SACRAMENTO, CA - Sacramento Kings center DeMarcus Cousins and forward Rudy Gay are among the list of 30 finalists today named for the 2016 U.S. Olympic Men’s Basketball Team by USA Basketball. The player selections were approved by the USA Basketball Board of Directors. The official 12-member 2016 U.S. Olympic Men’s Basketball Team roster will be announced later this year.
Cousins and Gay both participated in the USA Basketball minicamp that took place from August 11-13, 2015, at the Mendenhall and Thomas & Mack Centers on the campus of UNLV. Of the 30 finalists, Gay has the fourth-most games played (41) in international competition, trailing only Carmelo Anthony (72), LeBron James (68), and Chris Paul (50). Cousins has 20 games of international experience. He and Gay were members of the 2014 USA World Cup Team that finished 9-0 and captured gold in Spain. Gay also earned a gold medal with the 2010 USA World Championship squad that went 9-0 in Istanbul, Turkey.
Joining Cousins and Gay are 28 other finalists for the 2016 U.S. Olympic Team: LaMarcus Aldridge (San Antonio Spurs); Carmelo Anthony (New York Knicks); Harrison Barnes (Golden State Warriors); Bradley Beal (Washington Wizards); Jimmy Butler (Chicago Bulls); Mike Conley (Memphis Grizzlies); Stephen Curry (Golden State Warriors); Anthony Davis (New Orleans Pelicans); DeMar DeRozan (Toronto Raptors); Andre Drummond (Detroit Pistons); Kevin Durant (Oklahoma City Thunder); Kenneth Faried (Denver Nuggets); Paul George (Indiana Pacers); Draymond Green (Golden State Warriors); Blake Griffin (Los Angeles Clippers); James Harden (Houston Rockets); Gordon Hayward (Utah Jazz); Dwight Howard (Houston Rockets); Andre Iguodala (Golden State Warriors); Kyrie Irving (Cleveland Cavaliers); LeBron James (Cleveland Cavaliers); DeAndre Jordan (Los Angeles Clippers); Kawhi Leonard (San Antonio Spurs); Kevin Love (Cleveland Cavaliers); Chris Paul (Los Angeles Clippers); Klay Thompson (Golden State Warriors); John Wall (Washington Wizards); and Russell Westbrook (Oklahoma City Thunder).
“It seems like I say this each time we have to narrow down a roster, but I am struck by the remarkable commitment the players in the USA Basketball National Team program continue to display and the enthusiasm they have for representing their country,” said USA Basketball chairman Jerry Colangelo, who has served as the managing director of the USA Men’s National Team since 2005.
“Obviously selecting the official roster of 12 players for the Olympics in 2016 will be a very, very difficult process. As has been the case with past USA Basketball teams, the goal once again is to select the very best team possible to represent the United States.”
Again leading the 2016 USA coaching staff is Duke University’s Naismith Hall of Fame head coach Mike Krzyzewski. Serving as USA assistant coaches are Jim Boeheim (Syracuse University), Tom Thibodeau and Monty Williams (Oklahoma City Thunder).
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