NBA

Who are the 12 players called to represent USA Basketball’s Olympic roster?

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As we are three months away from the start of the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris, USA Basketball finally announced the roster who will compete this summer for glory. The list, which started at 41 names, was finally reduced to 12 superstars by the Men’s National Team managing director Grant Hill and then approved by the Board of Directors.

Team USA has called upon the best of the best for the competition, which is set for July 26 to August 11. After failing to earn a medal in last year’s FIBA World Cup held in Asia, the squad hopes to take revenge and prove the world that U.S. basketball still dominates the world sport.

The roster includes the NBA’s all-time leading scorer LeBron James, three-time Olympic champion Kevin Durant, and four-time league winner Stephen Curry. Also, this squad possesses a combined 11 Olympic appearances, 10 Olympic gold medals, and three FIBA World Cup titles.

“It’s an honor to introduce the 2024 USA Basketball Men’s National Team,” Hill expressed this Wednesday. “I’m grateful to these 12 men for their commitment to represent USA Basketball. The United States is home to some of the best basketball players in the world and I appreciate the vast interest in being part of this roster. These decisions weren’t easy, but it was a pleasure to go through the process and reach this outcome.”

Grant promised the fans that they wished to honor this competition with USA’s best athletes. “We have the utmost respect for the level of competition we will face this summer. The Olympics represent the pinnacle of sport and the world will be watching the USA as we play in the toughest basketball tournament in history,” he added.

LeBron, who ranks 3rd all-time players with most points hit for Team USA with 273, will compete in his first Olympics since 2012. He has already earned two gold medals and a bronze in the past. Durant, on the other hand, is the all-time Olympic statistical leader in points (435), point average (19.8), field goals (146), three pointers (74) and free throws at 69.

Jayson Tatum, Devin Booker, Anthony Davis, Jrue Holiday and Bam Adebayo will all share the court once again after winning the last Olympic gold medal, which was held back in 2020, and are part of a group that holds together a 34-4 mark in Olympic competition.

Golden State’s Steve Kerr will continue to head the squad and coaching staff during this summer’s competition

Despite only winning fourth place in last year’s FIBA World Cup tournament, the 2024 USA Men’s National Team will continue to be coached by the same staff during the Olympics.

Warriors tactician Steve Kerr will remain as head coach. “My staff and I are honored to coach this amazing group of players in our quest to win Olympic gold in Paris,” he said. “We plan to represent USA Basketball with the utmost class and we hope to make our country proud.”

The rest of the staff will be assisted by Miami’s Erik Spoelstra, Mark Few from Gonzaga University, and Clippers’ Tyronn Lue, who started working with the squad for the first time in 2023.

The team is convinced that they are off to defend U.S. Basketball’s honor, after losing to Canada in the World Cup’s semifinal last year in Manila, and returning home without a medal.