While the NBA playoffs are still in full swing, there are some already looking ahead to their next opportunity to play basketball. For some stars, the perfect chance will come in late July when the 2020 Tokyo Olympics are finally slated to occur. Team USA basketball has already received several commitments, including Phoenix Suns star Devin Booker and Washington Wizards star Bradley Beal.
A few years ago, Booker was criticized for not joining Team USA despite the Suns’ being towards the bottom of the NBA standings. Now, his team is in the Western Conference Finals with a legitimate chance to win a championship, but he has sent in his commitment anyways.
Booker and Beal are joined by three other NBA stars who have already committed to play this July, via ESPN News Services:
Booker and Beal join a backcourt that will include Portland Trail Blazers guard Damian Lillard, who said Thursday that he has several reasons for wanting to play — the chance to be coached by Gregg Popovich among them. The U.S. is also expecting forwards Draymond Green, a 2016 Olympic gold medalist, and Jayson Tatum to be part of the Tokyo-bound roster.
Booker, Beal, Damian Lillard, Jayson Tatum and Draymond Green make up a formidable five-man crew just by themselves. However, they are still likely waiting for commitments from other stars who want to help the U.S. compete for the gold medal.
The U.S. Men’s Basketball Team has won the gold at three consecutive Olympics, with Tokyo representing a chance at four straight.
While we wait to see who will fill out the rest of the roster, there are some players that have already said they won’t be there. This group includes Los Angeles Lakers stars LeBron James and Anthony Davis, who definitely need a full offseason of rest after a snakebitten 2020-21 season.
There are also some players, like superstar Luka Doncic, who will be competing on behalf of their home nations in the Olympics.
Davis gives injury update
Davis, beyond just getting some much-needed rest, is also recovering from the groin injury that essentially ended the Lakers season. He was able to give his first update on the offseason, and it was all good news. He said that everything was feeling really good and that the Lakers are going to be ready to go next season.
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