Gordon Hayward named finalist for USA Basketball Olympic roster

USA Basketball has released an updated list of 57 finalists for the Tokyo Olympics roster, which are being made up this summer after being postponed in 2020, and Charlotte Hornets forward Gordon Hayward was named a finalist.

Hayward was originally named a finalist for the 2020 Olympics last February before the pandemic ruined everything in the entire world. He was a finalist for the U.S Olympic men’s basketball team in 2016 as well, but did not make the cut, though in 2009 he won a gold medal in the FIBA U19 World Championship with Team USA.

There are a handful of NBA stars that plan to play in the Olympics as of now, including Stephen Curry, James Harden, and Damian Lillard. The ESPN article at this link gives a detailed run-down of the situation at hand for Team USA, which is bound to see extra players decline an invite to training camp in Las Vegas or decide against participating in the Games.