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With many superstars joining the U.S. national team ahead of the Paris Olympics, there is one spot left on the new Dream Team, and reporter Shams Charania reports that Mikal Bridges, who played for the U.S. team at last year’s FIBA World Cup, will He is reported to be one of the final roster spots available. .
Shams reported to The Athletic:
The U.S. men’s basketball team, which is aiming for its fifth consecutive Olympic title, includes LeBron James, Kevin Durant, Stephen Curry, Joel Embiid, Jayson Tatum, Devin Booker, Jrue Holiday, as well as Anthony Davis, Bam Adebayo, Anthony Edwards and Tyrese Haliburton were selected. A source close to the player told The Athletic.
That’s 11 players, and Shams added the names of No. 12 candidates, including Bridges.
Each team is allowed to bring 12 athletes to the Olympics. Kawhi Leonard is the top candidate for the U.S. vacancy, with Paul George, Paolo Banchero, Mikal Bridges and Jalen Brunson also being considered, sources tell The Athletic.
Bridges played well at the FIBA World Cup, finishing with the team’s highest net rating and second-highest scoring average behind Edwards, but the U.S. faced Germany, led by Bridges’ new head coach Jordi Fernandez, in the medal round. They lost to Canada and returned home. without a medal.
At the time and during the NBA season, Bridges said it was an honor to play for the U.S. national team and that he had hoped to be considered for the Olympic team, but the summer job was a big deal for the NBA’s Ironman. It seems like it has become a burden.
In January, he told The Athletic’s Joe Vardon that he hoped to be considered.
“I’m just waiting to see what happens — if (the invitation) comes, it will come,” Bridges told The Athletic. “I don’t think I care too much because I’m so obsessed with trying to figure everything out here (with the Nets).”
Bridges played in 13 games (five exhibition games, eight FIBA competitions) over five weeks with Team USA, traveling 25,000 miles from Las Vegas to Malaga, Spain, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, and finally Manila. Philippines. Bridges and his American teammates, including the Nets’ Cameron Johnson, then returned home just three weeks before NBA training camp began. Bridges didn’t mention his experience in FIBA on Monday when discussing his late-season slump, but acknowledged he was burnt out.
“I wasn’t in the right head space…I wasn’t as strong or positive as I should have been,” Bridges told Beat Writer. “I think towards the end I was so mentally devastated that I lost my confidence and that hurt me.”
Olympic training camp begins in Las Vegas on July 5th, and Team USA’s first game isn’t until July 28th, but as Shams points out, players are expected to join Olympic promotions right away. become.
Nets players other than Bridges are expected to play in Paris. Ben Simmons has been officially removed from Team Australia’s plans as he continues to rehabilitate from recent hip surgery. However, after winning the silver medal in Manila, Fernandez was expected to coach Team Canada again at the Olympics. Will hiring him as the Nets’ new head coach change things?
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