The omission of Draymond Green from USA Basketball’s player pool for the 2024 Olympics in Paris can be attributed to his suspension history, according to men’s national team managing director Grant Hill.
Hill, addressing the media on Wednesday, acknowledged Green’s significant contributions to the organization and his integral role in its legacy. However, in light of the events that transpired during the current year, a decision was made to exclude him from the list.
LeBron James, Kevin Durant, Stephen Curry, Joel Embiid, and Chris Paul were among the 41 names unveiled by USA Basketball on Tuesday. Green, a key figure in the last two U.S. men’s Olympic basketball gold-medal-winning teams in 2016 and 2021, did not make the cut.
Despite being one of only four current NBA players with multiple Olympic gold medals, alongside Durant, James, and Paul, Green faced challenges due to his two suspensions this season. Having played only 16 of the Golden State Warriors’ 40 games, Green received a five-game suspension for an altercation with Rudy Gobert in November. Additionally, he faced an indefinite ban for an incident involving Jusuf Nurkić during a December game against the Phoenix Suns, resulting in a 12-game suspension.
Grant Hill highlighted that Green is navigating challenges both on and off the court during this particular phase of his career. While expressing respect and sensitivity, USA Basketball decided that participating in the summer Olympics might not provide Green with the optimal environment to address his needs.
An intriguing aspect of this decision is that Warriors head coach Steve Kerr will be leading the men’s Olympic team this summer.
Hill mentioned that the final 12-player roster is expected to be finalized during the NBA playoffs. The training camp is scheduled for early July in Las Vegas, and the U.S. team will play an exhibition game against Canada on July 10 before heading to Paris.
