Kevin Durant leads USA team for Tokyo 2020

Brooklyn Nets star forward Kevin Durant tops the official list of the 12 players that make up the United States national basketball team that will compete this summer in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.

Joining Durant, who will be seeking his third gold medal with the Stars and Stripes, will also be Bam Adebayo (Miami Heat), Bradley Beal (Washington Wizards), Devin Booker (Phoenix Suns), Durant, Jerami Grant (Detroit Pistons), Draymond Green (Golden State Warriors), Jrue Holiday (Milwaukee Bucks), Zach LaVine (Chicago Bulls), Damian Lillard (Portland Trail Blazers), Kevin Love (Cleveland Cavaliers), Khris Middleton (Milwaukee Bucks) and Jayson Tatum ( Boston Celtics).

The United States coaching staff will be led by San Antonio Spurs coach Gregg Popovich, who will be assisted by Steve Kerr (Golden State Warriors), Lloyd Pierce and Jay Wright (Villanova University) and Jerry Colangelo as general manager of the United States Men’s National Team.

“I am happy for the selected players and I look forward to the opportunity to work with this wonderful group when training begins on July 6 in Las Vegas,” Popovich said through an official statement. “I am excited to represent the United States in our quest to win a gold medal in Tokyo.”

The United States will seek its fourth consecutive gold medal in the Olympic Games even though most of the NBA’s superstars, for various reasons, have decided not to be with the national team.

The Olympic men’s basketball team was approved by the United States basketball board of directors and is pending final approval from the United States Olympic and Paralympic Committee.

“We are excited about the 12 players who have been selected to represent the United States at the Tokyo Olympics,” said Colangelo, who has served as the managing director of the United States Men’s National Team since 2005.

Colangelo acknowledged that “This was an unusually challenging selection process for many reasons, including the one-year postponement of the Olympics and problems related to the NBA’s regular season schedule and playoffs.”

The team’s top manager also admitted that as defending champions of the Olympic title, their goal in Tokyo 2020 will be none other than to revalidate it and continue on the winning path.

“We have formed a very balanced team with talent, youth and above all with great physical power and versatility, which will allow us to have all the options when they are on the field,” said Colangelo.