USA receive Olympic commitments from Lillard, Green and Tatum
COLORADO SPRINGS (United States) - The powerhouse trio of Damian Lillard, Draymond Green and Jayson Tatum are ready to suit up for the USA at this summer's Tokyo Olympics.
All three have been in the USA Basketball program for several years, though only Green (2016 Olympics) and Tatum (FIBA Basketball World Cup 2019) have represented the country in international events.
Lillard participated in national team training camps as far back as 2013.
Lillard faced the Dominican Republic in a friendly international before the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2014
He averaged 28.8 points per game while leading the Portland Trail Blazers, his team since being selected sixth overall in the 2012 NBA Draft, into this season's playoffs.
Portland Trail Blazers’ Damian Lillard and Golden State Warriors’ Draymond Green are among the initial commitments to Team USA for the Tokyo Olympics this summer, sources tell me and @joevardon.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) June 15, 2021
Story: https://t.co/jps6mGuQ4U
While Green captured the gold medal with the USA five years ago in Brazil, Tatum twice reached the podium with the USA, at the FIBA U17 World Championship 2014 in Dubai and the FIBA U19 World Championship 2015 in Greece.
He played in just two games at the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2019 in China, however, before getting hurt and sitting out the rest of the tournament. His absence was telling as the USA fell to France in the Quarter-Finals and finished the tournament in seventh place.
Boston Celtics star Jayson Tatum has committed to playing for USA Basketball at this summer’s Tokyo Olympics, league sources tell @YahooSports. https://t.co/Z2md4bqd8z
— Chris Haynes (@ChrisBHaynes) June 15, 2021
The USA training camp is expected to begin in Las Vegas on July 6, with the Olympics tipping off on July 25.
The Americans will go into the Summer Games having won the gold medal at the last three Olympics. They will play in Group A against France, Iran and the team that wins the FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament in Victoria, Canada. Greece, China, Turkey, the Czech Republic, Uruguay and Canada are the teams playing at the event in Victoria.
FIBA
