LeBron James, Stephen Curry, Kevin Durant, Joel Embiid… What will the new American “Dream Team” look like? – Liberation

According to the American media ESPN and “The Athletic”, Steve Kerr, the USA coach, already has the names of the 12 members of his future “Dream team”. Enough to scare the Blues who are also aiming for the gold medal in Paris.

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This team doesn’t just have the name that makes you dream. The biggest stars of the NBA – and therefore of the basketball sphere – will be brought together during the Paris Olympics. In any case, this is what the American media ESPN and The Athletic say. Steve Kerr, in coaching, and Grant Hill, at the head of Team USA, have already chosen eleven players out of twelve. A list which includes the emblematic LeBron James (Los Angeles Lakers), top scorer in NBA history, and Kevin Durant (Phoenix Suns), triple gold medalist at the Olympics having not missed an Olympics since the Olympic Games. London in 2012.

On the other hand, it will be an Olympic baptism of fire for Stephen Curry at 36 years old. Just like Joel Embiid, recently naturalized American. The soap opera was long for the native of Yaoundé, who also obtained French nationality at the end of 2022 and whose Blues had been hoping to join since 2018. Tricolores and Cameroonians went out of their way to get him back but were ultimately snatched the “ NBA MVP (“most valuable player”) in 2023 by the Americans, who have Paris 2024 in their sights. On the condition, however, that the 76ers pivot is not in trouble with his leg: he suffered from a meniscus injury in his left knee since the start of the year but he resumed at the beginning of April.

To support these superstars, Team USA drew from its range of stars: according to the American press, the staff selected Anthony Davis (Los Angeles Lakers), Devin Booker (Phoenix Suns), Jayson Tatum (Boston Celtics), Jrue Holiday (Boston Celtics), Bam Adebayo (Miami Heat) as well as Tyrese Haliburton (Indiana Pacers) and Anthony Edwards (Minnesota Timberwolves). Cumulatively, these twelve players hold 14 NBA titles, 10 Olympic gold medals, 8 NBA regular season MVP trophies and 9 NBA Finals MVP trophies. Enough to complicate the task of the Blues who are also seeking the gold medal, at home, at the Arena Bercy on August 11.

Haliburton and Edwards are the only survivors of the team that had a poor performance at the 2023 World Cup, which ended in a disappointing third place after losing all the gold medals since 2008. It was therefore necessary to reshuffle in great widths so that the new team appropriates the mythical nickname of “Dream Team”, born in 1992, under the leadership of Michael Jordan and Magic Johnson. Enough to surpass those who won Olympic gold in Barcelona? “Without disrespect to the legacy of the 1992 team, the players who will be there this summer are competitors,” Grant Hill confided during a press conference at the start of the year.

In July in Paris, the United States will face Serbia, South Sudan and tournament winner Puerto Rico in Group C.