo will remain as the managing director of the national team for the next four years and thus work most closely with new Team USA coach Gregg Popovich. Colangelo will essentially serve as the teams general manager.Popovich, who coaches the San Antonio Spurs, has been outspoken in his criticism of Trump since the Nov. 8 election.Dempsey said the Team USA coach is the one who has to take a team that is representative of the country by ethnicity and race and has to pull it together, and that Popovich is expressing concern about how easy its going to be to do that in the next four years.But thats something weve been asked to do.Dempsey said the national anthem is appropriate to be played at sporting events.Its absolutely the appropriate place to celebrate our country, Dempsey said, adding there are other venues to express disagreement and that he doesnt disparage others for making those choices.Dempsey said he spoke to the mens and womens national teams at the past two Olympic Games and the World Cup of Basketball about what it means to wear the U.S. uniform in that setting.I tell them this is different since you are representing the United States, Dempsey said. ?Celebrate the freedoms we enjoy that arent available around the world. It is different representing the USA national team.Dempsey said the connection that outgoing President Barack Obama had with basketball and USA Basketball was unique because of his love of the game. He added that wont be the case with President-elect Trump.Melvin Frazier Jersey . -- An ugly goal by Nick Bonino helped the Anaheim Ducks overcome the defensive-minded Phoenix Coyotes on a night when their ragged power play continued to struggle. Tracy Mcgrady Magic Jersey . Their experience showed Tuesday as the No. 10 Badgers blunted a Saint Louis surge to win 63-57 and advance to face West Virginia in Wednesdays finals of the Cancun Challenge. http://www.magicauthentic.com/kids-melvin-frazier-magic-jersey/ . Each of Houstons starters scored in double figures as the Rockets improved to 2-0 against the Spurs this season, with both victories coming on the road. They also moved within 3 1/2 games of San Antonio (22-7) for the lead the Southwest Division. Jonathan Isaac Jersey . In taking its goal tally to 99 in all competitions already this season, City delivered another demonstration of its lethal firepower at Etihad Stadium to set up a fourth-round match at home to another second-tier team -- Watford. Dwight Howard Jersey . "Hes going to have hip surgery on Jan. 7, and hell be expected to rehabilitate for four to six months beyond that," Canucks general manager Mike Gillis said Friday in an interview.NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- Rob Marberry and George Brammeier each scored 15 points and Lipscomb used a balanced scoring attack to beat Division III Piedmont 99-70 on Tuesday night in the Fordham Showcase.Lipscomb made five of its first seven shots of the second half to extend its lead to 64-40.Garrison Mathews and Michael Buckland added 13 points apiece for Lipscomb (1-1), which had seven players score in double figures. The Bisons had 29 assists -- the most since 2009 -- on 33 mmade baskets.ddddddddddddn Sunday, Mathews matched his career-high with 27 points and fellow sophomore Marberry had 22 points and eight rebounds in his Lipscomb debut.Trae Gaines led Piedmont with 12 points, but the Lions were held to 38 percent shooting and turned it over 20 times.It was the first meeting between the schools since Dec. 4, 1998. ' ' '