LeBron James & Kevin Durant: Stars Highlight USA Basketball World Cup Roster; Who Else?
The United States' national basketball team has outlined its plans for the 2014 World Championships in Spain as well as the 2016 Olympic games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
USAB chairperson Jerry Colangelo and coach Mike Krzyzewski, who has coached the team in the past, chose a 28 player pool comprising 14 new faces along with 14 players who have been on the team in the past.
The veterans in the pool are Carmelo Anthony, Tyson Chandler, Stephen Curry, Anthony Davis, Kevin Durant, James Harden, Dwight Howard, Andre Iguodala, LeBron James, Kevin Love, Chris Paul, Derrick Rose, Russell Westbrook, and Deron Williams, according to ESPN.
The new stars are LaMarcus Aldridge, Bradley Beal, DeMarcus Cousins, Andre Drummond, Kenneth Faried, Paul George, Blake Griffin, Gordon Hayward, Kyrie Irving, Kyle Korver, David Lee, Kawhi Leonard, Damian Lillard, and Klay Thompson.
"This roster is extremely talented, deep and versatile," Colangelo said, according to ESPN. "Continuity and familiarity with international basketball are critical parts in our success, and between our coaching staff and these 28 players we certainly have that. Every one of the selected players has been involved in USA Basketball previously and that speaks to how well our pipeline is working."
Despite the talented group of players, the glaring exception on the list is Kobe Bryant, who participated in the 2012 Olympics. Bryant, who will be 38 in 2016, had already announced during 2012 that he would not be participating in the next Olympics.
Colangelo and Coach K are expected to select 12-person rosters for the World Cup, which will take place in August, as well as the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro.
What do you think about the roster for Team USA? Do you think that other players should have made the cut or does it seem just about right? Let us know in the comments section below.