We feared the worst because of repeated withdrawals and the tight schedule, but ultimately, the United States will travel to Tokyo with a great team, much better than the one that had painfully finished 7th in the last World Cup. For his first Olympics as a coach, Gregg Popovich has a select squad on hand, and ESPN is revealing the underside of squad design in which two players played a major role: Damian Lillard and Kevin Durant.
“When we talked with players about their commitment, one of the things they always asked was to know who had already signed up” says Jerry Colangelo, the president of the federation and manager of Team USA. “Lillard was one of the first to get involved, and that was crucial. “
Then it was Kevin Durant who gave his agreement to go to Tokyo. Even if the Nets winger waited for the elimination of his team to announce it, he had already warned the federation that he would be there. ” He had a lot of success with Team USA, and I think he really wanted to play in Tokyo ” Colangelo continues.
Gregg Popovich wanted Kevin Love
This duo of superstars formed, Gregg Popovich and Jerry Colangelo then associated them with the recruitment phase of the ten remaining players. Lillard, this is how to convince his friend Draymond Green, Bradley Beal, while the latter had a wedding planned, and Jayson Tatum. The latter was not very hot at the start, but the engagements of Lillard and Durant convinced him to play again for the United States.
ESPN also say that it was Lillard and Durant who whispered Jerami Grant’s name to Gregg Popovich, while the Spurs boss weighed in to select Kevin Love. A choice that surprised more than one, but Coach Pop ‘wanted to have an experienced and versatile interior, capable of deviating.
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