LeBron James leads USA national team pool ahead of 2020 Olympics
Marc Lancaster
April 6, 2018 17:55 MYT
April 6, 2018 17:55 MYT
Will LeBron James be shooting for a fourth Olympic medal in Tokyo?
The Cavaliers star was among 35 NBA players named Friday to USA Basketball's national team pool for 2018-20, which will ultimately produce the 12-player rosters the U.S. sends to the 2019 FIBA World Cup in China and the 2020 Tokyo Games with coach Gregg Popovich.
James, who will be 35 during the next Olympics, skipped the 2016 Games in Rio but won gold with the U.S. team in 2012 and 2008 and bronze in 2004.
He would be the most experienced member of the potential U.S. squad, but plenty of players with international experience are in the initial pool. That includes two-time gold medalists Kevin Durant and Chris Paul and 14 other players who have previously helped the U.S. bring home Olympic gold.
While this group of players will not compete internationally this year, they will be invited to a minicamp July 25-27 in Las Vegas.
"This year's minicamp is an opportunity for us to continue and expand the culture, brotherhood and camaraderie that has been built," USA Basketball managing director Jerry Colangelo said in a release. "As is shown by the return of 29 past national team players, our pipeline is well-developed and it is a key factor in our success. We're also excited about the new players who have been added to the program and the roster will remain fluid over the next three years as we continue to look for and consider players who can contribute to our program."
The full 35-player pool is below, with first-time members of the national team pool denoted by an asterisk.
USA Basketball 2018-20 player pool
| Player | NBA Team |
|---|---|
| Harrison Barnes | Mavericks |
| Bradley Beal | Wizards |
| Devin Booker* | Suns |
| Jimmy Butler | Timberwolves |
| Mike Conley Jr. | Grizzlies |
| DeMarcus Cousins | Pelicans |
| Stephen Curry | Warriors |
| Anthony Davis | Pelicans |
| DeMar DeRozan | Raptors |
| Andre Drummond | Pistons |
| Kevin Durant | Warriors |
| Paul George | Thunder |
| Eric Gordon | Rockets |
| Draymond Green | Warriors |
| Blake Griffin | Pistons |
| James Harden | Rockets |
| Tobias Harris | Clippers |
| Gordon Hayward | Celtics |
| Kyrie Irving | Celtics |
| LeBron James | Cavaliers |
| DeAndre Jordan | Clippers |
| Kawhi Leonard | Spurs |
| Damian Lillard | Trail Blazers |
| Kevin Love | Cavaliers |
| Kyle Lowry | Raptors |
| CJ McCollum* | Trail Blazers |
| Khris Middleton* | Bucks |
| Victor Oladipo | Pacers |
| Chris Paul | Rockets |
| Isaiah Thomas* | Lakers |
| Klay Thompson | Warriors |
| Myles Turner* | Pacers |
| Kemba Walker | Hornets |
| John Wall | Wizards |
| Russell Westbrook | Thunder |