Team USA took care of business during the Tokyo Olympics. But everyone knows there's even more business dealings going on behind the scenes.
Washington Wizards guard Bradley Beal was expected to play a key role for Team USA before he tested positive for Covid-19. He would eventually be kept off the roster as they flew to Japan due to health and safety protocols, but even in his limited time Beal already faced immense pressure from his teammates to join forces.
Via Kevin Brown of NBC Sports Washington:
“In order to win and compete, you got to pick up that phone. I learned that on Team USA, honestly,” Beal said in a conversation with NBC Sports Washington Wizards Insider Chris Miller. “I couldn't breathe. I couldn't breathe without someone asking me what I wanted to do this summer. Would I play with that person.”
Bradley Beal was definitely one of the most sought-after trade pieces on that Team USA roster. Both he and Damian Lillard were making headlines all offseason about potentially being shipped away in a blockbuster trade, which made them easy targets for other's tampering pitches.
But Beal was stayed adamant that he's looking to build something himself in Washington. He followed the age old adage that if you can't beat 'em, join 'em.
“So that was really eye-opening in a lot of ways,” Beal continued on his Team USA experience. “Can I get that done here? Can I bring somebody down here?” Beal told Miller. “What we have, it's a great city, it's a sports town. Basketball is the only team that needs to win… You got to pick up the phone, I would say for the first time in my career, I was using those [phone] minutes.”
The Washington Wizards have a fully revamped roster with a number of assets and depth, but lost Russell Westbrook. Although Bradley Beal is now the lone superstar on the team, he's clearly working on it at the moment.
Follow Us
Subscribe