NEW YORK, United States (Reuters) — LeBron James was a glaring absentee from the United States Olympic lineup as USA Basketball unveiled its squad for the Rio Games on Monday (June 27).
U.S. media reported last week that James, who led the Cavaliers to victory over the Golden State Warriors in a seven-game NBA Finals series, had asked USA Basketball to remove his name from Olympic consideration.
The three-times NBA champion and four-times league Most Valuable Player won gold medals with Team USA at the 2008 and 2012 Olympics but after six consecutive trips to the NBA Finals James decided he needed rest.
The U.S. will now be led by former NBA MVP Kevin Durant of the Oklahoma City Thunder and Cavaliers guard Kyrie Irving.
The 2016 USA Olympic men’s basketball team made its debut at a school in Harlem.
Speaking to students, Kyrie Irving of the champion Cleveland Cavaliers said, “It’s a dream come true to have an opportunity like this with All-Stars and MVPs and NBA champions and competing at the highest level, especially for our country. But this is something that I am going to relish for the rest of my life. And us going for a gold medal just means that we are bonded for life, especially if we come home with one.”
Durant, who collected MVP honors in leading the USA to gold at the 2010 world championship and finished as the U.S. team’s leading scorer at the 2012 London Olympics by averaging an American Olympic record 19.5 points a game, said “To bring back gold. Anything less than that is.. we don’t want it. Our mentality has always been like that. We still got to put the work in. We can’t just go out and expect to win. We got to put the work in and everybody’s excited for it.”
Durant also said not to compare the 2016 team to previous Olympic teams.
“We not trying to be 2012, 08 or a Dream Team or any team in between that. We are just trying to be us and come back with a gold,” he said.
While a handful of athletes from other sports have pulled out of the Aug. 5-21 Olympics due to health fears over the Zika virus in Brazil, no NBA player has yet to cite the mosquito-borne virus for his decision.
Zika can cause crippling birth defects and, in adults, has been linked to the neurological disorder Guillain-Barre.
Carmelo Anthony of the New York Knicks said he did consider the Zika dangers before deciding to play in the Olympics.
“We can try to downplay the Zika thing as much as we want, but it is what it is. I don’t think nobody really has the answers to how to control that. But all of those things came into play.”
Anthony and Durant are the only two members returning from the gold medal winning 2012 team. Anthony played on the 2008 and 2004 Olympic teams and is poised to become the first U.S. male basketball player to play on four Olympic teams.
“We don’t have as many of the big names guys that we’ve had before. But I think, so far, this is a great group of guys and they’re hungry. They want to play,” said Anthony.
Despite the absence of many top players, the U.S. will still head to Rio as heavy gold medal favorites as they go in search of a third consecutive Olympic title.
Other members of the team include Chicago Bulls’ Jimmy Butler, Sacramento Kings DeMarcus Cousins, Indiana Pacers Paul George, DeAndre Jordan of the Los Angeles Clippers, Toronto Raptors DeMar DeRozan and Kyle Lowry and three members of the Golden State Warriors – Harrison Barnes, Draymond Green and Klay Thompson.
Olympic team newcomers DeMar DeRozan and Kyle Lowry said they were eager to play.
“We are extremely confident. We got the talent. We got guys who’ve been here before and won a gold medal. We got guys who’re hungry for their first gold medal. With that all bunched up into one, we can’t wait to get out there and play,” said DeRozan.
“I dreamt that I could one day hopefully I would get there. And now it’s here. I’m just happy to be a part of the opportunity,” added Lowry.
Among the other American NBA players who opted out of consideration are twice reigning NBA MVP Stephen Curry, Russell Westbrook, James Harden, Chris Paul, Anthony Davis, Blake Griffin, John Wall and LaMarcus Aldridge.
