Steph Curry? No. LeBron James? No. Kawhi Leonard? No.
The names that were pulling out of consideration for the 2016 men’s basketball Olympic team seemed more prominent than those who were willing to go to Rio de Janeiro. Even the Wizards’ Bradley Beal declined an invitation, citing preservation of his body.
But, the roster should still result in the world’s best team. Kevin Durant is in. Paul George is in. Klay Thompson is in. They will head up a group looking to win the country’s third consecutive Olympics gold medal. Here is the roster:
Carmelo Anthony (New York Knicks/Syracuse)
Harrison Barnes (Golden State Warriors/North Carolina)
Jimmy Butler (Chicago Bulls/Marquette)
DeMarcus Cousins (Sacramento Kings/Kentucky)
DeMar DeRozan (Toronto Raptors/USC)
Kevin Durant (Oklahoma City Thunder/Texas)
Paul George (Indiana Pacers/Fresno State)
Draymond Green (Golden State Warriors/Michigan State)
Kyrie Irving (Cleveland Cavaliers/Duke)
DeAndre Jordan (Los Angeles Clippers/Texas A&M)
Kyle Lowry (Toronto Raptors/Villanova)
Klay Thompson (Golden State Warriors/Washington State).
By being included in the roster, Anthony becomes the first United States male player to be on four Olympic teams.
The team will train in Las Vegas July 18-21. Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski will again be in charge.
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