USA Basketball announced its provisional 41-man list for the Summer Olympics in Paris on Wednesday, and Draymond Green’s name was notably absent.
Green, a two-time gold medalist, has been a part of the last two iterations of Team USA and is one of six players who played in Tokyo but did not make the 2024 provisional list. According to USA Basketball executive director Grant Hill, the decision had everything to do with Green’s multiple suspensions for on-court behavior this season.
“His contributions have been significant, and he is a real part of the legacy of this organization for his excellence,” Hill said Wednesday, via Brian Windhorst of ESPN. “But I think just in lieu of sort of what’s transpired this year, we made a decision to not have [Green] on this list with this particular point in time with the process.”
Hill added that the organization did not feel that having Green play over the summer “gives him the best opportunity to do what he needs to do.”
Team USA still has a loaded player pool, but most would have expected Green to be a part of it, even with his multiple suspensions. The fact that Warriors coach Steve Kerr is also the national team coach made the decision even more surprising.
Green has been suspended twice this season, once for putting Rudy Gobert in a chokehold and a second time for striking Jusuf Nurkic in the head. Green and the Warriors have indicated that they plan to work hard to ensure that the veteran forward can better keep his composure during games.
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