Big Spring Herald

Grant accepts Olympic bid, pushes US roster to 12

- By TIM REYNOLDS AP Basketball Writer

USA Basketball now has a full 12-man roster for the Tokyo Games, after Chicago's Zach LaVine and Detroit's Jerami Grant accepted invitation­s Wednesday to join the team that will try to win the program's fourth consecutiv­e Olympic gold medal.

LaVine's decision was confirmed by his agent, Nima Namakian. Grant's decision was confirmed by a person familiar with the situation, who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because USA Basketball has yet to formally reveal the full roster.

The challenge for the Americans will be keeping the group together. There has already been one change; Brooklyn's James Harden, who had briefly committed, has since told the national team that a hamstring injury that affected him during the NBA playoffs would not allow him to participat­e, the person familiar with the roster decisions told AP.

So, for now, the Olympic team that will be coached by Gregg Popovich in Tokyo: Washington's Bradley Beal, Brooklyn's Kevin Durant, Miami's Bam Adebayo, Milwaukee teammates Jrue Holiday and Khris Middleton, Portland's Damian Lillard, Cleveland's Kevin Love, Phoenix's Devin Booker, Golden State's Draymond Green, Boston's Jayson Tatum, LaVine and Grant.

The team has a combined 37 All-Star selections, led by Durant's 11. The team will not be officially complete until USA Basketball sends its roster to FIBA, something that won't happen until next month.

Durant is a two-time Olympic gold medalist, after being part of the 2012 and 2016 teams. Green also helped the U.S. win gold in 2016, Love in 2012.

Holiday, Middleton and Booker are still in the NBA playoffs. Game 7 of the NBA Finals may happen as late as July 22 — just three days before the Americans open Olympic play in Tokyo against fellow medal favorite France, the nation that knocked the U.S. out of medal contention at the Basketball World Cup in China two years ago.

USA Basketball managing director Jerry Colangelo has said that contingenc­ies are being made in case any players miss camp and have to arrive in Tokyo after the rest of the Olympic team because of their NBA playoff schedules.

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