Kawhi Leonard (L.A. Clippers); Damian Lillard (Portland Trail Blazers); Brook Lopez (Milwaukee Bucks); Kevin Love (Cleveland Cavaliers); Kyle Lowry (Toronto Raptors); JaVale McGee (Los Angeles Lakers); Khris Middleton (Milwaukee Bucks); Donovan Mitchell (Utah Jazz); Victor Oladipo (Indiana Pacers); Chris Paul (Oklahoma City Thunder); Mason Plumlee (Denver Nuggets); Marcus Smart (Boston Celtics); Jayson Tatum (Boston Celtics); Klay Thompson (Golden State Warriors); Myles Turner (Indiana Pacers); Kemba Walker (Boston Celtics); Russell Westbrook (Houston Rockets); and Derrick White (San Antonio Spurs).
Tag: USA Basketball
USA Basketball released a preliminary …
USA Basketball released a preliminary roster on Monday of 44 names to be considered for the upcoming Tokyo Olympics, and while LeBron James and Steph Curry are back in the fold for the national team, the list had some glaring omissions. Notably, players like Trae Young, Zach LaVine, Carmelo Anthony, Zion Williamson, Ja Morant and John Collins were left off the list entirely while Kyle Kuzma, Dwight Howard, Marcus Smart and Derrick White were among the 44 players to receive camp invitations.
Marc Stein: As @usabasketball chairman …
Marc Stein: As @usabasketball chairman Jerry Colangelo told @NYTSports last month, this preliminary roster features virtually every top American name available — with the 12 players who will ultimately go Tokyo to be selected and announced in June before the NBA playoffs are complete
Chris Paul named a finalist for 2020 US Men’s Basketball team
Paul is one of 44 players on the list released by USA Basketball. He’s already a two-time Olympian, winning gold in 2008 and 2012.
Chris Paul is one step closer to being an Olympian again.
Paul was one of the 44 finalists for the US Men’s basketball team that was announced by USA basketball on Monday morning.
Should he be selected for the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo, it would be Paul’s third Olympic appearance, his first since 2012.
Paul won gold medals as part of Team USA at the 2008 Olympics in Beijing and the 2012 Olympics in London.
He’s a perfect 16-0 in Olympic play, averaging 8.3 points, 3.1 rebounds, 4.6 assists, and 2.3 steals across both tournaments.
According to the Thunder, “with the 2012 U.S. Olympic team in London, Paul started in each game and grabbed a team-best 20 steals. In Beijing in 2008, he led the team with 33 assists and ranked second with 18 steals.”
Paul is one of the most experienced players on the finalists list.
He’s played in 50 international games in his career, including the 2006 FIBA World Cup in Japan where he brought home a bronze medal.
Also on the list are former Thunder players Russell Westbrook, Kevin Durant, and James Harden.
In his first year in Oklahoma City, Paul is having a resurgence. He was just selected to the 10th All-Star Game of his career, averaging 17.2 points, 5.0 rebounds, and 6.6 assists this season.
The 2020 Olympic Games being on Friday, July 24 and last through Sunday, Aug. 9.
LeBron James and Anthony Davis joined by 3 other Lakers on 44-man USA pool
The Los Angeles Lakers are heavily represented on the list of 44 players from the United States who will have a chance to play in Tokyo.
The Los Angeles Lakers are well-represented in the preliminary player pool announced by USA Basketball on Monday morning of the 44 players who will have a chance to make the team that will represent the United States in Tokyo at the 2020 Olympics later on this year.
As expected, LeBron James and Anthony Davis were both top inclusions, both last playing in the 2012 Olympics together to help the United States win the gold medal. The final roster will only have 12 players, but there are three other Lakers on the preliminary roster: centers Dwight Howard and JaVale McGee, as well as forward Kyle Kuzma. Kuzma participated in USA Basketball’s training camps this summer before an injury ruined his opportunity to play in the FIBA World Cup.
USA Basketball is looking for a bit of redemption after a disappointing performance in the FIBA World Cup, where they finished 7th. They lacked star power and that doesn’t look like it should be an issue this time, with the Olympics being a much more desired competition than the FIBA World Cup.
LeBron has maintained an open mind when it comes to playing in the 2020 Olympics, but he has yet to make a decision on whether he will play or not.
Full 44-man roster below.
