USA Basketball Announces Star Studded Olympic roster

Team USA celebrates after winning the gold medal game during the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Summer Games at Saitama Super Arena.

Photo cred: Kyle Terada/ USA TODAY Sports

By: Joshua Martin

Exactly 100 days before the Olympic Opening Ceremony, USA Basketball officially announced their Men’s National Team for the 2024 Paris Olympic Games. The most successful nation in Olympic basketball history is seeking its fifth consecutive and 17th total gold medal. This year’s roster features NBA & Olympic champions, multi-time All-Stars, and MVPS, headlined by future Hall of Famers LeBron James, Steph Curry, and Kevin Durant. Invoking thoughts of the hallowed ‘Dream Team.’  

Greatness Unites.

The 2024 USA Men's National Team is here.

🇺🇸 #USABMNT pic.twitter.com/I2jOLsrcQv

— USA Basketball (@usabasketball) April 17, 2024

Fresh off of a NBA Play-In Tournament victory against the Pelicans, the team will be anchored by Lakers forward and four time NBA MVP Lebron James. James makes his return to Olympic competition eight years after capturing the gold at Rio in 2016. The four time NBA champion also won gold with the squad at London in 2012. 

Durant returns after setting the record for most points scored in men’s Olympic history at Tokyo 2020 in 2021, surpassing the previous mark held by Carmelo Anthony. Now at age 35, the Suns forward could pass up Anthony again. Breaking their tie for the most gold medals(4) won by a male basketball player at the Olympic Games. 

The undisputed greatest shooter of all time will make his Olympic debut when he steps on the court at Paris 2024. Curry, a four time champion and two time MVP, previously won gold while representing the USA in international competition at the FIBA World Cup and was expected to play at the Rio games but withdrew due to ankle injuries. 

The team will be coached by Golden State Warriors Head Coach Steve Kerr. Los Angeles Clippers Head Coach Tyron Lue, Miami Heat Head Coach Erik Spoelstra and Gonzaga coach Mark Few will serve as his assistants. 

The USA team will hold a training camp and exhibition games in Las Vegas in early July, before traveling to Paris. The Opening Ceremony for the 2024 Paris Olympics will take place on July 26th with men’s basketball play beginning the following day.

The official roster is listed below.  

LeBron James (Los Angeles Lakers)

Stephen Curry (Golden State Warriors)

Kevin Durant (Phoenix Suns)

Joel Embiid (Philadelphia 76ers)

Devin Booker (Phoenix Suns)

Jayson Tatum (Boston Celtics)

Anthony Davis (Los Angeles Lakers)

Tyrese Haliburton (Indiana Pacers)

Anthony Edwards (Minnesota Timberwolves)

Jrue Holiday (Boston Celtics)

Bam Adebayo (Miami Heat)

Kawhi Leonard (Los Angeles Clippers)

---

YOU MAY ALSO BE INTERESTED IN:

SHARE TO SOCIAL MEDIA

What's Next For USA Basketball?

Photo by Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE via Getty Images

By: Vince Wilson

The USA basketball team has left the World Cup Games for the second consecutive time without a medal as they lost the Bronze Medal game in overtime to Canada. This is only Canada's second medal in international basketball competition since 1936, behind a dominant performance from Shai Gileous Alexander who had 31 points and 12 assists. After starting 4-0, the USA team stumbled to the finish line losing 3 of their last 4 including close losses to Lithuania and Germany finishing 4th Place with a 5-3 record. 

The emergence of Anthony Edwards and Austin Reeves were the only bright spots for the USA team as the team looked overwhelmed and incohesive.  The USA team can still redeem themselves in the upcoming Olympic Games as they won gold both times. They missed a medal in 2006 and 2019, although many are feeling a need to revamp the team,  and maybe the coaching, as the team lacks the star power and roster balance to compete. Coach Kerr’s small ball five guard rotations were continuously outplayed by bigger teams and seemingly unable to stop anyone defensively. Germany’s big man and NBA journeyman Daniel Theis scored 21 points after only scoring 21 or more six times in his entire NBA career. Canada’s Dillon Brook’s 39 points were more points than he’s ever scored in any NBA game. 

Dillon Brooks scored 39 points against Team USA, making 7 of his 8 attempts from 3-point range while drawing "MVP" chants from the crowd. 

Photo Credit: Yong Teck Lim/Getty Images

With USA’s ‘C’ team failing to medal, the question is, what’s next for USA Basketball?

LeBron James has entered the chat with a tweet. LBJ posts a cryptic ‘eyes emoji’ over an NBA CENTRAL tweet that has sent the sports world into a frenzy. LeBron James was a part of the disappointing 2004 Bronze team before joining forces with the late great Kobe Bryant for the Redeem team in 2008 and bringing back gold to the States. LeBron hasn’t played in international competitions since 2016 and it looks like he may be eyeing a comeback and last dance for the 2024 Paris Olympics. Many are hoping the recruiters can get Durant, Curry, Tatum, and the NBA’s elite to join him and bring back the Gold to the USA. Throw in the God of USA Basketball, Carmelo Anthony, and we may see the medal again.

---

YOU MAY ALSO BE INTERESTED IN:

SHARE TO SOCIAL MEDIA

USA basketball falls to Lithuania

By: Vince Wilson

USA basketball falls to Lithuania with 104-110 points making it their first loss of the 2023 FIBA World Cup Games. The final score appears a lot closer than it was as Lithuania got out to a twenty-point lead in the first half. Ending the first quarter with a 31-12 lead they killed the US from behind the stripe, eventually finishing shooting a scorching 14 of 25 from three-point land. 

The US team made a valiant late-game comeback behind Anthony Edwards' efficient 35 points but Lithuanian led a balanced attack. They had seven players with double-digit production even with their best player, All-NBA Center Domantus Sabonis sitting out.

Anthony Edwards

Photo Credit: USA Basketball (via Twitter)

Lithuania's big men Valincuinas and Sedekerskis carved up the US defense as they dominated the glass combining for 18 rebounds between them. The USA’s starting center and reigning Defensive Player of the Year, Jaren Jackson managed just 1 rebound, 3 points, and 5 fouls in the loss. Being the lone bright after being relegated to a 6th man spot early on in the tournament, Edwards was the main scoring option and playmaker. Often bringing up the ball and controlling the possession with a pick-and-roll situation. USA basketball just didn’t have enough to throw at Lithuania as many possessions were last-ditch efforts to Edwards, hoping he would make something happen, which he did more often than not. 

Lithuania remained undefeated at 5-0 and stood at the top of Group J as the USA fell to 4-1 in the tournament, although still qualifying for the quarterfinals and Olympic Games. Lithuania has always been a European powerhouse, delivering the US one of the most devastating losses in our international history in 2004. The US team would never recover and stumble to a disappointing Bronze medal. Hopefully, history will not repeat itself. 

---

YOU MAY ALSO BE INTERESTED IN:

SHARE TO SOCIAL MEDIA