July 11 ------ Boston Celtics guard Derrick White has been named as the replacement for Kawhi Leonard on Team USA's squad for the upcoming Paris Olympics, USA Basketball officially confirmed. Leonard opted to withdraw from the Olympic team to focus on preparing for the upcoming NBA season.
White joins the national team following a successful NBA championship campaign with the Celtics. His all-around contributions were pivotal to Boston's title run, where he averaged 15.2 points, 5.2 assists, 4.2 rebounds, 1.2 blocks, 1.0 steals, and 2.7 three-pointers per game. Recently, the 30-year-old also secured his future with the Celtics by signing a lucrative four-year contract extension worth $125.9 million. This won't be White's first stint representing Team USA, as he previously competed in the FIBA World Cup in 2017, contributing 5.9 points per game as the team finished in seventh place.
Paris Olympics are scheduled to take place from July 26 to August 11. Team USA, aiming for their fifth consecutive gold medal in men's basketball, will face Serbia, South Sudan, and Puerto Rico in the group stage.
Source: basketnews.com
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