The men's national basketball team of the United States is scheduled to compete at the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris, France. They qualified for the Olympics as one of the top two FIBA Basketball World Cup finishers from the Americas in 2023.[1] The Americans have won the gold medal at the previous four Olympics.[2]
| Head coach | Steve Kerr |
|---|---|
The team includes four National Basketball Association (NBA) players who have won its league most valuable player (MVP) award—LeBron James, Kevin Durant, Stephen Curry and Joel Embiid—an Olympic first.[2]
Timeline
editRoster
editAfter the 2023 U.S. World Cup team finished in fourth place, the first time since 1970 that Team USA failed to medal in consecutive World Cups,[6][7] USA Basketball executive director Grant Hill and head coach Steve Kerr tried to persuade more experienced players to join the Olympic team.[5] Seven players have prior Olympic experience, the most of any U.S. Olympic team.[2] Bam Adebayo, Devin Booker, Kevin Durant, Jrue Holiday, and Jayson Tatum returned from the 2020 Olympic team that won gold,[8] while Anthony Davis and LeBron James won gold in earlier Olympics.[2] Anthony Edwards and Tyrese Haliburton were on the 2023 World Cup squad, while Stephen Curry won gold twice at the FIBA World Championships (previous name of the World Cup).[8] It will be the oldest U.S. men's basketball team, averaging 30 years and 9 months when the Games start, surpassing the 1996 team's average of 29 years, 10 months old.[2]
The American squad includes 11 players who have been NBA All-Stars, three former NBA Finals MVPs and seven players who have won NBA championships.[9] Joel Embiid, who had the opportunity to play for his native country Cameroon as well as France, was motivated to choose the United States because of his son, who was born an American in 2020.[10][6] His addition addressed the lack of size and defense on the 2023 World Cup team.[6] However, he had missed over half of the 2023–24 NBA regular season and played with a knee injury in the playoffs.[10]
Six-time All-Star Kawhi Leonard had missed the final eight regular-season games for the Los Angeles Clippers and four of their six first-round playoff games with a right knee inflammation.[9][11] On July 10, 2024, before Team USA's first exhibition, Leonard was replaced on the roster by Derrick White of the Boston Celtics, who played on the 2019 World Cup team.[12][13] According to Clippers president of basketball operations Lawrence Frank, Leonard wanted to stay with the squad, and the Clippers were supportive, but it was USA Basketball's decision. "I really wish they would have given Kawhi more time", said Frank.[14] With Leonard, the United States team would have included 11 players who were All-Stars in 2024 as well as a combined 84 All-Star selections, the most ever in the Olympics. They also would have been the second Olympic team filled entirely with former All-Stars, joining the 1996 U.S. team.[2] Three-time All-Star Jaylen Brown of the Celtics believed that he was passed over as Leonard's replacement in part due to Nike's influence. Brown had been critical of the company in the past, and White, Brown's Boston teammate, is a Nike-sponsored athlete.[15]
| United States men's national basketball team – 2024 Summer Olympics roster | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Players | Coaches | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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The following were also candidates to make the team:
- ^ Team at the time player was a candidate
Exhibition games
editThe United States was 5–0 in exhibition games. They won convincingly over Canada and Serbia.[17] They led Australia by 25 before the Aussies came back to make it close.[18] They were at risk of losing their final two games against South Sudan and Germany, both in London, but LeBron James's late-game performances led them to victories. He scored 13 of the team's 17 combined points in the final four minutes of both contests.[17] Kevin Durant did not play in any of the games after suffering a calf strain in a workout before training camp.[18][19] After coming out of training camp slowly, Joel Embiid steadily improved with each outing.[17][20]
Canada
editJuly 10, 2024
