Curry, Green finalists for USA
2 Warriors among 57 players named for Tokyo Olympic team
The Warriors’ Stephen Curry and Draymond Green have been selected as finalists for the U.S. Olympic men’s basketball team that will play in the Tokyo Games this summer.
Curry and Green are among 57 finalists to make Team USA’s 12-man roster, which will be announced later this year, and play in the 2021 Tokyo Olympics that were postponed from last year because of the coronavirus pandemic. Klay Thompson — out for the season with an Achilles tear
— was on the original list in 2020 but did not make the cut in the latest player pool.
It’s unclear how the adjusted NBA season will impact the Olympics, which open July 23. The Americans, who are seeking a fourth consecutive gold medal, open the Olympics against France on July 25.
The NBA began the 2020-21 season in December in part to avoid its season overlapping with the Summer Games. The condensed, 72-game regular season is set to end on May 16, followed by a postseason play-in tournament from May 18-21. The last day of the Finals has been marked for July 22 — one day before the planned start of the Olympics.
Curry, 32, has never participated in the Olympics and has stated his desire to play for Team USA in the past. But when asked in December if he planned to play in the 2021 Tokyo Games, Curry said he wasn’t sure.
“I talked to him. He had a great break with his family and I think he’ll be refreshed and recharged.”
— Steve Kerr,
Warriors coach, on Golden State wing Andrew Wiggins.
“Very open-ended question, and I have no idea,” Curry said. “That’s my best answer.”
Meanwhile, Green, 31, was part of the gold-medal winning 2016 U.S. Olympic team that went 8-0 in Rio de Janeiro and, in 2019, had stated his desire to play for Team USA in 2020.
Warriors head coach Steve Kerr is on the Team USA coaching staff, led by San Antonio Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich. WISEMAN BACK, ABLE TO PLAY >> Warriors center James Wiseman played in Thursday night’s game in Los Angeles against the Clippers after he did not participate in practice Wednesday, the team’s first since the All-Star break, because of a missed coronavirus test over the weekend.
Kerr said Wiseman “forgot” to take a league-required coronavirus test ahead of the team’s first practice and a tough threegame stretch against the Clippers, Jazz and Lakers. SECOND-HALF SCRAMBLE >> The Warriors are set to begin a condensed second half of the schedule that features 35 games in 66 nights. Rest days are few and far between, and opportunities to practice even rarer. This made Wednesday’s extended practice session all that more important.
“Every practice we have is crucial, especially the ones where we can actually get some work in,” Kerr said. “The practice after the All-Star break is always an important one because you got to blow it out, you got to get your legs back underneath you, but you also have to get your mind right. (Wednesday) was a very important practice, and we needed the work.” RESTED WIGGINS >> In his final five games before the All-Star break, forward Andrew Wiggins had perhaps his worst stretch of the season, averaging 13 points on 41% shooting (26.3% from 3-point range), 2.6 rebounds and 2.6 assists. The Warriors need him to play better, and are hoping the break provided much-needed rest.
“I think Andrew was a little tired going into the break,” Kerr said. “He’s had a pretty big role defensively, guarding the toughest players in the league night after night, and a lot of games, a lot of minutes. This was a very natural time for Andrew to maybe feel a little fatigued.”
Wiggins is the only Warriors player to start all 37 games.
“I talked to him. He had a great break with his family and I think he’ll be refreshed and recharged,” Kerr said.