Tokyo Olympics Update: The USA Declares The Men’s Basketball Team
Photo Credit: Ethan Miller/Getty Images
The US Men’s Basketball team revealed its team roster for the 2021 Olympics held in Tokyo. Kevin Durant will lead a 12-member team, who is a three-time Olympian himself. With this Olympic game in Tokyo, the team is looking forward to winning the 4th consecutive Gold Medal in the row. Another player who will make it to the Olympics and Durant is Damian Lillard from Portland. The players have already played the NBA before being selected for the Tokyo Olympics.
Tokyo Olympics Players List and Dates
Along with Kevin Durant and Damian Lillard, two more players selected from the last World Cup made to the roster are Khris Middleton and Jayson Tatum. Kevin has made to the team because of his past records as he is one of the NBA’s finest players and has starred in Olympics teams for the years 2012 and 2016. The Olympics Tournament will begin on July 25, 2021.
These four players have already made the headline for the Tokyo Olympics, and apart from them, the 12 member roster will also include six more players who are all-time NBA Championship stars. Kevin Love and Draymond Green are also having experience from the previous Olympic Games. With so many reputed players onboard, the game is going to be fun. If you love to bet, then visit www.novibet.co.uk and bet on your favorite team. The site also offers to bet on many other famous sports.
There are no surprises in the roster as the US Basketball Men’s team was expecting them. The team has experienced and talented players who are well-chosen for the Olympics but could not travel for the World Cup previously. Players going for Tokyo Olympics are Bam Adebayo from Miami Heat, Devin Booker from Phoenix Suns, Bradley Beal from Washington Wizards, Detroit Pistons player Jerami Grant, Kevin Durant from Brooklyn Nets, Jrue Holiday from Milwaukee Bucks, Golden State Warriors player Draymond Green, Damian Lillard from Portland Trail Blazers, Zach LaVine from Chicago Bulls, Khris Middleton from Milwaukee Bucks, Kevin Love from Cleveland Cavaliers, and Boston Celtics member Jayson Tatum.
The Managing Director of USA’s National Basketball Team shared some insights in the preparation of the roster. Jerry Colangelo stated, “The team will only have 9 active players from the training camp and the exhibition games at the Olympics. The reason cited was that Holiday, Booker, and Middleton had to participate in the NBA finals that had already taken place on July 22, 2021, before the opening ceremony of the Olympics.”
Talking about Kevin Love, who had incurred injuries earned the roster spot only because of his international debut. The MD stated that Coach Gregg Popovich has contributed to choosing the finest players in the squad, especially the first five players. The fans can watch the Olympics games on the ‘NBC family of networks,’ and it will cover the opening match of the USA’s Men National Basketball team. The live air streaming will be on Peacock.
With the best players on board and Durant being the gold medalist and leading the team, the nation has high hopes from its players. However, the team has to prove its worth against the best teams from Australia, Spain, Argentina, France, Slovenia, and Nigeria. Athletic trainers and assistant coaches have already made it to the Olympics Village. The Group games will start from July 25 and go up to August 1, 2021. The knockout stage for the game will start from August 2 and will be held up to August 7. The team matches will be held at Saitama Super Arena in Tokyo, Japan.
