Balancing World Cup and Olympic Commitments: The Challenge for NBA Players in Representing Team USA

This is a classic in the NBA world. For many years the United States team has varied enormously depending on whether the event is a World Cup or the Olympic Games. Good players usually go to the first event – ​​including some stars – but the best go directly to the second.

It’s almost a cyclical thing. A B team (almost C) goes to the World Cup but falls before the final and becomes empty. Then – now the following year – the All-NBA get going and redeem their teammates by achieving gold in the Olympics; something they have done uninterruptedly since 2008 (in 2004 Manu Ginobili’s Argentina was crowned).

The system seems clear; However, there is always some suspicion regarding those players who commit to be in the World Cup and then are sidelined for the Olympic Games. Will the same thing happen for Paris 2024? There are already those who have started their own campaign to ensure that this is not the case.

Indiana Pacers point guard, Tyrese Haliburton, was the first to sign up for the legendary Olympic event. He knows that it will not be easy to fill one of the 12 vacancies, but he is clear that if he is not in the City of Light it will not be by his own decision.

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«If they want me to return, for me it is a no-brainer. You want to end on a high note; We weren’t able to get it, so it’s obviously disappointing. But it was a fun experience. Every time you can play for the United States, it is a privilege and an honor,” she comments in statements to Eurohoops.

The truth is that among the members of Team USA who have been to the World Cup it is practically a general feeling; as Brooklyn Nets forward Mikal Bridges makes clear. «I think I will never say no, it is always an honor. No matter the outcome, I wouldn’t trade those six weeks. The most important thing is the relationship we build. “That’s what I take away from this,” he says.

Without putting anyone down, the truth is that Haliburton and Bridges are seen as two of the few pieces in this World Cup squad that could have a place in Paris 2024. They may not be the best in their positions, but they could provide balance to the team. In any case, we have to wait, since we still don’t know who is willing to represent the USA next summer.

(Photography by Ethan Miller/Getty Images)

2023-09-11 10:00:00
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