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With Devin Booker and possibly Deandre Ayton, nobody’s NBA stock increased more in the playoffs than Trae Young’s.
The now-certified Atlanta Hawks superstar led a completely unexpected run to the Eastern Conference final that could have gone further without a foot injury.
But he’s not an Olympian. USA Basketball has instead opted for Booker, Damian Lillard, Bradley Beal, Jrue Holiday and Zach Lavine for the next Tokyo Games. To be fair, it’s hard to find much beef with this talented background cast, especially since James Harden, Stephen Curry, and Donovan Mitchell have stepped down.
Should Young be on the Olympic team?
Few would blink, however, if Young had been selected for a reserve role rather than, say, Lavine. But now that the United States team is struggling in the exhibition game, all eyes are on team roster building. Young people included:
This ode to Isiah Thomas comes on top of a less than subtle protest against being banned from the Olympic Games list. In case you didn’t know, it’s Thomas in “The Last Dance” talking about his omission from the 1992 Olympic Dream Team roster – a move that would have been largely fueled by his rival Michael Jordan.
Young, in the current storyline, is clearly Thomas. This begs the question. Who is the Jordan of 2021? Lillard, who some might argue Young was inspired by the game, is the best answer. But there is no evidence of friction between the two. And while Young happily did his share of playoff enemies, to suggest that someone on Team USA’s roster lobbied to pull him away is absurd.
No, that seems like a flawed yet poignant analogy of Young who just appears to be upset about not going to Tokyo. And while Thomas’ video is the primary use of social media, it’s the timing of Young’s tweet that really matters here.
Team USA has a free seat
Hours before Young pleaded his case, Team USA announced that Beal would not be playing in Tokyo. Sadly, the Washington Wizards guard was placed in COVID-19 protocols on Wednesday and will be missing a lifelong dream.
Beal’s misfortune and poor health open up a place in the United States squad. The timing of Young’s tweet suggests he has a good idea of who should be filling it.
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