– One of the dreams of the black community in the United States, to one day see a national basketball team made up entirely of African-American players, came true this year with which he traveled to Tokyo 2020, where there will be no “Dream Team” of superstars of the NBA, but it will be historic.
After all the controversy that arose with the selection of power forward Kevin Love, of the Cleveland Cavaliers, which was considered by black commentators as a new concession to the so-called “quotas”, but of whites, his voluntary withdrawal from the team paved the way. path for history.
Veteran San Antonio Spurs coach Gregg Popovich, making his debut as the team’s chief technical officer, along with USA Basketball officials, were replaced by power forward JaVale McGee of the Denver Nuggets.
While guard Bradley Beal of the Washington Wizards was dismissed after testing positive for Covid-19, his vacancy was filled by young forward Keldon Johnson of the Spurs, both African-American players.
Although Popovich and USA Basketball CEO Jerry Colangelo defended Love’s selection on the grounds that he was a versatile player who could be of great help if he reached his best level of form, in the end it was not possible and now the team it will also have the incentive of being already historic without having started to compete.
However, the great figure of the team, forward Kevin Durant, of the Brooklyn Nets, announced that his only concern and concentration is to contribute the maximum to the team with all the teammates who have been selected.
But they are aware that now their responsibility will be greater given that an Olympic setback after the one suffered in the last world championship of China 2019, sportingly, would leave them in an unfavorable situation.
In addition, the absence of the NBA superstars, who identified so much during 2020 with the social struggle, but who did not have the same predisposition to go to Tokyo 2020 with the national team, has not gone unnoticed by the American public opinion. , who has lost interest in it.
In fact, a first reaction to the loss of popularity that the NBA has suffered was reflected in the Finals that last night the Milwaukee Bucks beat the Phoenix Suns 4-2, the best of seven, and that were one of the fewer views since 1974 when television audience control began to be controlled.
That fear also exists in terms of the Olympic team that has begun to be seen as something politicized that the superstars led by LeBron James have turned their backs on, who decided not to play but to dedicate time to their businesses.
His teammate with the Los Angeles Lakers, center Anthony Davis, decided not to play to better recover from the injury he suffered at the end of the playoffs, the same thing that happened with guard James Harden of the Nets.
The guard Stephen Curry, of the Golden State Warriors, argued for his refusal to be invited to be with the Olympic team that had already closed its calendar of activities for this summer.
But of all the casualties of the superstars within the team it will be Davis, the key player in the paint and hence the choice of Love, who could help.
Without Love, the choice was that of McGreen, he will be the only one to exceed the height of 2.14 meters and together with power forward Draymond Green, who has the experience of Rio de Janeiro 2016, he will give strength to the team’s defense.
All the other players are behind, which will be a problem when it comes to rebounds when it comes to facing European teams with tall men as happened in the friendly against Spain.
The first litmus test for the historic team of the United States without the Superstars will be Sunday’s duel against France, the executioner in the last world championship, where the Stars and Stripes team finished in seventh place.
The presence of center Rudy Gobert, Defensive Player of the Year, with France, will put the first American national team made up entirely of black players to the test.
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