Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown are raring to take their shot at international basketball stardom.
The Boston Celtics players both proclaimed their excitement about participating in USA Basketball’s training camp Sunday. USA Basketball cameras were rolling as NBA stars signed autographs following their arrival in Las Vegas.
Brown, Tatum, Marcus Smart and Kemba Walker are the four Celtics who will compete for 12 spots on Team USA’s 2019 FIBA World Cup roster.
“Excited to be here, ready to compete,” Brown said. “Got my guys here. We’ve got four Celtics here. Let’s see what we’re gonna do. It should be fun.
Tatum echoed Brown’s sentiments.
“First day out in Vegas,” Tatum said. “Training camp, back with USA Team. I’m excited. It should be a lot of fun.”
Training camp will tip off Monday and run through Thursday. Afterward, USA Basketball will name finalists for the World Cup squad, and that group will attend another camp between Aug. 13 and 15. Head coach Gregg Popovich will announce his final 12-player World Cup squad Aug. 17.
The World Cup will take place between Aug. 31 and Sept. 15 in China, where the USA will seek its third consecutive world championship and direct qualification to the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games.
