Boston Celtics point guard Kemba Walker was supposed to be the leader and the star for a young Team USA roster at the 2019 FIBA World Cup.
This summer marked Walker’s first opportunity to prove himself with Team USA on the international stage. However, while he played well for much of the tournament, he and Team USA stumbled to a seventh-place finish when the games really mattered. Walker was outplayed by Frank Ntilikina in a quarterfinal loss to France, which was a shocking development.
Despite the disappointment in Beijing, Walker told John Schuhmann of NBA.com that he would love to represent Team USA at the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo, if given the chance:
They all have an NBA season to prepare for now, and at least some of them would love a shot at redemption next summer.
“There’s no telling,” Walker said about possibly playing next year. “It’s not up to me. I would love to. It was really fun to be a part of. I would love to do it again.”
Hopefully with better results.
Of course, the Olympic roster is sure to look far different from the young and inexperienced group that represented the United States at the World Cup.
Star players around the NBA have repeatedly indicated that the Olympics are a priority as far as international competition is concerned, whereas most marquee names skipped the World Cup.
Kemba Walker will now prepare to leave a better impression on his new team in Boston, where Celtics fans will hope that the point guard brings less drama and more winning after a disappointing 2018-19 campaign.
