UCLA Health has been designated as the official team physicians for USA Basketball during the Olympic Games.

 UCLA Health has been designated as the official team physicians for USA Basketball during the Olympic Games.

USA Basketball, the national governing body for basketball in the United States, and UCLA Health, a world-class healthcare system, have announced a multiyear partnership naming UCLA Health as the official team physicians for USA Basketball.

Under this partnership, UCLA Health will provide top-tier orthopedic and sports medical care to USA Basketball’s athletes, ensuring they are physically prepared to compete. UCLA Health will offer physician coverage for the men’s and women’s national teams at the next two Olympic Games, the International Basketball Federation (FIBA) Basketball World Cups, training camps, and will also support the USA Basketball men’s and women’s junior national team programs.

“Partnering with UCLA Health will enable USA Basketball to provide best-in-class medical coverage for our athletes,” said Jim Tooley, USA Basketball CEO. “Together with UCLA Health, we will support our athletes as they perform on the world’s largest stages.”

“We are thrilled to join USA Basketball as their official team physicians,” said Johnese Spisso, president of UCLA Health and CEO of the UCLA Hospital System. “As a leader in healthcare with local, national, and international reach, our experts aim to ensure that the teams have the support they need to achieve success at the highest level of competition.”

Additionally, UCLA Health will support young athletes and leaders by partnering with USA Basketball’s Women in the Game initiative, which educates high school girls, college women, and young professionals about career paths in the sports industry and how to turn passion into opportunity.

“We’re honored to extend our orthopedic and sports medicine expertise to support USA Basketball,” said Dr. Nicholas Bernthal, chair and executive medical director of the department of orthopedic surgery at UCLA Health. “Our experience with top professional and collegiate athletes in Los Angeles, including the Lakers, Dodgers, Sparks, and UCLA Athletics, makes us primed to help USA Basketball optimize their performance on the global stage. We look forward to both providing best-in-class clinical care and partnering to innovate in sports science to develop tomorrow’s treatments.”