USA men’s basketball team adds JaVale McGee and Keldon Johnson
The pair replaces Bradley Beal and Kevin Love. Beal is entering health and safety protocols, and Love chose to withdraw and focus on his calf injury.
JaVale McGee has one of the most interesting basketball careers of all time. Just when you thought it couldn’t get stranger, it did.
McGee is a three-time NBA champion and two-time Shaqtin’ a Fool MVP. He can add U.S. Olympian to those achievements.
McGee is joining Spurs forward Keldon Johnson as replacements on the Team USA men’s basketball roster. They are replacing Bradley Beal and Kevin Love.
The Olympic roster was already being scrutinized with the likes of Stephen Curry, LeBron James, Paul George, and Russell Westbrook opting not to play. That doesn’t include injured stars Kyrie Irving, James Harden, Anthony Davis, and Kawhi Leonard who will not participate. And two quick exhibition losses didn’t help.
» READ MORE: USA Basketball will face unique obstacles at the Olympics, including fatigue, injury and late arrivals
Beal is being replaced after entering health and safety protocols, while Love chose to withdraw and focus on the calf injury that bothered him this season.
Fans clamored for players such as Trae Young, De’Aaron Fox, and Ja Morant to help fix the team’s lack of playmaking. A tweet by Young made it clear that he wouldn’t be joining the team.
Devin Booker, Jrue Holiday, and Khris Middleton should be joining the team after the NBA Finals. But with the Suns-Bucks best-of-seven series tied at two games apiece, their availability in the early games is questionable.
McGee played 46 games with the Cavs and Nuggets this season, averaging 7.3 points and 5.2 rebounds in 14.7 minutes. His ability as a lob threat and shot blocker fills a position that Dwight Howard, Tyson Chandler, and DeAndre Jordan have had on recent Olympic squads.
Johnson was elevated from the USA Select Team roster. He averaged 12.8 points and six rebounds in his second NBA season.