Team USA had a lot of trouble getting NBA stars to play in the 2019 FIBA World Cup. All of a sudden, nearly everyone wants to join next year's “Redeem Team” in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. The latest to do so is Orlando Magic forward Aaron Gordon, who said that he “would love” to play for USA next summer.
Via Tim Reynolds of The Associated Press:
And in Orlando today, Aaron Gordon said "Of course. Of course. I would love to be in Tokyo. Goes without saying."
— Tim Reynolds (@ByTimReynolds) September 30, 2019
Not exactly the tone of a lot of NBA stars prior to the FIBA World Cup. Aaron Gordon, however, never really got his shot this year. He never even received an official invite to Team USA camp.
Gordon could have definitely helped Team USA had he been tapped to play for them. Team USA lacked some size on the frontcourt. The 6-foot-9 high-flyer could have fit in nicely as a versatile big man who can make an impact on both ends of the floor.
A significant chunk of Team USA's initial pool retracted their commitments even prior to the start of camp. Critics were quick to place the blame game on those who backed out, as they believe Team USA would have fared better had it fielded its best possible team.
Team USA got knocked off in the quarterfinals and finished seventh overall in this year's World Cup.
Even though it was a disappointing run, there seems to be something positive coming out of the outcome. Nearly everyone wants to join the redemption campaign for next year, including superstars such as LeBron James, Kawhi Leonard, Stephen Curry, and Paul George, to name a few.
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