America’s Olympic hoop stars will spend their free time on the water during the Rio Olympics.
The United States men’s and women’s basketball teams will stay in a luxury cruise ship in Rio’s renovated port area during the Games.
Players will be accommodated on Silversea’s Silver Cloud ship while a second larger vessel – the Norwegian Getaway – will house what officials call the ‘Olympic Family.’
"We’ll have two cruise ships in the port. There will be one with the basketball players and the other for Olympic people," said Nilo Sergio Felix, secretary of the Rio de Janeiro state tourism office.
The NBA will also set up a ‘hospitality house’ in the port area.
USA Basketball spokesman Craig Miller said there are unique lodging problems which have to be taken into account.
"You face the issue in a hotel, or you would face it in a village; the beds aren’t made for 7-feet players. These guys live on the road and they figure out ways to sleep. Sometimes I’ve seen them put their luggage at the end of the bed so their feet can rest there," Miller told the AP.
The US Olympic team previously stayed on a cruise ship during the Athens 2004 Games.
Miller said USA Basketball picks up the tab for all costs when not staying in official Olympic village lodgings.
