USA Basketball update

Exhibition games have concluded, and the men's and women’s Olympic basketball teams are headed to Tokyo.

In what has historically been a display of dominance, the USA Men’s and Women’s teams faltered in their exhibition games leading up to the 2021 Olympics in Tokyo. Between COVID scares and surprising losses, the USA will need to find its footing if they hope to take gold in Japan.

Kevin Love has decided to stay behind to continue nursing his lingering leg injuries. In addition, Bradley Beal has been forced to remain stateside due to health and safety protocols (COVID-19). Keldon Johnson and Javale McGee have since replaced the pair. Coach Gregg Popovich is familiar with Johnson, as he coaches him in San Antonio as well. McGee addresses a need for rim protection.

Zach Lavine will not be flying with the team due to health and safety protocols but is expected to join later in the week. This likely means that the team is being cautious with contact tracing.

Also needing a later flight are Devin Booker, Jrue Holiday, and Khris Middleton. The trio is competing in the NBA Finals, which could conclude as early as tonight or as late as the upcoming weekend. Look for a recap of those Finals right here at The Basketball Movement.

Despite the presence of Kevin Durant, Damian Lillard, Jayson Tatum, and a litany of other stars, Team USA dropped two of their four exhibition games. The opening loss to Nigeria was a shocker, with only a pair of lesser NBA talents standing out on the African squad. A loss to Australia is more forgivable, as the Aussies have a solid team, but the back-to-back poor games are a surprise from a team sporting USA across its chest.

The USAMNBT finished up exhibitions with wins against aging Spain and Argentina squads and will look to carry momentum into Tokyo.

On the Women’s team, we saw a rare exhibition loss as well. In international play, the women have been even more historically dominant than the men but shot the ball poorly in a loss to Australia.

In a fun twist, Team USA played the WNBA All-Star team (those that either were not selected to Team USA or hail from other countries). Team USA lost that one as well, and the MVP was ironically Arike Ogunbowale, who felt she had been snubbed from the USA roster. Apparently, she had a point.

The ladies will look to get back on track just like the men, and they will need to do so quickly. Friday, July 23rd, marks the first action for both the men and women of Team USA. Keep checking back here as we follow along!

Team USA rosters set

With the 2021 Summer Olympic Games in Tokyo quickly approaching, we take a break from the NBA Playoffs to check in.

The men's and women’s Team USA rosters have been filled out ahead of the 2021 Olympic Games in Tokyo. Sunday, July 25th, will mark the first games for both men and women. This means some players will be coming immediately from the playoffs but have likely made considerations and arrangements.

For the men, Kevin Durant is the headliner and will be seeking his third Olympic gold medal. Durant was going to be joined by his Nets teammate James Harden, but Harden recently withdrew to tend to his injured hamstring. Gregg Popovich will be the Head Coach once again.

The full, current roster can be seen in the tweet below:

Draymond Green joins Durant as a fellow member of the team that took gold in Rio in 2016. Kevin Love won with the team in London in 2012. The roster is full of players seeking their first Olympic gold, but the shooting and athletic versatility of the squad will make them immediate frontrunners.

The women’s team will be striving for their millionth (seventh) gold medal in a row and are seeking to cement one of the most dominant stretches in USA team sports history. Diana Taurasi and Sue Bird both have four Olympic gold medals, and Sylvia Fowles has three.

Below is the full women’s roster:

For more Olympic hopes action, check out these Twitter accounts:

Junior National Teams

3x3

Youth Development

The women’s 3x3 squad is made up of WNBA players, but the men’s squad is comprised of relative unknowns. This new format will certainly be interesting to see in action as the Olympics get underway.

Each traditional 5x5 squad will have a handful of exhibition games ahead of the official action. Keep checking back here and on our Twitter as we keep up with basketball movement around the globe.