Team USA in good hands with LeBron, 'Melo, Wade

                    

	LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Carmelo Anthony are tri-captains for Japan. Noah Graham/Getty Images
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lead·er (n.) 1. One that leads or guides. 2. One who is in charge or in command of others.

Oh, Webster, if it was only that simple. If the definition of a leader could be summed up in a couple sentences, there wouldn't be thousands of books written on the subject and countless seminars where people pony up hundreds of dollars to learn how to become an effective leader in (insert random number) easy steps.

Everyone has theories on what it means to be a leader. Vince Lombardi said that "leaders aren't born they are made," Napoleon Bonaparte said a "leader is a dealer in hope," while Groucho Marx said, "only one man in a thousand is a leader of men -- the other 999 follow women."

While it is one of the most powerful titles that can ever be bestowed upon a person, it is bandied about in sports with the same carelessness as other lofty words such as "dynasty," "legend" and "immortal." How many times have we heard reporters and fans alike ask, "Who's the leader on this team." Here's a hint, if you have to ask, there isn't one.

The leadership question was brought up several times during Team USA's training in Las Vegas last month. With so many all-stars and "leaders" on one team, how could you pick just one? Well, Mike Krzyzewski  went the easy route on Thursday and picked three, and it was the best decision he's had to make since becoming the head coach of the national team.

In Sin City, it was quickly evident that the team gravitated toward LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Carmelo Anthony (who were later named co-captains while practicing in Sapporo, Japan). I mentioned as much in this spot more than two weeks ago when Kryzewski told me that, "The guys look up to LeBron, Dwyane and Carmelo. They are three established guys in the league and those are the three initially that set the tone because they've worked hard everyday."

Players would hang out in James' room and play cards, booray to be exact, pick Wade's brain about winning the championship a few months ago and listen to Anthony tell jokes and rib other players, especially Chris Paul, who carried 'Melo's bags to and from practice. While the trio are the undisputed leaders on their respective teams (with all due respect to Shaquille O'Neal), no three superstars were meant to handle the role of tri-captains better than the stars of the Class of 2003. Not only does the threesome get along better than most teammates -- never showing any animosity towards each other despite their competitive nature -- but they embody what it takes to be a leader in today's game, which isn't always easy to do.

Being a team leader in the current sports climate is a tricky position. It's a far cry from the simplistic popularity scale we all experienced back in high school. No one in school ever followed the smartest student who aced every test and spent most of his time cooped up in his room dissecting the Pythagorean Theorem. Sure we could have all gained something from hanging out at his house and playing Dungeons and Dragons for fun after making flash cards for next month's test, but who wants to do that? Most of us followed the fun-loving dude throwing the kegger at his house after the game on Friday night.

A great leader in today's game is an equal balance of Dungeons and Dragons and Dewar's and Drambuie. Not only does he have to be the smartest guy in school, but he also has to be the guy throwing the best parties, making sure everyone is getting along and having a good time. You see, the key isn't just how good you are at what you do, but how good you make other people feel while you do what you do. That's what makes James, Wade and Anthony great leaders. They not only excel on the court, but they will be the first to pick up their teammates when they are down, talk to them after practice and buy them a round at the club that night.

If Team USA wins the gold, with the Class of '03 trio leading the way, it will be interesting to see how the team reacts to the addition of Kobe Bryant when he returns to the squad following the World Championships after he recuperates from his knee surgery. Would Bryant be content to take a back seat to three younger players and not be the unquestioned leader? Bryant is very much like the kid with straight A's who never learned how to interact with the other students. While he may be the most physically gifted player in the game, there is little doubt that he's also one of the most enigmatic.

That potential drama, however, will have to wait for another day as Team USA prepares for the start of the World Championships this weekend in Japan where they will be lead by Anthony, James and Wade, three players whose leadership qualities on the court and off the court might just might make for the right mix to bring back the team's first gold medal of any kind in six years.

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