Team USA executive director Grant Hill has firmly denied speculation that NBA Finals MVP Jaylen Brown was excluded from the Olympic team due to his past criticism of Nike.
Derrick White, Brown’s teammate on the Boston Celtics, was named to Team USA on Wednesday as a replacement for Kawhi Leonard. Brown’s omission surprised many, including Brown himself. He initially shared a cryptic post on X (formerly known as Twitter), and later directly addressed Nike, writing, “this what we doing?”
In 2022, when Nike’s founder criticized Kyrie Irving, Brown responded with, “Since when did Nike care about ethics?” Brown has worn Nike sneakers in the past, but notably did so without the iconic swoosh on Christmas Day. This led some in the basketball community to speculate that his exclusion from Team USA was related to his stance on Nike.
Following the team’s first exhibition game on Wednesday night, Hill addressed these rumors. “You get 12 spots, and you have to build a team,” Hill said. “And one of the hardest things is leaving people off the roster that I’m a fan of, that I look forward to watching throughout the season and playoffs. Guys who’ve been Finals MVPs, guys who’ve been part of the program, guys who’ve won gold medals, guys who I respect, admire, and enjoy watching. But the responsibility that I have is to put together a team that complements each other and gives us the best opportunity for success,” Hill told reporters via ESPN. “Whatever theories that might be out there, they’re just that. But that’s my responsibility. And it’s tough. It’s tough to have conversations, telling people that they’re not on the team.”
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Hill, who joked about wearing FILA for much of his career while still being an Olympian, emphasized that decisions were made with one goal in mind: winning a gold medal. “I’m trying to win and I’m trying to put together the right pieces that fit and give us a chance to win,” Hill added.
Team USA Wins First Exhibition Game
On the court, Team USA began their journey to the Paris Olympics with a win. Anthony Davis scored 13 points, Stephen Curry added 12, and the United States defeated Canada 86-72 in their first tune-up game on Wednesday night. Jrue Holiday of the Celtics scored 11 points, and Davis finished with 10 for the U.S., which has four more exhibitions before heading to France.
Canada’s RJ Barrett scored 12 points, with Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Dillon Brooks each adding 10.
President Barack Obama was in attendance, along with numerous NBA coaches and USA Basketball dignitaries, celebrating the federation’s 50th anniversary. Notable figures included Jerry Colangelo, Mike Krzyzewski, Jim Boeheim, Dwyane Wade, Carmelo Anthony, Dawn Staley, Lisa Leslie, Teresa Edwards, Swin Cash, and Lindsay Whalen. The game drew a record attendance of 20,757 at T-Mobile Arena.
Team USA’s Cold Start
The U.S. team struggled initially, trailing 11-1 midway through the first quarter after missing their first six shot attempts. However, they recovered to lead 41-33 at halftime and extended their lead to 69-54 by the end of the third quarter. The Americans, who have been together for less than a week, are still figuring out their chemistry, evident from several miscommunications leading to turnovers.
Jayson Tatum Helps Spark Team USA
The second unit, featuring Anthony Davis, Bam Adebayo, Anthony Edwards, Tyrese Haliburton, and Jayson Tatum, was particularly impressive. Each of these players had a plus-minus of +10 or better, indicating that the U.S. outscored Canada significantly while they were on the floor. This lineup, despite being composed of “bench players,” boasts 21 combined All-Star appearances, two NBA champions, and two perennial All-Defense players.
It’s noteworthy that Team USA did not have Kevin Durant (calf strain) and Derrick White (not yet with the team) available for this game.
Jrue Holiday Gets the Start
The starting lineup chosen by U.S. coach Steve Kerr for the first game included Stephen Curry, Jrue Holiday, Devin Booker, LeBron James, and Joel Embiid. While this lineup could change, it provides insight into Kerr’s current thinking. Kerr has previously cautioned against reading too much into early lineups, but last year’s initial scrimmage lineup ended up being the starting lineup in the World Cup opener against New Zealand.
