Miami Heat of USA’s Nigerian-born sensation, Bam Adebayo has been named in the final squad of United States of America for this year’s Olympic Games in Tokyo, Japan, megasportsarena.com reports.
The in-form basketball star is bound to revive memories of how another Nigerian player, Hakeem ‘The Dream’ Olajuwon featured in USA’s original ‘Dream Team’ that set the stage for the incursion of professional players at The Games.
Olajuwon et al paved the way for USA’s National Basketball Association (NBA) icons to line out for the country at the Olympics, and Adebayo is now following suit at the rescheduled Games of Tokyo 2020.
The US won the men’s basketball gold medal at the past three editions of the Olympics, the most recent of which was in 2016 at Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, and Adebayo will hope to get the same at the end of Tokyo 2020.
This follows the emergence of his name among a motley of NBA stars selected for The Yankees’ squad, which will be without James Harden, but Jerami Grant and Zach LaVine make the roster along with Los Angeles Lakers forward, LeBron James, Utah Jazz guard, Donovan Mitchell and Stephen Curry of San Antonio Warriors.
Only Kevin Durant and Thomas Green return from the Rio 2016 group, but Team USA managing director, Jerry Colangelo told ESPN that Harden of Brooklyn Nets, will spend the summer taking care of his troublesome hamstring injury.
Harden had reportedly committed to play two days earlier, while British newspaper, The Athletic reported that Detroit Pistons forward, Grant and Chicago Bulls guard, LaVine both readily agreed to play in the Tokyo Games, which begin July 23.
Listed alongside Adebayo, pending further adjustments, in the full 12-player roster are Kevin Durant (Brooklyn Nets), Damian Lillard (Portland Trail Blazers), Devin Booker (Phoenix Suns), Khris Middleton (Milwaukee Bucks) and Draymond Green (Golden State Warriors).
Others are Jayson Tatum (Boston Celtics), Zach LaVine (Chicago Bulls), Kevin Love (Cleveland Cavaliers), Bradley Beal (Washington Wizards), Jrue Holiday (Milwaukee Bucks) and Jerami Grant (Detroit Pistons).
