Don Roberts, MD Named Medical Provider for the 2012 USA Basketball Team
Portland, OR – Donald Roberts, M.D., orthopedic surgeon and sports medicine specialist with Rebound Orthopedics & Neurosurgery, returns from the 2012 Summer Olympics. He served as team physician for the gold medal winning men’s and women’s USA basketball teams.
Dr. Roberts was the only physician at the games for USA Basketball and one of several on the Olympic medical team providing coverage for USA athletes. Dr. Roberts traveled to Barcelona, Spain on July 21 to attend the men’s team practice sessions and exhibition games. He then traveled with the men’s team to London on July 25 where they met the women’s team. They were housed at a hotel outside of Olympic Village for the duration for the games.
USA Basketball contacted Dr. Roberts over one year prior to naming him team physician. During that year, they checked his credentials and licensed him to practice in London. USA Basketball requires that the Olympic team doctor have prior experience working with USA Basketball and be an NBA team physician. Dr. Roberts has been the Portland Trail Blazers’ team physician since 1994 and was team physician for the Portland Fire WNBA team while it was in Portland. In 2008, he was recognized as Team Physician of the Year by the National Basketball Trainers Association. He was the on-site physician at the 2012 USA Basketball World Championship Exhibition Game and volunteers annually providing medical coverage at the Nike Hoops Summit in Portland, OR. Additionally, to be selected as a USA Olympic medical provider, physicians must be experts in their field and have spent a minimum of two weeks volunteering at the Olympic training facility in Chula Vista, CA. All physicians volunteer their time as Olympic medical providers.
During the Summer Olympics, Dr. Roberts attended all games and practices. The women’s and men’s team alternated their schedules playing every other night. All weekday games started at 10:30pm. Dr. Roberts stayed busy shuttling between games and practices to care for the players.
In addition to game and practice coverage, Dr. Roberts was responsible providing for all medical care to the athletes, including non-sports related injuries or conditions. He accompanied any selected athletes to Doping Control. In drug testing the athletes are asked to report all medications, vitamins, and supplements that were consumed in the last 72 hours. The physicians are responsible for keeping a record of any substances given to the athletes during the Games.
Dr. Roberts’ duties officially started in May, 2012 when he traveled to Seattle, WA to provide medical coverage at a training weekend for the women’s team. During that weekend, they played exhibition games against the Chinese and Japanese teams. He also collected over 250 pounds of medical supplies that he shipped to the Olympics center in Colorado Springs.
Based in Colorado Springs, CO, USA Basketball is a nonprofit organization and the national governing body for men’s and women’s basketball in the United States. USA men’s and women’s national basketball teams will compete in the 2012 London Olympic games. Each team is comprised of 12 players, most players in the NBA and WNBA.