Kevin Durant leads USA Basketball men's roster for Tokyo Olympic Games
The U.S. men's team are early favourites to claim a fourth successive Olympic gold medal in Japan, with an impressive team including Kevin Durant, Damian Lillard and Zach LaVine, among many other stars
Basketball
USA Basketball has announced its 12-man roster for the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games.
Led by head coach Gregg Popovich, the U.S. squad includes just three players with Olympic experience, and only two returning members from the 2019 FIBA World Cup roster.
Kevin Durant headlines USA roster
Brooklyn Nets star and two-time Olympian Kevin Durant will seek his third gold medal at the Games. Durant, three-time NBA champion Draymond Green (Golden State Warriors), and 2016 NBA champion Kevin Love (Cleveland Cavaliers) are the only players with Olympic experience on the Tokyo 2020 team.
Love won gold alongside Durant at London 2012, with the latter returning in 2016 to successfully defend the Olympic title with Green in Rio.
The trio are joined by a bevy of NBA stars; five of whom (in addition to Durant) were All-Stars during the 2020-21 season. Those players are:
- Damian Lillard (Portland Trail Blazers)
- Devon Booker (Phoenix Suns)
- Jayson Tatum (Boston Celtics)
- Bradley Beal (Washington Wizards)
- Zach LaVine (Chicago Bulls)
The other players featuring in their first Olympics are: Bam Adebayo (Miami Heat), Khris Middleton (Milwaukee Bucks), Jrue Holiday (Milwaukee Bucks) and Jerami Grant (Detroit Pistons).
As of writing, Booker, Middleton and Holiday are playing for their respective teams in the Conference finals of the NBA playoffs, with the possibility of all three advancing to the NBA Finals. The Finals start on 8 July and could finish on 22 July; the latest date for an NBA Finals Game 7. The basketball tournament at Tokyo 2020 starts on 25 July.
The U.S. team will start their training camp for the Games on 4 July in Las Vegas, where they will play exhibition games against Spain, Australia, Nigeria and Argentina before leaving for Tokyo.
The full US men's team for the Tokyo 2020 Olympics is: Bam Adebayo (Miami Heat), Bradley Beal (Washington Wizards), Devin Booker (Phoenix Suns), Durant, Jerami Grant (Detroit Pistons), Draymond Green (Golden State Warriors), Jrue Holiday (Milwaukee Bucks), Zach LaVine (Chicago Bulls), Damian Lillard (Portland Trail Blazers), Kevin Love (Cleveland Cavaliers), Khris Middleton (Milwaukee Bucks) and Jayson Tatum (Boston Celtics).
Team USA’s coaching staff
Gregg Popovich returns to coach the U.S. men’s international team in what will be his first Olympics as a head coach. Popovich, a five-time NBA champion as head coach of the San Antonio Spurs, was an assistant coach for the USA Olympic team at Athens 2004. He most recently coached the men’s team at the FIBA 2019 World Cup, where the U.S. finished a disappointing seventh.
“I’m happy for the selected players and looking forward to having the opportunity to work with this wonderful group when practice gets underway on July 6 in Las Vegas,” said Popovich in a statement released by USA Basketball. “I’m excited to represent the United States in our quest to earn a gold medal in Tokyo.”
Golden State Warriors coach Steve Kerr, former Atlanta Hawks coach Lloyd Pierce and Villanova Wildcats coach Jay Wright join Popovich as assistant coaches for the Olympic Games.
“Versatility and athleticism are trademarks of this group," USA Basketball managing director Jerry Colangelo told ESPN.
"Our staff feels this will be a very competitive group and we'll have shooting that we've been lacking. We're going to go into camp feeling confident we're going to perform well."
Team USA basketball at Tokyo 2020
The U.S. men’s team has won three consecutive golds at the Olympic Games, a streak that began in Beijing in 2008 (the USA won bronze in Athens in 2004). The men’s team have won 15 gold medals at the Olympics, as well as two bronze medals and one silver.
The U.S. - the number one ranked team in the world - has been drawn in Group A for the competition in Tokyo with France (world no. 7), Iran (world no. 23), and the winner of the Olympic Qualifying Tournament in Victoria, Canada, which will be held from 29 June to 4 July.
Team USA's first game in Japan is scheduled for 25 July against France.