NY Knicks: Julius Randle, Mitchell Robinson Added to Team USA Player Pool

On March 11th, the Team USA Men’s Basketball team announced 15 new NBA players will be considered for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, with the NY Knicks‘ Julius Randle and Mitchell Robinson among them.

Yes, you read that right. The 2020 Tokyo Olympics will still be named as such.

The Olympic Games were scheduled to take place this past summer. However, they were of course canceled due to the ongoing pandemic.  The world has lived through about one year of dealing with Covid-19 and many countries are much better off than in previous months. This, along with the expansion of the vaccine, is enough progress for the Olympics to plan taking place instead of in Summer 2021.

Back in February, Team USA announced 44 finalists for the team roster, which will be cut down to 12 for the Games. Randle and Robinson as a part of the 15 added players now makes that list 57. Head Coach Gregg Popovich and staff will have many decisions to make before July 31 when the Olympics begin.

Unfortunately, it will be a bit of a stretch for either player to make the final roster. Naturally, the player pool is stacked with many of the NBA’s best players. Team USA will look to win its 5th straight gold medal in Men’s Basketball.

Clearly, Randle has the best shot of the two given that he just made his first career all-star game. He has quickly established himself as one of the league’s top talents.

It remains to be seen which of the 57 players will commit to participating this summer. Some players such as LeBron James, Anthony Davis, Stephen Curry, and Kevin Durant may bow out of consideration if they feel playing can risk their health for the 2021-22 season. Both lists can be seen here.

If any number of players opt-out, then we might see a Knick or two in Tokyo. Regardless, both Knicks will be at camp for Team USA assuming neither of them chooses not to take part themselves.

If either or even both of them make the final 12-man roster and win it all, they will join NY Knicks icons Patrick Ewing, Carmelo Anthony, Allan Houston, and Tyson Chandler in representing their country while earning a gold medal.

Ewing was a member of the immortal “Dream Team” in 1992, a team so dominant they put the NBA on the map for international audiences. He also won the gold medal in the 1984 Olympics,

Houston joined NBA legends Kevin Garnett, Vince Carter, and Ray Allen as a member of the 2000 team.

Anthony and Chandler teamed up to bring home the gold in 2012. Anthony also won gold in 2008 and bronze in 2004. Nicknamed “Captain America,” Anthony won his third gold medal in 2016 and retired from international play as the United States’ all-time leader in points.

Randle and Robinson would have large shoes to fill representing the NY Knicks and America in the 2020 Olympics, but getting selected as a finalist in its own right is an incredible achievement for New York’s young stars.