Klay Thompson Accepts Invite to Play in Rio 2016 Olympics
Golden State Warriors star Klay Thompson will participate in the 2016 Rio Games for Team USA, according to USA Today's Jeff Zillgitt.
Thompson, 26, continued to establish himself as one of the NBA's best guards (and players in general) during the 2015-16 season, averaging 22.1 points, 3.8 rebounds and 2.1 assists while shooting 42.5 percent from beyond the arc. He helped lead the Warriors to an NBA-record 73 wins during the regular season, though the team lost in seven games to the Cleveland Cavaliers in the NBA Finals.
| Kevin Durant | Oklahoma City Thunder |
| DeMarcus Cousins | Sacramento Kings |
| Draymond Green | Golden State Warriors |
| Klay Thompson | Golden State Warriors |
| Paul George | Indiana Pacers |
| DeMar DeRozan | Toronto Raptors |
| Kyle Lowry | Toronto Raptors |
| Carmelo Anthony | New York Knicks |
| Jimmy Butler | Chicago Bulls |
| DeAndre Jordan | Los Angeles Clippers |
| Kyrie Irving | Cleveland Cavaliers |
| Harrison Barnes | Golden State Warriors |
A gold medal in Rio might help alleviate some of that disappointment, however.
Thompson's inclusion is excellent news for a United States team that will be without several big stars at this year's Olympics. Stephen Curry, Anthony Davis, LaMarcus Aldridge, John Wall, Chris Paul and Blake Griffin are all out due to injury concerns, while Russell Westbrook and James Harden will also skip the event.
But the United States won't be devoid of talent.
Kevin Durant confirmed he would play in Rio, while Draymond Green will reportedly accept an invitation to participate and DeMarcus Cousins also will reportedly represent Team USA. Kyrie Irving and Paul George will join them, along with New York Knicks forward Carmelo Anthony and Warriors teammate Harrison Barnes.
That's a loaded cast, and Thompson's ability to rain shots from beyond the arc and play excellent defense will give him a defined role in that group. He'll be a favorite to earn a starting position at shooting guard, though with so much talent to work with, Team USA will likely cycle through its depth chart with regularity.
Nonetheless, Thompson is an excellent addition to the squad. After his disappointing close to the NBA Finals, he should be a man on a mission in Rio.
You can follow Timothy Rapp on Twitter.
