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Biggest Misses From Team USA’s 12-Man Roster for Tokyo Olympics Featuring LeBron James and Stephen Curry

Published 06/24/2021, 3:30 PM EDT

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USA Today via Reuters

The Los Angeles Lakers suffered an early playoff exit this postseason. Fans were hardly able to watch LeBron James for six games. Further, there will be no compensation for watching him in the Olympics either, because he backed out of the team.

The biggest names not going on the plane to Tokyo for the Olympics are LeBron and Stephen Curry. It is not a surprise that Bron has rejected the call-up since he hasn’t played for the United States team since 2012. When asked if he will be participating, James joked about how would rather play with the Toon Squad. He is planning to rest and completely recover from his injuries.

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Curry hasn’t played for Team USA since 2014. But fans were hoping he would make his first Olympics appearance this summer. However, he has opted to rest after going through an arduous season.

‘Gonna Play for the Tune Squad’: LeBron James Jokes About Not Participating in Tokyo Olympics 2021

Anthony Davis and James Harden will also miss the Olympics as they are focused on recovering from their respective injuries. Both of them had an injured-marred season, and they will be aiming to come back stronger next season. Other top players who will be absent from the Team USA roster are Jimmy Butler, Kawhi Leonard, Kyrie Irving, Russell Westbrook and Trae Young.

Can the United States basketball team win gold san LeBron James and Steph Curry?

Since basketball became an official sport at the 1936 Olympics, the United States team has won gold in 15 out of 19 attempts. They have won the gold medal in the last three Olympics, and this could very well be their fourth.

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via Getty

Not having LeBron or Steph is not as bad as it sounds for Team USA. They still have Kevin Durant, Damian Lillard, and Devin Booker leading their ranks. Those three players could win games by themselves and it is not an overstatement. They are supported by nine other top players who have what it takes to bring home the gold medal. Anything less than that will be a severe underachievement for this team.

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Written by:

Aaron Mathew

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Aaron Mathew is a sports analyst at EssentiallySports. A graduate in Mass Media from Xavier’s College, Aaron has been a part of EssentiallySports since May 2020 where he covers both NBA and NCAA basketball news, and has also covered NBA 2K. In the past, Aaron has worked at the Sports Desk of Mumbai Mirror.
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