Despite a torn ACL that will sideline him for most of the upcoming season, Warriors guard Klay Thompson is committed to representing his country in the 2020 Olympics, writes Marcus Thompson II of The Athletic.
“I would love to play (for) Team USA,” Thompson said. “That is the plan. I would love to be on the Olympic team.”
Thompson was part of the team that went undefeated during the 2016 Games in Rio de Janeiro. Although he shot just 36.4% from the field in eight games, he averaged 9.9 PPG as the Americans cruised to the gold medal.
He would love for his next Olympic experience to include his fellow Splash Brother, Stephen Curry, who had to withdraw in 2016 after suffering an MCL sprain in the playoffs. Although they’ve never played in the Olympics together, Curry and Thompson were teammates on the gold medal squad in the 2014 World Cup.
“That would be amazing,” Thompson said about the possibility of teaming up with Curry in the Olympics. “Amazing. Because even when we played in the World Championships together, we were barely on the floor together.”
The Americans are coming off their worst international performance since NBA players began participating in 1992, finishing seventh at this year’s World Cup. That was preceded by a series of big names declining invitations to training camp or pulling out before the final roster was announced, but it appears that won’t be a problem in 2020. Thompson, Curry and Trail Blazers guard Damian Lillard have already announced their intentions to play in the Olympics.
“It was hard to watch us lose,” Thompson said. “Those guys, they sacrificed their summers for that. I’m not going to dog them for losing, though. The world is good.”
It’s great all these guys are coming out of the shadows and pronouncing that they want a free gold medal. Don’t you have to be invited first?
How is Klay coming from the shadows? He couldn’t play at the Worlds and he played on the last Olympic team. Is he supposed to mention he wants to play for team USA every month?
I think his body of work secured the invite.
Top 20 player in the league “coming out of the shadows”…smh what a corny post
Do the Warriors want him playing in the Olympics next summer? They gave him a $190M contract and he is expected to be out for the majority of the season.
He’s expected to be fully recovered some time this spring. He will have fresh legs in the summer, not worn out from a hundred games like the last five years.
Steve Kerr is one of the coaches. His good friend Pop is head coach. Book it.
He’s a top 20 player in the NBA, he makes the team no matter who coaches it.
KT made a 3 year commitment to be a part of USB, when chosen for the 2018-2020 player pool (which was originally 35 players). So he would be expected (unless he bails) to go to mini camp and compete for a spot in the 20 man, and final 12 man, rosters. Other guys had to have been added to the pool (at least 8-10), since only 4-5 of the original 35 were on the 12 man FIBA team. I don’t know if they remove guys or not, or just sort it out in mini camp (it’s the first time so many guys needed to be added).
In any case, KT would not have been removed (nor should in place in the pecking order change) based on not playing in 2019 FIBA because he was hurt. He might also have told them in advance of that due to being a FA.
It’s was never anticipated that the entire pool would be available for all 3 mini camps. It was anticipated that younger first time selections wouldn’t bail without a good reason, particularly during and after mini camp. The PTB at USB have to weigh FIBA participation heavy among these players especially, or there’s little point to having this system. It’s not principally about retribution/reward. It’s about winning. We win when we field a team with some multi-year experience together. We lose when we don’t. If we want to field the former every tournament, we need guys who take the commitment seriously vs just wanting the honor of being named.
I would not mind at all, seeing some reward/retribution. Enough at least, to make an impression on players for the benefit of the next WC roster.
It would likely only take a few additions to make USA the best again.
The 2018 “National team”:
link to usab.com
So all the guys like Lillard, who bailed on the team before the World Cup won’t get priority for Olympic selection? Even though they lost, at least this year’s crop were putting in the work, not hanging in Vegas, hitting up pool parties yet still expecting to be automatic for the Olympic squad.
Its “The dynasty is over” in September, but it will be “They have 4 superstars and ruined basketball” in July.
NBA fans are cornballs. Klay is a top 20 player in the league easily. He’s playing on any Olympic basketball team he wants to, and his country will be happy to have him.