Portland Trail Blazers superstar Damian Lillard is spearheading the attack for Team USA in the upcoming Tokyo Olympics. A few days after the announcement made Lillard's commitment official, the 30-year-old admitted the main reason why he decided to join Team USA and not sit this one out unlike other superstars in the league like LeBron James and Anthony Davis of the Los Angeles Lakers.
“Pop being the coach of the national team played a big role in my decision to commit,” Lillard said (via Columbian.com). “I have a lot of respect for Pop as a coach and as a person. I look forward to playing for him, taking in his basketball knowledge and seeing what our team can do.”
As a lot of you may know, the iconic Gregg Popovich is throwing his hat in the ring once again as the country's Olympic head coach. The last time Pop was tasked to call the shots for the Olympics was back in 2004 where Team USA finished fourth.
Pop's last stint with the national basketball team though was in 2019 in the FIBA Basketball World Cup where a young team led by Jayson Tatum of the Boston Celtics and Donovan Mitchell of the Utah Jazz fell all the way to the seventh spot at the end of the competition.
With the likes of Lillard, Tatum, and Golden State Warriors' court general in Draymond Green, look for this new-look Team USA to dominate the world stage and repeat their gold medal finish in the 2016 Olympics in Rio.
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