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Team USA ridiculed over farcical group photo

The unprecedented number of NBA players spurning Team USA ahead of the World Cup and potentially, the 2020 Olympics, has been a major talking point over the month.

While most NBA fans accepted it was unlikely they would see the likes of LeBron James, Steph Curry or the injured Kevin Durant show out for the US national team, the astonishing number of other players to pull out of the upcoming swing of games has surprised many.

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The likes of James Harden, Damien Lillard and Anthony Davis, all of whom had long been slated to join the team, pulled out, precipitating an incredible number of other players to decline invitations to the squad.

As it stands, All-Stars Kemba Walker (Boston Celtics) and Khris Middleton (Milwaukee Bucks) and Kyle Lowry (Toronto Raptors) are the only two players on the team with such an accolade on their resume.

This image of Team USA basketball, missing several superstar players, was widely panned on social media.
Team USA, headlined by All-Stars Kemba Walker, Khris Middleton and Kyle Lowry, has been ridiculed by fans after a succession of high-profile players dropped out of the squad. Picture: Twitter/@usabasketball

While there remains plenty of talent to go around on this version of Team USA, notably through rising stars such as Donovan Mitchell (Utah Jazz), DeAaron Fox (Sacramento Kings) and Jayson Tatum (Boston Celtics), the fact remains that this team is significantly less talented than previous iterations.

When the official Team USA Twitter account posted a picture of the squad in readiness for the upcoming World Cup, fans were quick to point out what they considered to be a lack of talent on the roster.

Despite the withdrawals, Team USA will still be a force to be reckoned with.

The team still carries a good balance of young players and veterans, floor spacing at all positions and high-level playmaking.

Trump theory after Team USA withdrawals

Yahoo Sport US lead basketball writer Chris Haynes used an interview on Fox Sports program Speak for Yourself to report that many players had chosen to opt out of national team duties as a form of protest against Donald Trump’s presidency.

Describing it as “a bad look”, Haynes told hosts Jason Whitlock and Marcellus Wiley that there was a chance a similar exodus of players could happen at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics as well.

“I understand why the players are pulling out for this reason alone. Most of the players I’ve talked to have intentions of playing in the Olympics,” Haynes said.

“But I will say this, this is my own personal opinion, I think what’s going on in our country has something to do with the level of players making themselves available for international competition.

“And I’ll say this, I wouldn’t be surprised, depending on how 2020 goes, if the players who are saying now they intend to perform at the Olympics, I wouldn’t be surprised if they pulled out depending on how the election goes.”