Three athletes with ties to Prince George’s County will compete in the Tokyo Olympics, which began Friday, July 23.
Brooklyn Nets forward Kevin Durant and Detroit Pistons forward Jerami Grant will play on the 2021 U.S Olympic Men’s Basketball Team, while Frances Tiafoe will represent the U.S. in tennis.
If Team USA does well, Durant, who grew up in Seat Pleasant and produced a documentary on local basketball, could become the second American man to win three gold medals in the sport.
Grant, who graduated from DeMatha Catholic High in Hyattsville in 2012, will play for the first time in the Olympics, and some think legendary coach Gregg Popovich will help him improve his game.
Tiafoe, who literally grew up at the Junior Tennis Champions Center in College Park, is another first-time Olympian, after a number of higher-ranked Americans chose not to go. He recently called himself “a dark horse” who aims to stop top-ranked Novak Djokovic.
The tennis center threw a pep rally for Tiafoe and the other players on July 23 as the Tokyo Olympics opening ceremony kicked off.
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