USA Basketball will begin their FIBA World Cup run Sunday morning against Czech Republic, as this group of players will attempt to win the tournament despite a mass exodus of superstar players from the roster.
Perhaps the thing most associated with the 2019 USA Basketball team is the number of players who decided not to play. Anthony Davis, James Harden, Bradley Beal, Damian Lillard, C.J. McCollum and Andre Drummond are just a few who have withdrawn their names to focus on the upcoming NBA season.
That has opened the door for younger stars to earn roster spots for the World Cup, which resulted in four members of the Celtics making the final roster. Kemba Walker, Jayson Tatum, Marcus Smart and Jaylen Brown will all represent their country in China and attempt to get a head start at building some on-court chemistry before what should be a pivotal season for the franchise.
Team USA will start the tournament with three known opponents. Sunday against Czech Republic, Tuesday against Turkey and Thursday against Japan. After that, the second round will begin on Saturday. For a the full tournament schedule, click here.
When: Sunday, 8:30 a.m. EST
TV channel: None
Stream: ESPN+
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