There’s also nobody in this tournament who will have the ability to slow down Cousins in the paint, especially with the way he played in the 2014 FIBA Basketball World Cup.
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We’re inching closer and closer to the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, and one of the popular topics has been the USA men’s basketball team.
Among the other American NBA players who opted out of consideration are twice reigning NBA MVP Stephen Curry, Russell Westbrook, James Harden, Chris Paul, Anthony Davis, Blake Griffin, John Wall and LaMarcus Aldridge. I think we have some terrific defenders as well as terrific shooters, and the versatility is over the top..
Durant and Anthony will serve as the team’s elder statesmen.
And Oklahoma City star Kevin Durant will go for another gold four years after setting a US Olympic record with an average of 19.5 points per game in London.
Regardless, those are the 12 players the U.S.is bringing to Rio in August for a chance at a third consecutive gold medal.
Klay Thompson said that despite losing a number of big names, the team was still expecting gold and would be disappointed with anything less.
Former University of Kentucky star DeMarcus Cousins will play for the USA basketball team in the Olympics, it was confirmed Monday.
‘I love our depth, which is another indication of the depth of talent our national team is blessed with, ” Colangelo said in a statement.
The West Orange, N.J., native also owns a gold medal from the 2010 USA U18 National Team that plowed through the 2010 FIBA Americas U18 Championship with a 5-0 record.
The Americans are riding on a 17-game Olympic winning streak that dates back to the 2004 Athens Olympics.
The squad will beginning training in Las Vegas on July 18th with a handful of exhibition games taking place in Vegas, Los Angeles, Oakland, Chicago and Houston throughout the month before they depart for Rio.
“It wouldn’t surprise me to see some athletes deciding not to participate in the games to avoid putting their health and the health of their families at risk”, he said.
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Jordan was selected in the 2015-2016 All-NBA first team line-up, while Cousins, Durant and Green were second team choices, and George, Lowry and Thompson were third team picks.
