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Devin Booker (#1) of the Phoenix Suns and Bradley Beal of the Washington Wizards. /CFP
Two NBA All-Star guards, Devin Booker of the Phoenix Suns and Bradley Beal of the Washington Wizards, have agreed to join Team USA at the Tokyo Olympics, according to ESPN and The Athletic.
Booker and Beal will join hands with Damian Lillard of the Portland Trail Blazers, who said on Thursday he wanted to become a member of the national team, partly because he wants to be coached by Gregg Popovich.
As their teams' scoring ace, Booker, Beal and Lillard averaged 25.6, 31.3 and 28.8 points per game respectively in the regular season. One of the major reasons Team USA were knocked out early in the FIBA Basketball World Cup in China in 2019 was their lack of reliable, consistent scoring methods.
Damian Lilalrd of the Portland Trail Blazers looks on in Game 6 of the NBA Western Conference first-round playoffs against the Denver Nuggets at Moda Center in Portland, Oregon, U.S., June 3, 2021. /CFP
Lillard's Trail Blazers were eliminated by the Denver Nuggets in the Western Conference first-round playoffs; Booker's Suns swept the Nuggets in the Western semifinals and will meet the Los Angeles Clippers on Sunday; Beal's Wizards lost to the Philadelphia 76ers in the first-round competitions in the East.
Besides the three All-Star guards, Team USA are also looking at Draymond Green of the Golden State Warriors and Jayson Tatum of the Boston Celtics to join the 12-man roster. Green could play the role of connecting the whole team both offensively and defensively while Tatum can make their first-choice for isolation from the wing side.
Jayson Tatum of the Boston Celtics dribbles the ball in Game 5 of the NBA Eastern Conference first-round playoffs against the Brooklyn Nets at Barclays Center in Brooklyn borough, New York City, New York, U.S., June 1, 2021. /CFP
Draymond Green of the Golden State Warriors looks for teammate to pass the ball in the game against the New Orleans Pelicans at Smoothie King Center in New Orleans, Louisiana, U.S., May 4, 2021. /CFP
The NBA playoffs reached Conference Finals in the West and very close to that in the East. USA Basketball, the country's basketball association is planning to fill the roster by the end of June and hold a training camp in Las Vegas on July 6.
Team USA dominated men's basketball Olympic gold medals from 2008 in Beijing to 2016 in Rio de Janeiro and have no reason to give the honor away in Tokyo, especially after the humiliating loss in the World Cup.
