Morning Sports Update
“This is about putting together a team.”
Grant Hill on Jaylen Brown not being selected for Team USA: On Wednesday, USA Basketball announced that Clippers forward Kawhi Leonard would not be playing in the upcoming Paris Olympics despite having been initially selected for the roster.
The U.S. team revealed that Derrick White of the Celtics had been chosen as Leonard’s replacement.
Yet despite the presence of three Celtics on the Olympic squad, the discussion quickly shifted to one of Boston’s players who wasn’t picked. Jaylen Brown, the Celtics’ NBA Finals MVP, was omitted from the first roster selection process as well as the spot that opened up after Leonard’s withdrawal.
Asked about the snub on Wednesday prior to the U.S. pre-Olympic warmup game against Canada, USA Basketball managing director Grant Hill underscored the importance of balance.
“This is about putting together a team,” Hill reasoned. “Just kind of overall, you have incredible interest from an abundance of talent that we have here in the United States. I’ve talked a little about when we assembled this roster. You have 12 spots; you have to build a team. One of the hardest things is leaving people off the roster that I’m a fan of, that I look forward to watching throughout the season, throughout the playoffs.”
“Guys who have been Finals MVPs,” Hill added. “Guys who have been part of the program. Guys who have won gold medals. Guys who I respect, admire and enjoy watching. But the responsibility that I have is to put together a team, and a team that complements each other, a team that fits, a team that will give us the best opportunity for success. Whatever theories that might be out there, they’re just that.”
Brown in particular had a theory. The 27-year-old seemed to insinuate that it Nike might have played a role.:
Brown has a documented history of not being a Nike fan. As for Hill, he responded to questions about Brown’s Nike take with a joke.
“Well for a good portion of my career, I wore Fila,” Hill deadpanned, later adding that “that was supposed to be a joke.”
“We’re proud of our partners, obviously,” said Hill. “This is about putting together a team.”
Scores and schedules:
The Red Sox lost to the Athletics 5-2 on Wednesday, with Nick Pivetta allowing four runs in 6.2 innings despite striking out 10.
The two teams play again this evening at Fenway Park at 7:10 p.m.
More from Boston.com:
Jayson Tatum playing for Team USA: The Celtics champion marked his return to international duty with some nice sequences, totaling eight points in 17 minutes during the Olympic tuneup win over Canada on Wednesday.
Teammate Jrue Holiday started, and finished with 11 points, five rebounds, and four assists.
On this day: In 1969, the Red Sox swept a doubleheader with the Orioles, winning the first game 7-4 and the second game 12-3. Carl Yastrzemski hit a home run in each game, and Reggie Smith went a combined 7-for-9 with a home run of his own in the pair of wins over Baltimore.
Daily highlight: Just some Team USA highlight, culminating with a Jrue Holiday layup.
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