LeBron, Durant, Paul in star-laden US Olympic pool

NEW YORK –LeBron, Durant, Paul in star-laden US Olympic pool

The list added 15 players to a group of 42 finalists named in February 2020  who have confirmed interest in trying to bring the Americans a fourth  consecutive gold medal and 16th overall next August in Japan.

A final 12-man Olympic roster will be announced later this year.

James, who helped the Los Angeles Lakers win last year’s NBA crown, and  Paul, with the Phoenix Suns, helped spark the USA to Olympic gold in 2008 in Beijing and 2012 in London.

James, who was also on the US 2004 bronze medal squad, could match Carmelo  Anthony as the only four-time US men’s basketball Olympians.

Durant was on the championship squads in London and in 2016 at Rio and is  among an NBA-high six players from the Brooklyn Nets on the prospective lineup,  joined by three-time NBA scoring champion James Harden, playmaking guard Kyrie  Irving, Blake Griffin, Joe Harris and center DeAndre Jordan.

Zion Williamson of the New Orleans Pelicans plus Brooklyn’s Griffin and  Jordan were among the 15 newcomers to the finalist list.

Others included Cleveland’s Jarrett Allen, Houston’s John Wall, Eric Gordon  and Christian Wood, Detroit’s Jerami Grant, Milwaukee’s Jrue Holiday, New  York’s Julius Randle and Mitchell Robinson, Miami’s Duncan Robinson, Chicago’s  Zach LaVine, Fred VanVleet of Toronto and Atlanta’s Trae Young.

“With the postponement of the Tokyo Olympics from 2020 to 2021, it’s  important we continue to remain flexible and consider all players who can  contribute to our efforts to field the best USA team possible,” USA  Basketball’s national team managing director Jerry Colangelo said. “These  additions we’re announcing will help ensure we’re doing that.”

Covid-19 added more complications to the Olympic quest for gold than just  postponing the Tokyo Olympics for a year. The NBA finished last season’s finals  in October, leaving barely two months off before the 2020-21 campaign tipped  off.

This year’s NBA Finals would finish on the eve of the Olympic Opening  Ceremony if they went the full seven games, which has forced USA Basketball to  look at a larger pool of talent given it will assemble a squad while the  playoffs are ongoing.

“Having a larger player pool than what we normally have is critical because  of all of the uncertainties we face about availability,” Colangelo said.

“But for USA Basketball to receive the commitment of so many outstanding  players remains an indicator of the great honor of representing your country  means to these men.”

San Antonio Spurs coach Gregg Popovich is set to coach the US Olympic squad  with Golden State coach Steve Kerr and former Atlanta coach Lloyd Pierce among  his assistants.