The U.S. has selected its 12-player roster, led by Kevin Durant and Carmelo Anthony, that will try to win the U.S. nationals’ third straight Olympic basketball gold medal.
Durant and Anthony are the only players with Olympic experience after a number of stars, including LeBron James, decided to not go to Rio.
Also chosen Monday for the team were: Golden State’s Klay Thompson, Draymond Green and Harrison Barnes; Toronto’s Kyle Lowry and DeMar DeRozan; Cleveland’s Kyrie Irving; Indiana’s Paul George; Chicago’s Jimmy Butler; Sacramento’s DeMarcus Cousins and the Clippers’ DeAndre Jordan.
Irving was the MVP of the 2014 Basketball World Cup on a U.S. team that included Thompson, Cousins and DeRozan and easily won gold.
The players should roll into Rio as the favorites. Yet they won’t look as imposing as expected after the withdrawals of Stephen Curry, Russell Westbrook, Chris Paul and James Harden.