New York (AFP)
Two-time Olympic champions LeBron James, Kevin Durant and Chris Paul are among 57 NBA players selected by the American Basketball Federation for the Tokyo Games, Team USA general manager Jerry Colangelo announced Thursday.
After the World Cup fiasco, where the American team made up of second knives had returned empty-handed, eliminated by France (89-79) in the quarter-finals, American officials managed to convince the stars to mobilize for the Olympics.
To prepare for the competition for which the American Federation expects nothing more than a 4th consecutive gold medal, fifteen new players have been added to the 42 others already selected.
“With the postponement of the Tokyo Olympics from 2020 to 2021, it is important that we remain flexible and consider all the players who can contribute to our efforts to field the best possible American team,” said Jerry Colangelo.
A final roster of 12 players will be announced at a later date.
The pre-list includes nine players from the US gold medalist selection in 2016 in Rio: besides Durant and Irving, DeAndre Jordan (Brooklyn), Harrison Barnes (Sacramento), Jimmy Butler (Miami), DeMar DeRozan (San Antonio) , Kyle Lowry (Toronto), Draymond Green (Golden State) and Paul George (Los Angeles Clippers).
LeBron James, NBA champion with the Los Angeles Lakers, and Chris Paul (Phoenix Suns), had allowed the United States to shine in Beijing in 2008 and in London in 2012. As for Kevin Durant, already present in London, he had been crowned best American player at the Rio Games, he splashed the final of his class with 30 points against Serbia (96-66).
Other tauliers are named James Harden, triple top scorer in the NBA (2018, 2019, 2020) and his Brooklyn Nets teammate Kyrie Irving, Golden State star Stephen Curry, top scorer of the season Bradley Beal (Washington) , Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum (Boston), Damian Lillard (Portland) and Kawhi Leonard (Los Angeles Clippers).
The phenomenon Zion Williamson (New Orleans Pelicans), him, is retained among the fifteen new called alongside in particular the all new All Stars Zach LaVine (Chicago), Jrue Holiday (Milwaukee), Julius Randle (New York), without forgetting the promising ones Trae Young (Atlanta), Christian Wood (Houston) and Miami shooter Duncan Robinson.
Iconic San Antonio Spurs coach Gregg Popovich is expected to coach the US Olympic team with main assistants Steve Kerr (Golden State) and Lloyd Pierce (ex-Atlanta coach).
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