The group of 30 players vying for one of the 12 spots on the U.S. Men’s Senior National team that will compete in the 2016 Olympics in Rio is filled with plenty of familiar faces.
From program stalwarts LeBron James, Carmelo Anthony, Kevin Durant, Stephen Curry, Anthony Davis — all multiple-time gold medal winners in either the Olympics of FIBA World Cup competition — and a legion of other NBA All-Stars, they will all be in the mix for one of those roster spots.
In fact, the real news is not the players who will compete for spot on the roster for Rio, but the players who will not be involved in the process.
Retiring Los Angeles Lakers superstar Kobe Bryant announced over the weekend that he would not pursue a spot on the team. Earlier this season he said he would keep open the possibility of finishing his playing career in the Olympics, a move USA Basketball managing director Jerry Colangelo endorsed.
Bryant won gold alongside James, Anthony, Durant and Davis at the Olympics in London in 2012.
Derrick Rose and Mason Plumlee, two members of the team that won gold at the 2014 FIBA World Cup in Spain, are not on the 30-player list, which was announced by USA Basketball this morning.
“It seems like I say this each time we have to narrow down a roster, but I am struck by the remarkable commitment the players in the USA Basketball National Team program continue to display and the enthusiasm they have for representing their country,” Colangelo said in a statement.
“The depth of talent that exists in the national team program is extraordinary. Repeating as gold medalists at the 2016 Olympics will not be easy, but we feel confident that we have 30 finalists who offer amazing basketball abilities and special versatility. We’re also fortunate that the roster is comprised of so many veterans of international basketball. In addition to 18 players who have won Olympic and/or World Cup gold medals, there are 16 finalists who have played between 20 and 72 games for USA Basketball. That experience is extremely valuable and something we’ve not always had available to draw upon.
“Obviously selecting the official roster of 12 players for the Olympics in 2016 will be a very, very difficult process. As has been the case with past USA Basketball teams, the goal once again is to select the very best team possible to represent the United States.”
The entire list of 30 players (and their NBA teams):
LaMarcus Aldridge (San Antonio Spurs); Carmelo Anthony (New York Knicks); Harrison Barnes (Golden State Warriors); Bradley Beal (Washington Wizards); Jimmy Butler (Chicago Bulls); Mike Conley (Memphis Grizzlies); 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); Draymond Green (Golden State Warriors); Blake Griffin (Los Angeles Clippers); James Harden (Houston Rockets); Gordon Hayward (Utah Jazz); Dwight Howard (Houston Rockets); Andre Iguodala (Golden State Warriors); Kyrie Irving (Cleveland Cavaliers); LeBron James (Cleveland Cavaliers); DeAndre Jordan (Los Angeles Clippers); Kawhi Leonard (San Antonio Spurs); Kevin Love (Cleveland Cavaliers); Chris Paul (Los Angeles Clippers); Klay Thompson (Golden State Warriors); John Wall (Washington Wizards); and Russell Westbrook (Oklahoma City Thunder).