2020 U.S. Olympic Men’s Basketball Team Finalists
NAME POS HGT WGT *AGE CURRENT TEAM / COLLEGE or HIGH SCHOOL
Bam Adebayo C/F 6-9 255 22 Miami Heat / Kentucky
LaMarcus Aldridge F/C 6-11 250 34 San Antonio Spurs / Texas
Harrison Barnes F 6-8 225 27 Sacramento Kings / North Carolina
Bradley Beal G 6-3 207 26 Washington Wizards / Florida
Devin Booker G 6-5 206 23 Phoenix Suns / Kentucky
Malcolm Brogdon G 6-5 229 27 Indiana Pacers / Virginia
Jaylen Brown G/F 6-6 223 23 Boston Celtics / California
Jimmy Butler F 6-7 230 30 Miami Heat / Marquette
Mike Conley G 6-1 175 32 Utah Jazz / Ohio State
Stephen Curry G 6-3 185 31 Golden State Warriors / Davidson
Anthony Davis F/C 6-10 253 26 Los Angeles Lakers / Kentucky
DeMar DeRozan G/F 6-6 220 30 San Antonio Spurs/ USC
Andre Drummond C 6-10 279 26 Cleveland Cavaliers / Connecticut
Kevin Durant F 6-10 240 31 Brooklyn Nets / Texas
Paul George F 6-8 220 29 L.A. Clippers / Fresno State
Draymond Green F 6-6 230 29 Golden State Warriors / Michigan State
James Harden G 6-5 220 30 Houston Rockets / Arizona State
Montrezl Harrell F/C 6-7 240 26 L.A. Clippers / Louisville
Joe Harris G/F 6-6 220 28 Brooklyn Nets / Virginia
Tobias Harris F 6-8 226 27 Philadelphia 76ers / Tennessee
Gordon Hayward F 6-7 225 29 Boston Celtics / Butler
Dwight Howard C 6-10 265 34 Los Angeles Lakers / Southwest Atlanta Christian Acd. (GA)
Brandon Ingram F 6-7 190 22 New Orleans Pelicans / Duke
Kyrie Irving G 6-2 195 27 Brooklyn Nets / Duke
LeBron James F 6-9 250 35 Los Angeles Lakers / St. Vincent-St. Mary H.S. (OH)
Kyle Kuzma F 6-8 221 24 Los Angeles Lakers / Utah
Kawhi Leonard F 6-7 225 28 L.A. Clippers/ San Diego State
Damian Lillard G 6-2 195 29 Portland Trail Blazers / Weber State
Brook Lopez C 7-0 282 31 Milwaukee Bucks / Stanford
Kevin Love F/C 6-8 251 31 Cleveland Cavaliers / UCLA
Kyle Lowry G 6-0 196 33 Toronto Raptors / Villanova
JaVale McGee C 7-0 270 32 Los Angeles Lakers / Nevada
Khris Middleton F 6-7 222 28 Milwaukee Bucks / Texas A&M
Donovan Mitchell G 6-1 215 23 Utah Jazz / Louisville
Victor Oladipo G 6-4 213 27 Indiana Pacers / Indiana
Chris Paul G 6-1 175 34 Oklahoma City Thunder / Wake Forest
Mason Plumlee F/C 6-11 254 29 Denver Nuggets / Duke
Marcus Smart G 6-3 220 25 Boston Celtics / Oklahoma State
Jayson Tatum G/F 6-8 210 21 Boston Celtics / Duke
Klay Thompson G 6-6 215 30 Golden State Warriors / Washington State
Myles Turner C/F 6-11 250 23 Indiana Pacers / Texas
Kemba Walker G 6-0 184 29 Boston Celtics / Connecticut
Russell Westbrook G 6-3 200 31 Houston Rockets / UCLA
Derrick White G 6-4 190 25 San Antonio Spurs / Colorado
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Jonathan Feigen: USA Basketball …
Jonathan Feigen: USA Basketball releases list of 44 players on the preliminary Olympic men’s basketball roster, which includes Rockets guards Russell Westbrook and James Harden.
Brian Robb: Celtics have their five …
Brian Robb: Celtics have their five best players (Jaylen Brown, Gordon Hayward, Marcus Smart, Jayson Tatum, and Kemba Walker) on the preliminary 44-man USA Olympic roster for 2020 just released by USA Basketball.
Anthony Davis joins LeBron in getting tattoo tribute to Kobe Bryant
Los Angeles Lakers star forward Anthony Davis is also honoring Kobe Bryant with a tattoo like his teammate LeBron James.
We are still just starting to see all of the ways that the Los Angeles Lakers will honor the memory of the late Kobe Bryant throughout this season. Only a few days ago, the Lakers finally returned to the basketball court and on Saturday, they even got a dominant road win against the Sacramento Kings.
But the games have been secondary to the feelings of everyone involved in the tragic loss of Bryant, his daughter Gigi, and seven others in a helicopter crash. The Lakers have had grief counselors come into help employees cope and both LeBron James and Anthony Davis have gotten tattoo tributes to Bryant. James shared his tatoo on social media and the tattoo artist, Vanessa Aurelia, shared a closer look at the work she did on Davis.
The Lakers don’t play again until Tuesday night when they host the San Antonio Spurs.
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John Karalis: USA Basketball statement …
John Karalis: USA Basketball statement on the passing of Kobe Bryant
Reports: Kobe Bryant, 41, dies in Calabasas helicopter crash
Los Angeles Lakers legend Kobe Bryant has died in a helicopter crash, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski and TMZ.
Kobe Bryant is one of multiple who died in a fiery helicopter crash in the Los Angeles suburb of Calabasas, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski. TMZ was first to report the news of Bryant’s death, which was also confirmed by ABC local news in Los Angeles.
According to TMZ, Bryant’s wife and children were not on board with him. He is survived by his wife Vanessa and his four daughters, Gianna, Natalia, Bianca and their newborn, Capri.
Less than 24 hours ago, Bryant was sending messages of congratulations to LeBron James after James passed Bryant for No. 3 on the NBA’s All-Time scoring list. Several NBA players, current and former, have taken to social media to share their grief and their disbelief.
Dallas Mavericks guard Luka Doncic
this can’t be trueee!!🙏🙏🙏
— Luka Doncic (@luka7doncic) January 26, 2020
Portland Trail Blazers guard Damian Lillard
Wow.
— Damian Lillard (@Dame_Lillard) January 26, 2020
Miami Heat legend and rival of Kobe Bryant, Dwyane Wade
Nooooooooooo God please No!
— DWade (@DwyaneWade) January 26, 2020
Los Angeles Clippers forward Paul George
Quit playing
— Paul George (@Yg_Trece) January 26, 2020
We will update this story as more information on the tragic crash and death of Kobe Bryant becomes available.
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