Kevin Love withdraws from US men’s basketball team ahead of Tokyo Olympics
New York — Kevin Love withdraws from US men’s basketball team ahead of Tokyo Olympics. The U.S. men’s basketball roster is now down two players ahead of the Tokyo Olympics, which begin one week from Friday.
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
Kevin Love has withdrawn from the team and won’t make the trip to Tokyo. Love had been with the team in Las Vegas for its tune-up before the Games, but Love hasn’t returned to full health from a right calf injury suffered during the NBA season.
“I am incredibly disappointed to not be heading to Tokyo with Team USA,” Love said in a statement, “but you need to be at absolute peak performance to compete at the Olympic level and I am just not there yet.”
On Thursday, USA Basketball announced Bradley Beal, who entered health and safety protocols Wednesday, won’t be heading to Tokyo, either. Jerami Grant also entered the protocols “out of an abundance of caution.” The 12-man roster currently stands at 10, and ESPN reported that USA Basketball is working to fill the two spots.
Meanwhile, the virus protocols forced the cancellation of a Friday exhibition between the U.S. and Australia. There is one more exhibition on the schedule, Sunday against Spain, although the status of that game is unknown.
Love was a part of the 2012 gold-medal squad in London and completed his seventh season with the Cleveland Cavaliers in 202-21. The calf injury caused him to miss 46 contests.
