USA Basketball announces list of 34 players for Rio 2016
Many were the NBA stars that had already confirmed their presence in Las Vegas from August 11th to 13th to prepare for the Rio 2016 Olympics. And this Thursday, USA Basketball announced a list of 34 players from the League who will gather for three days to "enhance camaraderie" of the team, in the words of Jerry Colangelo, the team's top executive. Eight new players have been added to the already extensive group of players working for the 2014-16 period: Harrison Barnes (Golden State), Jimmy Butler (Chicago), Michael Carter-Williams (Milwaukee), Mike Conley (Memphis), Draymond Green (Golden State), Tobias Harris (Orlando), DeAndre Jordan (L. A. Clippers) and Victor Oladipo (Orlando).
Colangelo asserts that this gathering is crucial to maintain "group unity during a summer with no official competition" and clarifies that during the three days of preparation the risk of injury for the players will be minimal: "The workouts will be conducted without physical contact and the final exhibition game (blues versus whites at the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas with tickets on sale from 15 dollars) will be like an all-star. We want to organize a celebration for all that Team USA has achieved since this program was created with the national team in 2006". A road map drawn up ten years ago that will culminate in twelve months at the Rio Olympics.
The list includes eleven of the twelve players who won gold a year ago at the World Cup in Spain. Only Derrick Rose will be absent, vigilant about his knees after a string of injuries. Everyone else is included: Curry, Cousins, Davis, Drummond, Faried, Gay, Harden, Love, Plumlee, Thompson, and MVP Irving. The list also includes eight members of the team that captured the Olympic title in London 2012 (Anthony, Davis, Durant, Harden, James, Love, Paul, and Westbrook).
The extensive list of 34 players includes the top ten scorers from the past NBA season and 18 of the top 28. It also features six of the top twelve rebounders, seven of the top eleven passers, and 18 of the most skilled stealers. Enough human talent to form three teams and occupy the entire podium, although only twelve will be able to attend.
In addition to the eight new players recently added, the following 26 players who were already registered for the 2014-16 period will also be present: LaMarcus Aldridge (San Antonio Spurs), Carmelo Anthony (New York Knicks), Bradley Beal (Washington Wizards), DeMarcus Cousins (Sacramento Kings), Stephen Curry (Golden State Warriors), Anthony Davis (New Orleans Pelicans), DeMar DeRozan (Toronto Raptors), Andre Drummond (Detroit Pistons), Kevin Durant (Oklahoma City Thunder), Kenneth Faried (Denver Nuggets), Rudy Gay (Sacramento Kings), Paul George (Indiana Pacers), Blake Griffin (Los Angeles Clippers), James Harden (Houston Rockets), Gordon Hayward (Utah Jazz), Dwight Howard (Houston Rockets), Kyrie Irving (Cleveland Cavaliers), LeBron James (Cleveland Cavaliers), Kawhi Leonard (San Antonio Spurs), Kevin Love (Cleveland Cavaliers), Chandler Parsons (Dallas Mavericks), Chris Paul (Los Angeles Clippers), Mason Plumlee (Portland Trail Blazers), Klay Thompson(Golden State Warriors), John Wall (Washington Wizards), and Russell Westbrook (Oklahoma City Thunder).
Leading this group of outstanding players is Mike Krzyzewski as head coach and Jim Boeheim, Tom Thibodeau, and Monty Williams as assistants.