Commitment to Olympics not a distraction for Bucks' guards
Khris Middleton ordinarily wouldnât be thinking about anything right now other than what the Milwaukee Bucks are trying to accomplish in the NBA playoffs.
An invitation to play in the Olympics, thatâs not ordinary.
Milwaukeeâs starting guards â Middleton and Jrue Holiday â plan to play for USA Basketball in the Tokyo Olympics that start next month, yet both insist that isnât distracting them from the Bucksâ quest to win the franchiseâs first NBA title in 50 years.
âWeâre in the middle of a championship run,â Middleton said. âTo take a second to think about something outside of this season, it was a little tough to think about it. But it was an easy decision for me to go ahead and commit.â
Middleton, Holiday and Phoenixâs Devin Booker are the three members of the team, as it is currently constructed, to still be participating in the NBA playoffs. The Bucks are in the Eastern Conference finals against Atlanta; the Suns are facing the Los Angeles Clippers in the Western Conference finals.
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The rest of the Olympic team: Bostonâs Jayson Tatum, Miamiâs Bam Adebayo, Brooklynâs Kevin Durant, Chicagoâs Zach LaVine, Clevelandâs Kevin Love, Portlandâs Damian Lillard, Detroitâs Jerami Grant, Washingtonâs Bradley Beal and Golden Stateâs Draymond Green. Those nine players will start practice on July 6 in Las Vegas.
Middleton, Holiday and Booker are planning to join the team once their NBA seasons end. USA Basketball will get them to Tokyo separate from the rest of the Olympic team if thatâs what ultimately is required. The U.S team is planning to arrive in Tokyo around July 21, two days before the opening ceremony. Game 7 of the NBA Finals, if necessary, would be July 22 and the first U.S. menâs game at the Olympics is July 25.
âI think Iâm always focused on the immediate, whatâs happening right now. Thatâs been my main focus, and itâs going to continue to be that,â Holiday said. âIf we go the finals or whatever happens, up until that point, this is what matters.â
Holiday has experienced the Olympics before â as a fan. His wife, Lauren Holiday, won Olympic golds as part of the U.S. womenâs soccer team in 2008 and 2012, and now heâs hoping to add to the family medal collection.
âI thought it would be cool to experience it from actually playing,â Jrue Holiday said.
Middleton said it was âa little bit challengingâ to make the Olympic decision during the playoff run, but that he was able to refocus quickly once he made the commitment to USA Basketball. Holiday also said it wasnât an overly difficult choice.
âI donât think I had to move my focus,â Holiday said. âI think itâs an honor to play for your country, especially an opportunity like this to be able to go out there and have USA on your chest.â
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