These pros are glad to represent

MACAO -- Who’s jaded now?

After years of growing reluctance of American pros to participate, this U.S. basketball team represents a turnaround with three players, LeBron James, Carmelo Anthony and Dwight Howard, who are playing for their third summer in a row.

Two more players, Kobe Bryant and Dwyane Wade, would have played all three except for injuries.

James, Wade and Howard played in the 2006 World Games, in which the U.S. finished third -- which meant they had to come back and qualify in the 2007 Tournament of the Americas.

Meanwhile, Brazil just failed to qualify for the Beijing Games with three of its NBA players, Leandro Barbosa, Nene and Anderson Varejao, sitting out.

“My belief is totally different,” said Anthony, Nene’s teammate in Denver.

“Myself, when I put a U.S. jersey on, I’m just not representing myself. I’m representing my family, I’m representing the city where I’m coming from, I’m representing the city where I play basketball, which is Denver and I represent the whole country.

“So I think it’s real important to go out and represent your country if you get a chance. . . . Your team will always be there.”

Not that times have changed, but at a news conference Monday, the local Associated Press correspondent asked U.S. team Coach Mike Krzyzewski in the light of his players’ positive comments, “Where is this confidence coming from? You haven’t won a gold medal on the world stage in eight years.”

Indeed, the U.S. finished sixth in the World Games in Indianapolis in 2002, third in the Athens Olympics in 2004, then third in the World Games in Saitma, Japan, in 2006.

Krzyzewski wasn’t flattered, noting, “We’re trying to be very confident, not overly confident but confident.”

However, with the U.S. heavily favored in Beijing, what skepticism there is fits with Krzyzewski’s own intention to keep his players humble and hungry.

“Basketball around the world has exploded,” said Krzyzewski. “Thirty percent of the NBA are international players and many of the teams we face will have a starting player. Some of them will have five NBA players. . . .

“This Olympics will be the best Olympics ever in basketball because world basketball has gotten to another level, a higher level than even in 2004.”

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mark.heisler@latimes.com