Kawhi Leonard, Paul George and Montrezl Harrell among Team USA finalists

Clippers Kawhi Leonard, Paul George and Montrezl Harrell are among the 44 finalists to represent the United States in the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo, as approved by the USA Basketball Board of Directors and announced Monday by USA Basketball.

The official 12-member 2020 U.S. Olympic Men’s Basketball Team roster, which will compete at the Summer Games from July 24-Aug. 9, will be announced later this year.

Neither Leonard, a 6-foot-7 wing from Moreno Valley, nor George, a 6-8 wing from Palmdale, participated in Team USA activities this past summer when they were recovering from injuries. Harrell, the Clippers’ energetic 6-8 center/forward, was among a long list of NBA players who declined an invitation to USA Basketball’s training camp ahead of the World Cup.

Before the season Leonard said his focus was on winning an NBA title with the Clippers but acknowledged, “yeah, I do wanna play” in the Olympics.

George — a 2016 gold medalist who, in 2014, suffered a gruesome broken right leg during a USA Basketball showcase — said he, too, would welcome another opportunity to represent the United States.

“I would love to, hopefully,” George said at Clippers’ media day. “God willing, I can get through a season healthy and when that time comes, I would love to be a part of the Olympics and represent. (The Clippers’ season) comes first, obviously, and getting through this year, giving everything to this year and hopefully by June, we’re the last team standing and I’ll deal with it at that point.

“As long as I’m healthy, when I get to that point and I’m healthy, I’m in, I want to be a part of that group.”

The final pool of 44 includes three-time Olympic medalist LeBron James, along with his Lakers teammates Anthony Davis, Kyle Kuzma, Dwight Howard and JaVale McGee. Nine members of the gold medalist 2016 U.S. Olympic team, as well as seven gold medalists from the 2012 U.S. Olympic squad and all 12 members of the USA’s 2019 FIBA World Cup team are included among the finalists.

Team USA’s coaching staff is led by San Antonio Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich, whose assistants are Golden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr, Atlanta Hawks head coach Lloyd Pierce and Villanova University head coach Jay Wright.

On the list of USA Basketball’s 44 finalists for the 2020 Olympic team are three Clippers: Kawhi, PG and Trezz. https://t.co/i0V5MSpi9H pic.twitter.com/gmoEJjbnaO

— Mirjam Swanson (@MirjamSwanson) February 10, 2020