The focus now shifts to the 2024 Paris Olympics as a chance for Team USA to atone for their second consecutive failure to medal at the 2023 FIBA World Cup after falling to Canada on Sunday for third place. The expectation is that the U.S. will be able to put together a lineup capable of winning the nation’s fifth consecutive gold medal when the Olympics come around because the majority of the top American players in the NBA are not on the FIBA roster.
Sources: LeBron James wants to represent Team USA at 2024 Paris Olympics and is spearheading group of future Hall of Famers – including Stephen Curry, Kevin Durant – prepared to commit.
Full details with @joevardon at @TheAthletic: https://t.co/r2XGO3E2TO
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) September 11, 2023
There has already been some pushing behind the scenes, even though invitations and public promises are still a ways off. According to Chams Charania of The Athletic, LeBron James has reportedly indicated interest in participating in the 2024 Olympics. He is also attempting to enlist some of his fellow superstars to join him in Paris next summer. James, who will be 39 for the Olympics in Paris, has contacted a wide range of celebrities who, if they all sign on, should rule next summer. According to reports, Stephen Curry, Kevin Durant, Anthony Davis, Jayson Tatum, and Draymond Green all on that list.
Last Dance for a generation of superstars?
According to Charania, James, Curry, and Durant have all discussed playing for Team USA next summer, and all three of them see it as a “last dance” chance for the ageing players to compete internationally. James last took part in Olympic competition in 2012, when he won a gold medal in London along with Kobe Bryant, Carmelo Anthony, and Kevin Durant.
Durant was a member of the gold-winning 2020 Tokyo Olympics team and was hailed as that group’s MVP. In addition to those three stars, Devin Booker, Damian Lillard, De’Aaron Fox, and Kyrie Irving have also indicated a desire to represent Team USA, according to Charania.
What it would look like for Team USA roster in near future
And the United States will need size to contain those players in Paris next year when Serbia presumably has Nikola Jokic and France has Rudy Gobert and rookie sensation Victor Wembanyama. Finding that size will be challenging because the American big man pool isn’t brimming with elite talent.
The current MVP Joel Embiid is still considering playing for Team USA in the upcoming summer, but he is also considering representing France. Grant Hill and the rest of Team USA’s brain trust have plenty of time to determine what a balanced team looks like, but a major priority should be making sure there is adequate size on the roster.
