Despite its dominance in men’s basketball having seemingly waned in recent years, the United States has won Olympic gold in the sport every time since the 2008 “Redeem Team”
fulfilled its mission to restore USA Basketball’s pride after having to settle for a bronze medal four years before.
And if the roster reportedly heading to the 2024 Paris Olympics is any indication, the United States’ winning streak in the marquee global basketball competition should continue.
According to multiple reports, USA Basketball has finalized its 12 roster spots for this summer’s competition,
with LA Clippers star Kawhi Leonard landing the final spot. Every single player on the roster is a multi-time NBA All-Star.
On Monday, 11 of the 12 spots were revealed, with the list including Stephen Curry of the Golden State Warriors, LeBron James of the Los Angeles Lakers, Kevin Durant of the Phoenix Suns,
Jayson Tatum of the Boston Celtics, Joel Embiid of the Philadelphia 76ers, Devin Booker of the Suns, Tyrese Haliburton of the Indiana Pacers, Anthony Edwards of the Minnesota Timberwolves, Jrue Holiday of the Celtics, Bam Adebayo of the Miami Heat and Anthony Davis of the Lakers. The 12th spot was revealed on Tuesday.
James returns to the Olympics for the first time since 2012 after playing a key role alongside the late Kobe Bryant in that year’s gold medal-winning squad, as well as the aforementioned “Redeem Team.” The 2016 Rio De Janeiro team won gold behind Carmelo Anthony, while the 2020 Tokyo team won the pandemic-delayed games in 2021 led by Durant. That most recent team also included Booker, Tatum, Adebayo and Holiday.
But the 2016 and 2020 squads had a relative lack of star power compared to the reported 2024 roster. That is thanks in large part to fewer of the best players in the U.S. opting out. James and his Lakers co-star Davis are not only making their returns to the USA Basketball Olympic team for the first time since 2012, but this year also marks the Olympic debuts of Embiid, Edwards and Haliburton — and the 36-year-old Curry, who after years of declining a spot on the Olympic team makes his debut in the competition with his longtime Warriors coach Steve Kerr at the helm.
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Source: The Washington Post
