JaVale McGee will be part of the Olympic squad for Team USA. After initially missing out on the team, the former three-time NBA champion got called up to the squad as an emergency selection due to injuries. McGee, who played this season with the Cavaliers and the Nuggets, will have the chance to help Team USA continue its run of gold medal podium finishes to four straight. That is an impressive accomplishment for the squad, but McGee could make history through a personal accomplishment if Team USA can get the gold.
JaVale McGee is not only a two-time champion, but he is also the son of former WNBA and Team USA player Pamela McGee. McGee was a phenomenal basketball player during her career and was the second overall pick in the 1997 WNBA Draft. During the early stages of her career, Pamela got the opportunity to represent Team USA at the 1984 Olympics. There, McGee and Team USA won the Gold Olympics at the Los Angeles 1984 Olympics.
Now in 2021, JaVale will be representing Team USA at the 2021 Olympics. And if he and the rest of the team are able to win the gold medal during the Olympics, JaVale and Pamela McGee would become the first mother-son duo to win Olympic Gold in basketball. For McGee, aside from the opportunity to represent his country, the chance to create history and further the legacy of his family will be a great motivation going into Tokyo.
McGee will not be one of the primary players for Team USA during this campaign, as he was only brought in as an emergency replacement. However, he can expect to get minutes during their run for the gold medal, as Team USA coach Gregg Popovich does make it a habit to try and count on all the stars available to him in the team. If he does win the gold with Team USA, the name McGee will be remembered in history.
