Could this be Team USA’s new Dream Team? Only time will tell, as with this lineup, nothing less than gold will make the cut.
If the Philippines’ huge NBA fanbase is anything like us, we’re all probably thinking the same thing right now — we wish that Team USA’s Paris 2024 Olympics basketball team was the same team they sent for the 2023 FIBA World Cup that was hosted in the Philippines. This is simply because USA Basketball’s recently announced roster for the Olympics is a star-studded cast.
Ironically, it may have been Team USA’s back-to-back disappointments in the World Cup — a seventh-place finish in 2019 and a fourth-place finish in 2023 — that led them to pulling the best players in the NBA for the upcoming Olympics, as it was right after the last World Cup when rumors began circling about which players were likely going to commit to an Olympic appearance.
Now, we have a full list of the 2024 USA Men’s National Team:
With a cast like this, we’re all expecting them to blow the competition out. But will they be able to pull it off to win their fifth in a row?
A new dream team?
For a lot of these players, it is not their first time playing in the Olympics. Six out of the 12 already have Olympic gold medals. Kevin Durant has won the most with three, LeBron James has earned two, and Anthony Davis has one from the London Games, while Bam Adebayo, Devin Booker, Jrue Holiday, and Jayson Tatum each have one from the Tokyo 2020 edition. On top of this, Stephen Curry is a two-time FIBA World Cup champion, and Anthony Edwards and Tyrese Haliburton made impressive World Cup appearances in 2023.
Meanwhile, the Paris 2024 Olympics marks the first time for Kawhi Leonard and Joel Embiid to represent Team USA in a major international competition.
Although this squad has a mix of first-time Olympians and Olympic gold medalists, the CV of this entire team is staggering. In total, these 12 NBA All-Stars boast 10 Olympic gold medals, three World Cup titles, four NBA MVPs, and 14 NBA championship titles.
This is a team that is going to be very difficult to overcome.
For one thing, LeBron, who will be playing in his fourth Olympics and his first since 2012, has a record of 273 points in the Summer Games, the third-highest among Team USA representatives. And for another, Kevin Durant happens to be the country’s all-time Olympic statistical leader with a total of 435 points and a scoring average of 19.8.
With this, along with the other NBA superstars on the squad, we know as early as now that scoring won’t be an issue for Team USA. Some people have even labeled this roster as ‘The Avengers in Paris.’ But to win the battle, they may have to overcome some of their top competitors including the most recent World Cup champions, Germany.
Names alone, this already looks like a Dream Team part two for the United States. But, the pressure is ramping up because there is no way that with this lineup, Team USA will be happy with anything less than their 17th Olympic gold medal.
Banner images from FIBA Basketball and USA Basketball on Instagram.
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