SEATTLE — NBA star Zach LaVine, who's from Bothell, Wash., has been cleared from health and safety protocols that stemmed from a coronavirus testing-related issue and will join the U.S. team for the Tokyo Olympics.
USA Basketball tweeted that LaVine will travel to Tokyo on Thursday.
The announcement came one day after LaVine was placed under health and safety protocols and couldn't travel to Tokyo with the rest of the Olympic team. However, at the time USA Basketball hoped LaVine would be cleared later in the week.
The guard plays for the Chicago Bulls, where he’s averaging 27.4 points per game.
USA Basketball expects to have its full 12-man roster available for Sunday’s matchup against France. It's the first game for both teams in the Tokyo Olympics.
And the plan is that the three players from the NBA Finals — Khris Middleton and Jrue Holiday from the champion Milwaukee Bucks and Devin Booker from the Phoenix Suns — will be in place on Saturday.
Meanwhile, on the U.S. women's team, Seattle Storm's Katie Lou Samuelson tested positive for COVID-19 and is out of the Olympics. Samuelson said she was fully vaccinated.
As of Tuesday, 71 people accredited for the Tokyo Olympics have tested positive for COVID-19, according to Olympic organizers.