Tobias Harris, Dwight Howard named finalists for USA basketball
This summer’s Olympic Games are to be from July 23 to Aug. 8 in Tokyo, Japan.
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CHICAGO — The 76ers have two players in the Olympic men’s basketball team’s pool.
USA Basketball announced Thursday that Tobias Harris and Dwight Howard are among 57 finalists for the U.S. Olympic men’s team. The team will compete in this summer’s Olympic Games from July 23-Aug. 8 in Tokyo, Japan. The official 12-member U.S. team will be announced later this year.
Howard and Harris were named as finalists on Feb. 10, 2020 and confirmed on the 2021 list on Thursday.
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The Olympic team will be coached by long-time San Antonio Spurs coach Gregg Popovich. Villanova coach Jay Wright, former Atlanta Hawks coach, Sixers assistant Lloyd Pierce, and Golden State Warriors coach Steve Kerr will serve as Popovich’s assistants.
Harris averaged 20.2 points, 7.6 rebounds and a career-best 3.4 assists during the first half of the season. The power forward is also shot 40.2% on three-pointers.
Howard has been a solid backup center to NBA MVP candidate Joel Embiid. Howard averaged 6.1 points, 7.3 rebounds and 15.9 minutes in 36 games with four starts in the first half.
The Sixers acquired him during free agency in November.