AP Sources: Beale and Booker to play USA at Tokyo 2020

Bradley Beale won gold with the United States basketball team 11 years earlier, allowing the Americans to score points at the Under-17 World Championship without losing a game.

He will be looking for another gold on the world’s biggest stage for basketball this summer.

The Washington Wizards point guard has promised to play for the United States at the Tokyo Olympics, a person with knowledge of the decision told the Associated Press, who spoke on condition of anonymity Friday because the team members were not announced. Went.

Also on Friday, the AP received information from another player, Phoenix Suns point guard Devin Booker, who had promised to play for the national team in Tokyo. The person also spoke on condition of anonymity as confirmation from the team is still needed. ESPN was the first outlet to report on Booker’s plans with the team.

This will be the first participation of both the players in the Olympic Games. Beale was a candidate for the gold medal-winning team at Rio 2016 and the seventh-placed team at the World Cup in China two years ago. In 2016, Beale retired due to injury-related concerns and in 2019 for family reasons

The Athletic first reported Beale’s decision to play.

Beale, a three-time All-Star, was selected to the All-NBA team (best in the league according to journalists and commentators) for the first time this week. Biel averages 31.3 points this season with Washington, his career-best performance.

He will join a lineup that includes Booker, as well as Portland point guard Damien Lillard, who on Thursday announced a number of reasons why he wants to play, the opportunity to be under Greg Popovich’s direction, among others.

Booker, who played in the Western Conference finals for the first time, has an average of 25.6 points this season.

The United States also expects 2016 gold medalists Drummond Green and Jason Tatum to be part of the team.

Some big names like LeBron James and Jimmy Butler decided not to compete this summer for various reasons.

USA Basketball is expected to finalize its 12-player roster for the Olympics by the end of this month.

The Americans – who are on their way to a fourth consecutive Olympic gold medal – will reunite on July 6 for a training camp in Las Vegas. The US team will play its first match on July 25 in Tokyo against another medal contender, France.