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Team USA men’s basketball is looking to win its fifth straight Olympic gold medal when it heads to Paris for the 2024 Summer Games.
It suffered a bit of a blow earlier this week, however, when Kawhi Leonard withdrew from the team to focus on getting ready for the next NBA season, perhaps in concession to the many injuries he has suffered over the years.
Derrick White of the NBA champion Boston Celtics was selected to replace Leonard, but some feel he isn’t the most qualified player to take Leonard’s spot.
Former NBA player Eddie Johnson said Jaylen Brown of the Celtics would’ve been a much better pick and that he was snubbed when Leonard stepped down, per SiriusXM NBA Radio.
“They pick three other players off his team to go to the Olympics. … That’s ridiculous,” Johnson said.
“He was the best player on his team in the entire playoffs…he gets Finals MVP, and they pick 3 other players off his team to go to the Olympics…that’s ridiculous”
@jumpshot8 and @worldwidewob do not agree with Derrick White getting the Team USA spot over Jaylen Brown pic.twitter.com/9k5doYe54J— SiriusXM NBA Radio (@SiriusXMNBA) July 11, 2024
Brown is fresh off winning NBA Finals MVP after averaging 20.8 points, 5.4 rebounds and 5.0 assists per game in the five-game series victory against the Dallas Mavericks.
While Team USA selection Jayson Tatum is widely considered the best player on the Celtics, Brown has often been their best performer in big games and big series.
This past regular season, he put up 23.0 points per game while shooting a career-high 49.9 percent from the field, which earned him his second straight All-Star nod and his third in the past four seasons.
Regardless of whether Brown was or wasn’t snubbed when Team USA filled Leonard’s spot, it still will have a very talented roster to compete for the gold medal.
In fact, some have said this is the most talented roster USA Basketball has boasted since the legendary Dream Team that dominated on its way to the 1992 Olympic gold medal.
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