2019-03-07T065623Z_459555051_NOCID_RTRMADP_3_NBA-DENVER-NUGGETS-AT-LOS-ANGELES-LAKERS-(Read-Only)
LeBron James Image Credit: Reuters

New York: USA Basketball had a tough summer, but the outlook for 2020 is already much brighter.

Plenty of NBA standouts — elite names like Stephen Curry, James Harden, LeBron James, Kawhi Leonard, Damian Lillard, Anthony Davis, Draymond Green and Paul George among them — are clearly intrigued by the notion of winning Olympic gold in Tokyo next summer. And that’s thrilling to USA Basketball managing director Jerry Colangelo, who wasn’t pleased by some players backing out of commitments and the Americans ultimately finishing only seventh at this summer’s World Cup.

“In some ways, it’s what I expected — because I really, truly believed that the reason so many did not play this summer was because of the back-to-back competitions and FIBA moving the World Cup to a year before the Olympics,” Colangelo said on Monday. “You might have even projected it would work out that way. Obviously, what they’re saying right now is appreciated.”