Five Celtics among the forty-four players on preliminary roster for the 2020 Olympics

USA Basketball has released their preliminary roster for this summer's Olympic basketball team that will be competing in Tokyo. If you recall four Celtics played for Team USA this past summer. Well four have been added to this lengthy preliminary roster, but in a twist Gordon Hayward has replaced Marcus Smart. Looking at the list below, Hayward definitely deserves to be in that company. As do Kemba Walker, Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum. But I don't see anything that Smart has done to be removed consideration. He stepped up and played last Summer after so many stars dropped out. And you know you still need to play defense in the Olympics.

Anyway, congrats to Walker, Brown, Tatum, and Hayward.


Here's the full list of players via RealGM:

Bam Adebayo (Miami Heat); LaMarcus Aldridge (San Antonio Spurs); Harrison Barnes (Sacramento Kings); Bradley Beal (Washington Wizards); Devin Booker (Phoenix Suns); Malcolm Brogdon (Indiana Pacers); Jaylen Brown (Boston Celtics); Jimmy Butler (Miami Heat); Mike Conley (Utah Jazz); Stephen Curry (Golden State Warriors); Anthony Davis (Los Angeles Lakers); DeMar DeRozan (San Antonio Spurs); Andre Drummond (Cleveland Cavaliers); Kevin Durant (Brooklyn Nets); Paul George (L.A. Clippers); Draymond Green (Golden State Warriors); James Harden (Houston Rockets); Montrezl Harrell (L.A. Clippers); Joe Harris (Brooklyn Nets); Tobias Harris (Philadelphia 76ers); Gordon Hayward (Boston Celtics); Dwight Howard (Los Angeles Lakers); Brandon Ingram (New Orleans Pelicans); Kyrie Irving (Brooklyn Nets); LeBron James (Los Angeles Lakers); Kyle Kuzma (Los Angeles Lakers); Kawhi Leonard (L.A. Clippers); Damian Lillard (Portland Trail Blazers); Brook Lopez (Milwaukee Bucks); Kevin Love (Cleveland Cavaliers); Kyle Lowry (Toronto Raptors); JaVale McGree (Los Angeles Lakers); Khris Middleton (Milwaukee Bucks); Donovan Mitchell (Utah Jazz); Victor Oladipo (Indiana Pacers); Chris Paul (Oklahoma City Thunder); Mason Plumlee (Denver Nuggets); Marcus Smart (Boston Celtics); Jayson Tatum (Boston Celtics); Klay Thompson (Golden State Warriors); Myles Turner (Indiana Pacers); Kemba Walker (Boston Celtics); Russell Westbrook (Houston Rockets); and Derrick White (San Antonio Spurs).

Update: I'm blind 🙈🙈🤦🏼‍♂️🤦🏼‍♂️🤦🏼‍♂️
Congrats to Walker, Brown, Tatum, Hayward, AND Smart!