JaVale McGee and Keldon Johnson being added to Team USA men’s basketball roster
JaVale McGee and Keldon Johnson have been added as replacements to the Team USA men’s basketball roster, people with knowledge of the decision have confirmed to USA TODAY Sports.
The people requested anonymity because the decision had not been announced.
The Athletic first reported the news of the roster replacements.
Johnson and McGee will join Team USA as it tries to recover from a series of setbacks ahead of the Tokyo Olympics, which begin in one week.
Bradley Beal and Kevin Love withdrew this week. Love is still recovering from a right calf injury he suffered during the NBA season. Beal, who was placed in the COVID-19 protocol Wednesday, was ruled out of the Olympics on Thursday.
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McGee, a 13-year NBA veteran and three-time NBA champion, played 46 games this season for the Cleveland Cavalier and Denver Nuggets, averaging 7.3 points and 5.2 rebounds per game. He was named a member of the USA Basketball 2010-12 men’s national team and participated in the 2019 USA Basketball men’s national team minicamp. He was named a finalist for the 2021 USA national team and U.S. Olympic men’s basketball team on March 11.
Johnson, a 21-year-old forward, has spent two years in the NBA playing for the San Antonio Spurs. He performed well as a role player against Australia Monday, scoring seven points on 60% shooting in 13 minutes.
This is Johnson’s first stint on the senior team after playing on the 2018 USA junior national select team for the Nike Hoop Summit. He also participated in the 2017 USA men’s junior national team October minicamp.
Team USA’s scheduled Friday night exhibition against Australia was canceled “out of an abundance of caution.” The status of Saturday’s exhibition against the Czech Republic, the last on the schedule, remains unknown.
Beal, a three-time All-Star, played 60 games and averaged a career-high 31.3 points in his ninth season.
Love was part of the 2012 gold-medal squad in London and completed his seventh season with the Cleveland Cavaliers in 202-21. He missed 46 games because of the calf injury.