|
Canada  |
72–86 |  United States |
| Scoring by quarter: 21–14, 12–27, 21–28, 18–17 | ||
| Pts: Barrett 12 Rebs: three players 5 Asts: three players 3 |
Pts: Edwards 13 Rebs: Davis 11 Asts: Haliburton 6 | |
T-Mobile Arena
Las Vegas, Nevada |
The United States won their exhibition opener 86–72 over Canada. Anthony Edwards led all scorers with 13 points. The Americans began the game shooting 0 for 6, but overcame an early 11–1 deficit to lead 41–33 at halftime.[21] They expanded their lead to 69–54 after three quarters.[22] Team USA played without Durant and Derrick White, who had not joined the team yet after replacing Kawhi Leonard on the squad.[21][22]
Australia
editJuly 15, 2024
|
Australia  |
92–98 | United States |
| Scoring by quarter: 21–32, 16–21, 24–23, 31–22 | ||
| Pts: Landale 20 Rebs: Giddey 8 Asts: Giddey 8 |
Pts: Davis 17 Rebs: Davis 14 Asts: Tatum 5 | |
Etihad Arena
Abu Dhabi, UAE |
Anthony Davis scored 17 points and had 14 rebounds in Team USA's 98–92 win over Australia. The Americans were up by 24 points in the third quarter, but the Australians pulled to within five points with 5:05 remaining in the game after outscoring the United States 39–21. Twice Australia cut the deficit to four points, but Devin Booker was a perfect four of four on free throws in the final eight seconds to secure the win.[23]
U.S. coach Steve Kerr started two new players—Edwards and Jayson Tatum. The team committed 18 turnovers and allowed 13 offensive rebounds.[24] White joined the team in Abu Dhabi and practiced, but did not play in the game.[23]
Serbia
editJuly 17, 2024
|
Serbia  |
79–105 | United States |
| Scoring by quarter: 28–28, 17–31, 13–24, 21–22 | ||
| Pts: Jokić 16 Rebs: Jokić 11 Asts: Avramović, Gudurić 3 |
Pts: Curry 24 Rebs: Adebayo, Embiid 8 Asts: three players 3 | |
Etihad Arena
Abu Dhabi, UAE |
Stephen Curry led the United States with 24 points in a 105–79 win over Serbia. He scored Team USA's first nine points and had 18 in the first half, making four three-point field goals in 11 minutes.[25][26] The game was tied at 40 with 4:42 remaining in the second quarter, when Curry made a four-point play on a three-pointer and subsequent free throw. The Americans led 59–45 at the half, pulling away from the Serbs with a 31–5 run over the second and third quarters.[26] Team USA led by 25 entering the fourth, before expanding its lead to 30.[25]
Davis had all six of the United States' blocks, and the team held six-time All-Star Nikola Jokić, the reigning NBA MVP, to 6-of-19 shooting.[26] Edwards added 16 points off the bench. In his U.S. debut, White finished with four rebounds and an assist in nine minutes.[25]
South Sudan
editJuly 20, 2024
|
South Sudan  |
100–101 | United States |
| Scoring by quarter: 26–24, 32–20, 18–37, 24–20 | ||
| Pts: Shayok 25 Rebs: Jones 11 Asts: Jones 11 |
Pts: James 23 Rebs: Davis 11 Asts: James 6 | |
The O2 Arena
London, United Kingdom |
LeBron James made a layup with eight seconds remaining in the game to put Team USA ahead, and they held on for a 101–100 win over South Sudan. After going up 8–0 in the first 2+1⁄2 minutes of the game, the Americans trailed 58–44 at halftime after South Sudan made 61 percent of their shots in the first half and outscored the United States 21–3 on 3-pointers. Team USA rallied back with an 18–0 run in the second half, going up 79–76 late in the third quarter on a 35-foot (11 m) three-pointer from Curry for their first lead since the first quarter.[27] South Sudan missed three attempts in the final seconds to win the game.[28] The team's performance came as a surprise, as they entered the game as 43+1⁄2-point underdogs according to BetMGM Sportsbook.[27]
James had a game-high 25 points along with six rebounds and seven assists, and Davis finished with 15 points and 10 rebounds. South Sudan's Marial Shayok had 24 points and Carlik Jones had a triple-double with 15 points, 11 rebounds and 11 assists.[27]
Germany
editJuly 22, 2024
|
Germany  |
88–92 | United States |
| Scoring by quarter: 19–29, 22–19, 30–20, 19–24 | ||
| Pts: F. Wagner 18 Rebs: Voigtmann 8 Asts: Schröder 10 |
Pts: James 20 Rebs: Embiid 8 Asts: Embiid 5 | |
The O2 Arena
London, United Kingdom |
