James Harden is willing to rep the red, white and blue at this summer’s Olympics.
It appears the Brooklyn Nets could be well represented on this summer’s Olympic team.
Following a report 24 hours prior regarding Kevin Durant’s expected commitment to Team USA, James Harden is also expected to join him on the roster.
This is intriguing news in the wake of Harden coming off a playoff series in which he was limited because of a hamstring injury.
After leaving Game 1 of the Milwaukee series just seconds after tip-off, Harden missed the next three games before making a valiant attempt to return for Game 5. Although he returned to play the remainder of the series it was clear he wasn’t 100 percent and appeared to labor through each game.
Nets star James Harden has committed to play for Team USA in the Tokyo Olympics, joining teammate Kevin Durant on the USAB squad, sources tell @TheAthletic @Stadium. Kyrie Irving is unlikely to play as he recovers from his ankle injury.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) June 21, 2021
After a rather unpleasant separation from Houston earlier this season, Harden hit the ground running for Brooklyn. Before going down with a hamstring injury that kept him sidelined for over a month towards the end of the season, Harden was in the middle of MVP conversations. With Durant injured and Kyrie Irving off the court, Harden was the driving force behind Brooklyn’s success during the dog days of the season.
On the year, “The Beard” averaged 24.6 points, 7.9 rebounds, and 10.8 assists while also tying the Nets franchise record for triple-doubles in a season with 12.
Harden, like current teammate Kevin Durant, was a member of the 2012 Team USA Olympic team. However, it was Harden’s only stint on the Olympic squad and in eight games he averaged about 5.5 points in just under 10 minutes per game.
With Team USA not scheduled to play until late July, Harden will have just over a month to rehab his hamstring before the team takes the court in Tokyo.
