USMNT Basketball Warriors’ Steph Curry And Klay Thompson Among 19 Players To Make Cut

USMNT Basketball Warriors’ Steph Curry And Klay Thompson Among 19 Players To Make Cut (Photo: Warriors.com & Chase Stevens | Las Vegas Review Journal)

The United States Mens National Basketball Team narrowed down it’s 2014 FIBA World Championship roster to 19 players Sunday, with Klay Thompson and Steph Curry the only NBA teammates to make the cut.

The Golden State Warriors duo had been two of four Warriors to make the 28-man roster, before getting a second nod Sunday.

Curry was a part of the 2010 Gold Medal-winning USA squad, averaging 4.6 points and 2.1 assists in 8 games off the bench. Injuries and inexperience were factors in not making it to London for the 2012 Olympics.

Thompson has participated in Team USA practices as part of the Select Team over the past couple summers, but his last international action came as part of the 2009 Under-19 squad, for which he averaged 7.8 points and 2 assists in 9 games.

There’s still another step before Steph and Klay can bring the “Splash Brothers” to the international stage, as there will probably be at least one more cut before the final roster for World Championships is announced.

Missing from the list were Andre Iguodala and David Lee, who had both been in contention to play at the 2014 FIBA World Championships later this summer.

Iguodala was forced to sit out after taking an injection for knee tendinitis, an injury which he battled during both the regular season and playoffs.

The Warriors’ swing-man was a part of both the 2012 Olympic Team and 2010 World Championships rosters, totaling 26 international appearances.

David Lee also was also out due to injury after undergoing surgery to repair a core muscle in his pelvic area. According to Rusty Simmons of the SF Chronicle, the Warriors believe the injury to be minor.

Their absence opens the door for younger players like Chandler Parsons, Gordon Hayward, Kenneth Faried and Andre Drummond to make the team for the first time.

Iguodala and Lee will still be available through 2016 as part of Team USA’s extended roster.