Key Team USA Player Has Entered Health and Safety Protocols

Team USA and Washington Wizards' guard Bradley Beal has reportedly entered health and safety protocols following team USA's first victory over Argentina on Tuesday.

It is unclear what the circumstances are surrounding Beal's entry into the protocols, however, Shams wording made the situation seem more serious than simple contact tracing. With so many of the league's players vaccinated, it seems unlikely that Beal has contracted the virus, but it's possible that he was in close contact with someone who did.

Beal's status for future matchups is unknown, and with team USA's recent struggles, he could be a significant loss. The national team started their series of exhibition games with losses to both Australia and Nigeria, sparking questions about whether the new-look team USA was ready to make a gold medal run at the 2021 Tokyo Olympics. The team has two more exhibition games before beginning group play on July 25th against France. Olympic basketball then moves quickly towards a championship game on August 6th.