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This US Men’s Olympic basketball team is the most talented ever

On Behalf of | Jul 9, 2024 | Current Events |

USA Basketball announced the 2024 USA Basketball Men’s National Team roster, which will compete at the Olympic Games in Paris. The team, selected by USA Basketball Men’s National Team managing director Grant Hill and approved by the USA Basketball Board of Directors, features 12 athletes with extensive USA Basketball experience. Team USA is always an embarrassment of riches, but there is an argument that this one will be the most talented Olympic team ever, particularly if they win the gold.

A roster of giants

Every U.S. team features generational talent. Still, this roster is highlighted by three-time Olympic champion Kevin Durant of the Phoenix Suns and NBA all-time scoring leader LeBron James of the Los Angeles Lakers, who holds two Olympic gold medals. Other notable players include Bam Adebayo (Miami Heat), Devin Booker (Phoenix Suns), Stephen Curry (Golden State Warriors), Anthony Davis (Los Angeles Lakers), Anthony Edwards (Minnesota Timberwolves), Joel Embiid (Philadelphia 76ers), Tyrese Haliburton (Indiana Pacers), Jrue Holiday (Boston Celtics), Kawhi Leonard (L.A. Clippers), and Jayson Tatum (Boston Celtics).

The original 1992 Dream Team ushered in the era of NBA stars playing in the Olympics with an average of 44-point winning margins. Basketball is now a global sport, and the NBA has many great players from abroad, which means stiffer competition these days than in ’92.

This edition of the dream team boasts a combined 11 Olympic appearances and 10 Olympic gold medals, along with three FIBA World Cup titles. The squad comprises 12 NBA All-Stars, four NBA MVPs, and six NBA champions.

Kevin Durant, also a 2010 World Cup gold medalist, leads in several all-time Olympic statistics for the USA, including total points (435), scoring average (19.8 ppg), and three-point field goals (74). LeBron James, who will be participating in his fourth Olympics, will return to the Games for the first time since 2012. He holds two gold medals from 2008 and 2012 and a bronze from his debut in 2004.

Other team members with Olympic gold medals include Adebayo, Booker, Davis, Holiday, and Tatum. Stephen Curry, a two-time World Cup champion, will make his Olympic debut. Additional World Cup participants on the team include Davis, Durant, Edwards, Haliburton, James, and Tatum. Joel Embiid and Kawhi Leonard will debut for the USA Basketball national team when they host Canada on July 10 in Las Vegas.

Even the coaching is elite

The 2024 team will be led by head coach Steve Kerr of the Golden State Warriors, with assistance from Mark Few (Gonzaga University), Tyronn Lue (L.A. Clippers), and Erik Spoelstra (Miami Heat). This coaching staff previously guided the team to a fourth-place finish at the 2023 FIBA Men’s World Cup in Manila.

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