| Advertisement |
July 21 (UPI) -- Team USA men's basketball guard Zach LaVine has cleared the COVID-19 health and safety protocols and will make the trip to Tokyo for the Summer Games. "U.S. Olympic Team member Zach LaVine has cleared USA Basketball's health and safety protocols," the team said in a statement Tuesday night. "LaVine will join the USA team in Tokyo Thursday afternoon."
Advertisement
The Tokyo Games are scheduled to begin Friday, with the Americans set for their first pool-play game Sunday against France.
LaVine was the third Team USA player to be impacted by COVID-19 in the past week, as Washington Wizards guard Bradley Beal was forced to leave the team because of the protocols and Detroit Pistons forward Jerami Grant was quarantined for contact tracing over four days.
The 26-year-old LaVine had started in the Americans' past two exhibition games in place of the departed Beal and looked strong in the Olympic tune-up contests. The Chicago Bulls star averaged 10.3 points in Team USA's four exhibition matchups in Las Vegas.
Team USA traveled to the Tokyo Olympics with just eight players after LaVine was forced to be held back. The U.S. also will be joined by Bucks stars Khris Middleton and Jrue Holiday and Phoenix Suns guard Devin Booker, all of whom were competing in the NBA Finals that ended Tuesday night.
Middleton, Holiday and Booker will fly on a private plane to Japan on Friday, according to reports, and they are expected to arrive in time for Sunday's opener against France.
