PHOENIX — USA Basketball chairman Jerry Colangelo said he soon will be in Denver to present Nuggets forward Carmelo Anthony with his 2008 Olympic gold-medal ring.

At halftime of the All-Star Game on Sunday in Phoenix, Colangelo gave the "very expensive" diamond rings to the six All-Star Olympians. Others will be honored in their cities.

Colangelo will talk to Anthony about his desire for the Olympians to return for the 2010 World Championships and 2012 Olympics. Colangelo discussed his plan Saturday with the six and said the reaction was, "it sounded great."

NUGGETS OVERSEAS?

NBA executive vice president Ski Austin said the Nuggets are among seven or eight teams in the mix to play preseason games overseas next season. In October, four teams played in Europe and two in China.

"(The Nuggets) remain one of the more open teams to the global concepts," Austin said.

Austin wouldn't speculate on which locations could be available for Denver. He said teams will be named by season's end.

DENVER ON HOLD

Austin said officials from Denver, site of the 2005 All-Star Game, inquired about bidding for the 2011 or 2012 game. But the NBA dissuaded them because it's too soon to return.

"We said, 'Why don't you wait until the next round because it's a little tight,' " Austin said.

While Austin said there's no rule how long a city must wait, since 1971, the soonest a game has returned to a city is 11 years.