Less than 48 hours after being placed under health and safety protocols, Chicago Bulls guard Zach LaVine received welcome news when he was cleared to join the USA Men’s Olympic squad in Tokyo on Thursday.
Team USA’s Zach LaVine has cleared health and safety protocols and will join the team in Tokyo on Thursday afternoon.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) July 21, 2021
LaVine is the third USA player to undergo health and safety protocols in the last week; Detroit Pistons forward Jerami Grant underwent a contact-tracing quarantine for four days while Washington Wizards guard Bradley Beal left the team under such protocols.
The Chicago Bulls star has started in place of Beal for the past two games and averaged 10.3 points in the teams four exhibition games.
LaVine will join the team just a day before the Olympic games start—three days before the team tips off its first pool play-game against France on Sunday.
The back-to-back Slam Dunk champion won’t be the only late arrival in Tokyo this week as first-time NBA champions Jrue Holiday and Khris Middleton, as well as Phoenix Suns guard Devin Booker, will be taking the 15-hour flight to meet Team USA on Friday.
