USA Basketball ended the star-studded list for the Tokyo Olympics on Wednesday, taking commitments from the Chicago Bulls shooting guard, Zach Lavigne, Detroit Pistons forward, Jeramy GrantWhile the star of the Brooklyn Nets, James HardenJerry Colangelo, NBA managing director, told ESPN that he had to retire due to a hamstring injury.
He will lead the team Kevin Durant, who will be seeking his third gold medal and will be the only returning member of the 2016 team that won gold at the Rio Olympics. But the list is full of stars playing in their first Olympics, including Damian LillardAnd the Bradley BellAnd the Pam AdebayoAnd the Jason TatumAnd the Draymond Green s Kevin Love, For example, but not limited.
Three players on the roster are the Milwaukee Bucks stars, Chris Middleton s Jrue holiday, s Devin Booker Phoenix, remains active in the postseason and could play until July 22, the deadline for Game 7 of the NBA Finals.
The US team’s first game in Japan is scheduled for July 25 against France. But Colangelo said the three had pledged to travel to Japan quickly by private jet.
“Life is about relationships and we’ve had relationships with all these players over the years,” Colangelo said. It was a process, and it wasn’t easy.”
The team was the result of a strong, long-term recruiting and ripple effect of getting some big names to commit early. In recent weeks Colangelo, national team manager Sean Ford and coach Gregg Popovich have worked on the phones and sold the playing style.
Unlike in 2019, when the Americans finished a disappointing seventh place in the World Cup with a team characterized by traditional crosses and limited shooting, this list is filled with players who can play multiple positions and are specialized in shooting.
“Athletic prowess and performance are the trademarks of this group,” said Colangelo, who will retire after the Tokyo Olympics after 16 years at the helm of the US team. “Our staff feel this is going to be a very competitive group and we will have missed shots. We go to camp confident that we will do well.”
Team USA will meet on July 4 for a training camp in Las Vegas and will play exhibition matches against Spain, Australia, Nigeria and Argentina before leaving for Tokyo.