Who Made the 30-man Cut for USA Basketball? Check Details Here
USA Basketball has trimmed down its list of candidates of NBA players to 30, led by big-name players like LeBron James and Carmelo Anthony.
The two NBA stars have already suited up for USA Basketball three times. Despite their inclusion, however, nothing is certain until Jerry Colangelo and head coach Mike Krzyzewski come out with the final 12-man roster this Summer.
Of the 30 stalwarts on the trimmed list, nine of the 12 players from the 2012 gold-medal team are included in the list. The three players missing were Deron Williams, Tyson Chandler and Kobe Bryant.
Bryant already announced that he had no intention of playing for team USA this year, saying it is time for the younger guys to step up and take the lead.
Aside from James and Anthony, the 30-man list released via usab.com include:
• LaMarcus Aldridge (San Antonio Spurs)
• Harrison Barnes (Golden State Warriors)
• Bradley Beal (Washington Wizards)
• Jimmy Butler (Chicago Bulls)
• Mike Conley (Memphis Grizzlies)
• DeMarcus Cousins (Sacramento Kings)
• Stephen Curry (Golden State Warriors)
• Anthony Davis (New Orleans Pelicans)
• DeMar DeRozan (Toronto Raptors)
• Andre Drummond (Detroit Pistons)
• Kevin Durant (Oklahoma City Thunder)
• Kenneth Faried (Denver Nuggets)
• Rudy Gay (Sacramento Kings)
• Paul George (Indiana Pacers)
• Draymond Green (Golden State Warriors)
• Blake Griffin (Los Angeles Clippers)
• James Harden (Houston Rockets)
• Gordon Hayward (Utah Jazz)
• Dwight Howard (Houston Rockets)
• Andre Iguodala (Golden State Warriors)
• Kyrie Irving (Cleveland Cavaliers)
• DeAndre Jordan (Los Angeles Clippers)
• Kawhi Leonard (San Antonio Spurs)
• Kevin Love (Cleveland Cavaliers)
• Chris Paul (Los Angeles Clippers)
• Klay Thompson (Golden State Warriors)
• John Wall (Washington Wizards)
• Russell Westbrook (Oklahoma City Thunder).
While the list seems like a rich and talented mix of players, there were notable absentees.
One is Derrick Rose, who was a starter for USA Basketball in 2010. He was also in the 2014 FIBA World Cup selection. Rose did not attend the minicamp in Las Vegas as the former NBA MVP opted to focus on helping the Chicago Bulls instead.
Damian Lillard is another missing name though he too was not around at minicamp last August. He had a chance for the 2014 lineup but ended up being cut.
As far as the final 12-man lineup is concerned, Colangelo and Krzyzewski admit that the task just got even harder.
“This selection process was difficult from the start, and obviously, it is only going to get more difficult as we look to get to the official 12-man roster,” says Krzyzewski via USA Today.
Whoever they end up retaining, the objective is clear – win the gold in Rio.
“Having a deep, very talented and extremely versatile roster is of critical importance in our pursuit of the Olympic gold medal in Rio.”
The 30-man list could be whittled down since players with injuries or outside commitments could beg off. If that is the case, Colangelo and Krzyzewski could get a reprieve since plucking out the final 12 from the stellar list will not be that easy.
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