ZARAGOZA, Spain– USA Basketball announces its final 12-man roster for this year’s summer Olympics in Rio today in New York City but word has already leaked out about who will be on the team.
It bares little resemblance to the talent filled 1992 Dream Team with Michael Jordan that won its games by an average of 40 points or the 2008 Redeem team that featured Kobe Bryant after the two biggest names in the NBA pulled out. NBA MVP Stephen Curry of the Golden State Warriors, a 6-3 guard who the most lethal three point shooter in the world, took a pass to nurse nagging injuries. And 6-8, 250-pound forward Lebron James of the Cleveland Cavaliers, who at age 31 is arguably the best all around player on the planet, begged off last Thursday after three consecutive Olympic appearances because he was reportedly washed out after a magnificent performance in the NBA finals.
Forward Kevin Durant of Oklahoma City, who led the 2012 U.S. Olympic gold medalists in scoring, will be the centerpiece of the team and the U.S. should still be a heavy favorites in the games as long as massive 6-10 center DeMarcus Cousins of the Sacramento Kings maintains his focus and the back court of Kyrie Irving of the Cavaliers and Klay Thompson of the Warriors play the way they did when the young Americans won the 2014 World Cup in Spain.
Irving, the MVP of the World Cup, was the last player to commit, largely because of a personal relationship with his college coach Mike Krzyzewski, who will coach the United States for a third time.
Still, USA Basketball had to scramble to put this team together after finalists like James, Curry, center Anthony Davis of New Orleans, forward Blake Griffin and guard Chris Paul of the Los Angeles Clippers, guard James Hardin of the Houston Rockets and Russell Westbrook, who all have international experience, pulled out for various reasons. as did three other finalists– forward Kawhi Leonard of the San Antonio Spurs, who finished second in the NBA’s regular season MVP balloting; point guard Damian Lillard of the Portland Trail Blazers and John Wall of the Washington Wizards.
The fact that Rio has been plagued by the Zika virus probably didn’t help.
The final roster will include Durant, Thompson, Irving, Cousins, center DeAndre Jordan of the Los Angeles Clippers, guard Kyle Lowry and guard Demar Derozan of the Toronto Raptors, center Draymond Green and forward Harrison Barnes of the Warriors, guard Jimmy Butler of the Chicago Bulls, forward Paul George of the Indiana Pacers and forward Carmelo Anthony of the Knicks.
Anthony is playing in his fourth Olympics. He and Durant are the only two returning members of the 2012 team. The Warriors, who won a record 73 games during the regular season, have the largest representation with three players although Barnes, who is a free agent, could be on another team by the time the games start Aug. 5.
Thompson, Irving, Derozan and Cousins were all members of the 2014 World Championship team.
George likely would have made that team but he suffered a compound fracture of both bones in his lower right leg while playing in a USA Basketball Showcase scrimmage in August, 2014. The injury caused the three-time NBA All Star to miss most of the 2014-2015 season. USA Basketball executive director Jerry Colangelo promised George an Olympic spot after he suffered the horrific injury and George accepted.
Team USA will train in Las Vegas and play exhibition games in Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Oakland, Chicago and Houston before leaving for Rio.
