The Big Three: LeBron James, Kevin Durant, and Stephen Curry leading Team USA at Paris 2024 Olympics

Stephen Curry, Kevin Durant and LeBron James, the Big Three that the United States will have at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games (Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports)

The United States basketball team is preparing its best players to seek the fifth consecutive gold medal in the Olympic Games and in the new Dream Team that is coming up for Paris 2024, bright names appear, such as the top scorer in history of the NBA, LeBron James, and other stars of the quality of Kevin Durant and Stephen Curry, who would attend his first Olympic event.

While waiting for the official USA Basketball list, 11 of the 12 players who would have been chosen by Steve Kerr, the coach of the North American national team and who also directs the Golden State Warriors in the NBA, have emerged. According to the information provided by sources to the ESPN network, those summoned for the Paris Games (July 26 to August 11) will be announced shortly and a place will be left vacant that will be defined after the friendlies.

The sporting director of the United States men’s basketball team, Grant Hill, said he will keep a position open on the roster before July training and preparatory games begin in Las Vegas. It must be remembered that the players called up to participate are in competition in the NBA, which is going through the Playoff stage.

In addition to the Big-Three led by LeBron James (Los Angeles Lakers), Stephen Curry (Golden State Warriors) and Kevin Durant (Phoenix Suns), the roster continues with other stars such as the latest NBA MVP, Joel Embiid (Philadelphia 76ers) , Anthony Davis (Lakers), Devin Booker (Suns), Anthony Edwards (Minnesota Timberwolves), Jayson Tatum (Boston Celtics), Jrue Holiday (Celtics), Bam Adebayo (Miami Heat) and Tyrese Haliburton (Indiana Pacers).

Anthony Davis and LeBron James, a lethal duo in the Los Angeles Lakers. They will be together in Paris 2024 (Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports)

As for the number 12 player, there are several candidates and the American media The Athletic reported that Los Angeles Clippers forward Kawhi Leonard is the main favorite to stay on the bench, although he will compete with his teammate Paul George, Mikal Bridges (Brooklyn Nets), Paolo Banchero (Orlando Magic) and Jalen Brunson (New York Knicks).

If this super team is confirmed, the United States will become the rival to beat in the Olympic competition, in which it is the biggest winner in history and has just won the last four gold medals (Beijing 2008, London 2012, Rio de Janeiro 2016 and Tokyo 2020). On the list, Durant is the only player to have won three gold medals (he shares the record with Carmelo Anthony), while Curry has never experienced an Olympic Games. LeBron, meanwhile, has three medals: a bronze in Athens 2004 and two gold: Beijing 2008 and London 2012.

Since the famous Dream Team of 1992, with Michael Jordan at the helm, the United States basketball team has won gold in all the Olympic Games, including the 2008 one with the Redeem Team, except in Athens 2004, when it won the historic Argentine team led by Rubén Magnano.

“The United States has incredible talent in basketball and I am delighted that many of the game’s superstars have expressed interest in representing our country at the 2024 Summer Olympics,” Grant Hill said prior to the preliminary roster announcement. of 41 players, at the beginning of the year. “It is a privilege to select the team that will help us achieve the goal of returning to the top of the Olympic podium. This challenging process will unfold over the next few months as we eagerly anticipate the start of national team activity,” he concluded in statements to the official website of the North American team.

The poster of the United States basketball team for the Paris Olympic Games (USA Basketball)

The United States will be one of the representatives of America in Paris 2024 along with Canada, which was third in the last World Cup. The rest of those classified for the Olympic event (four places remain in the repechages) at the moment are: France (organizing country), Germany (world champion), Serbia (runner-up), Australia (best in Oceania), South Sudan ( best in Africa) and Japan (best in Asia).

The North American team has already confirmed a series of preparatory friendlies for the Olympic event that will help Kerr define the 12 members that will make up the final squad. On July 10 they will face Canada in Las Vegas and then travel to London to face South Sudan (07/20) and Germany (07/22).

2024-04-16 18:09:00
#confirmed #stars #fight #place