US Olympic basketball: Kevin Durant leads star-studded squad, but who passed on Tokyo 2020?
- The roster is filled with big names including Durant, Damian Lillard and Draymond Green
- However a handful of the NBA’s top talent passed on playing including superstar LeBron James
However once again, a number of marquee players opted out of heading to Japan this summer and into the Olympic bubble, enough that a secondary team of players who passed would most likely be even more favoured. So who is in and who is out?
Who’s in?
Brooklyn Nets star Kevin Durant leads the squad, but he is surrounded by a number of legitimate stars including Portland Trail Blazers point guard Damian Lillard and Devin Booker of the Phoenix Suns. Booker is interesting as his Suns are still in the thick of the NBA playoffs, squaring off against the Los Angeles Clippers in the Western Conference Finals.
Behind Durant and Lillard, who should set most of the offence and ball distribution, there is forward Jayson Tatum of the Boston Celtics who should give the US a trio of elite scoring potential. Durant, Lillard and Tatum all sit in the top five when it comes to scoring for the 2020-21 playoffs.
Behind this frightening trio is two key role players: forward Kevin Love and Draymond Green. Love last played internationally in 2012, when he was part of the London Olympics squad that won a gold medal, and he was also part of the team that won the Fiba World Championships in 2010. He brings a fast amount of experience and knowledge to the team, and is widely known as being a great player to have in terms of leadership.
Green, who plays for the Golden State Warriors, has long been known as that team’s heart and soul alongside superstar Steph Curry. Green plays hard minutes, focusing on defence, often marking other teams’ superstars, and thrives during tight scoring games. He will be looked to help the squad gel and find their identity quickly as they try to get off on the right foot when the short tournament kicks off on July 25.
Alongside these five, you also have Bradley Beal (Washington Wizards), Khris Middleton (Milwaukee Bucks), Zach LaVine (Chicago Bulls) Bam Adebayo (Miami Heat) Jrue Holiday (Milwaukee Bucks) and Jerami Grant (Detroit Pistons).
