Team USA Loses 2 NBA Veterans Ahead Of Tokyo Olympics
By Jason Hall
July 16, 2021
Team USA has reportedly lost two NBA veterans ahead of the pandemic-delayed Tokyo Summer Olympics.
On Thursday (July 15), Team USA announced Washington Wizards guard Bradley Beal was ruled as unable to participate in the upcoming Summer Games one day after being placed in health and safety protocols.
On Friday (July 16), Cleveland Cavaliers forward Kevin Love announced his decision to withdraw from Team USA and the Tokyo Olympics due to an ongoing calf injury in a statement issued by his agent, Jeff Schawtz, to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski.
"I am incredibly disappointed to not be heading to Tokyo with Team USA, but you need to be at absolute peak performance to compete at the Olympic level and I am just not there yet," Love said in the statement.
Team USA also placed Detroit Pistons forward Jerami Grant in the health and safety protocols along with Beal on Thursday, but confirmed Grant will remain with the team.
Bradley Beal, who was placed under USA Basketball's health & safety protocols on Wednesday, will remain in protocol & will be unable to participate in the Tokyo Olympic Games.
— USA Basketball (@usabasketball) July 15, 2021
Out of an abundance of caution, Jerami Grant has been placed under health & safety protocols.
After spending 10 days in Las Vegas preparing for the Olympics, Cleveland’s Kevin Love is withdrawing from Team USA and won’t travel to Tokyo, sources tell ESPN. Love is still returning to full form from a right calf injury that kept him out a significant part of the NBA season.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) July 16, 2021
Additionally, Team USA announced its exhibition game against Australia initially scheduled for Friday (July 16) was cancelled "out of an abundance of caution."
The USA Women's National Team will play its Friday matchup against Australia as originally scheduled.
The departures come amid Team USA's early struggles through its pre-Olympic training schedule.
The Americans dropped back-to-back upset losses to Nigeria last Saturday (July 10) and Australia on Monday (July 12).
Team USA has won Gold in each of the last three Summer Olympics tournaments.