Kyle Lowry will suit up for USA Basketball at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Brazil this August, according to a report from Adrian Wojnarowski of The Vertical.
The absence of Steph Curry, Russell Westbrook, and now Damian Lillard at the point guard position opened up space, but it’s pretty surprising that Lowry’s been given the call. That’s not because he’s not awesome or deserving, but because he wasn’t on USA Basketball’s preliminary list of 30 that was released in January. Also on that list at the position are Mike Conley (a free agent), Kryie Irving, Chris Paul, John Wall, and Damian Lillard.
The U.S. roster is still coming together, and we’re yet to catch word if Lowry’s teammate DeMar DeRozan, long a national program stalwart and a member of that preliminary list, will get a nod. DeRozan’s free agency may complicate matters, but he was a part of the 2014 FIBA World Cup champion roster that punched the team’s ticket to Rio.
Lowry, meanwhile, has never suited up for his country as a senior. The 30-year-old has definitely earned the right, though some fans may cringe at the thought of the player who ranked seventh in regular season minutes and sixth in postseason minutes playing into the summer. Those concerns are somewhat fair but probably overstated – Lowry’s going to play ball in the summer in some form or another, the tournament is only two weeks long and in the dead part of the offseason, and the chance to represent one’s country on that large a stage is so rare and special, he’s entirely justified wanting to do it.
(This also makes it pretty clear that the bursitis in his elbow is no longer a concern. He mentioned at the end of the season that a minor surgery was possible to clean things up, and I’ll try to confirm today if he’s had that surgery or if he just rehabbed/rested around it. In any case, his participation is a good sign on that front.)
Raptors fans should be excited about this, especially with Canada unlikely to qualify for the Olympics. Lowry, possibly DeRozan, Jonas Valanciunas, and Luis Scola may all be in Olympic action, giving us something to watch in the dog days of summer.