James scored the final 11 points for the United States in the last 3:57 of the game as they fended off defending World Cup champion Germany 92–88.[18][17] Team USA led 48–41 at the half, but they were outscored in the third quarter 30–20.[29] Trailing entering the fourth quarter, the United States' defense held the Germans to 19 points and James took over on offense.[17][30] The Germans shot just 36%, but took 13 more shots than the Americans, with 14 offensive rebounds leading to 16 points.[30][20] Team USA also committed 14 turnovers to Germany's 7.[18]
James scored a game-high 20 points and added six rebounds and four assists.[29] Embiid continued his improved play with 15 points, eight rebounds and five assists,[17] offsetting his backup, Davis, who got into foul trouble.[20] Curry had 13 points but made just 1-of-7 on 3-pointers. Off the bench, Edwards added 11 points and Davis had 10 points and seven rebounds. Franz Wagner, one of four NBA players on Germany's roster, led his team with 18 points.[17] Andreas Obst, the star of Germany's semifinals win over the United States in the 2023 World Cup,[18] had 17 points and five 3s.[17] Dennis Schröder scored 13 points and had 10 assists while shooting 3-of-15.[17]
Olympic play
editPreliminary round
editThe United States was placed in Group C.[31]
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | L | PF | PA | PD | Pts | Qualification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Serbia
|
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Quarterfinals |
| 2 | South Sudan
|
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 3 |  Puerto Rico
|
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Possible quarterfinals, based on ranking |
| 4 | United States
|
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Rules for classification: 1) classification points; 2) head-to-head results; 3) head-to-head game points difference; 4) head-to-head number of game points scored.
All times are local (UTC+2).
Serbia
edit
South Sudan
edit
Puerto Rico
edit
References
edit- ^ Reynolds, Tim (September 3, 2023). "US falls to Lithuania at Basketball World Cup but still qualifies for Paris Olympics". The Associated Press. Retrieved May 25, 2024.
- ^ a b c d e f g "Olympic men's basketball roster a Dream Team with LeBron James, Kevin Durant, Steph Curry". NBC Sports. April 17, 2024. Retrieved May 25, 2024.
- ^ a b Mullin, Eric (January 23, 2024). "USA Basketball reveals 41 finalists for 2024 Olympic roster". NBC Los Angeles. Retrieved May 25, 2024.
- ^ a b Vardon, Joe (April 17, 2024). "LeBron James, Kevin Durant, Steph Curry headline USA Basketball roster for 2024 Olympics". The Athletic. Retrieved May 26, 2024.
- ^ a b Windhorst, Brian (January 23, 2024). "LeBron, Curry, Embiid headline U.S. player pool for Olympics". ESPN. Retrieved May 25, 2024.
- ^ a b c Shelburne, Ramona (October 5, 2023). "Joel Embiid to represent Team USA at 2024 Paris Olympics". ESPN. Retrieved May 25, 2024.
- ^ Reynolds, Tim (July 16, 2024). "LeBron James at 39 still is the center of attention for USA Basketball. That won't change". The Assoicated Press. Retrieved July 17, 2024.
- ^ a b Golliver, Ben (April 17, 2024). "USA Basketball emphasizes defense, experience on roster for Paris Olympics". The Washington Post. Retrieved July 25, 2024.
- ^ a b Golliver, Ben (July 10, 2024). "USA Basketball's gold medal formula: Big stars, bigger centers". The Washington Post. Retrieved July 11, 2024.
- ^ a b Reynolds, Tim (June 14, 2024). "Joel Embiid, at the NBA Finals, says he's feeling well and on track for Olympics". The Journal. AP. Archived from the original on July 6, 2024. Retrieved July 6, 2024.
- ^ Turner, Broderick (July 2, 2024). "Clippers' Kawhi Leonard impresses during workout in front of Team USA leaders". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved July 6, 2024.
- ^ Reynolds, Tim (July 15, 2024). "Clippers say they wanted Kawhi Leonard on US basketball team for Paris Olympics". The Associated Press. Retrieved July 19, 2024.
- ^ a b Windhorst, Brian. "Kawhi Leonard out for Paris Olympics; Derrick White to Team USA". ESPN. Retrieved July 11, 2024.
- ^ Zeigler, Mark (July 16, 2024). "Aztecs notes: Kawhi Leonard a surprise guest at basketball practice; SDSU remembers Fred Pierce". The San Diego Union-Tribune. Retrieved July 17, 2024.
- ^ Weiss, Jared; Andrejev, Alex (July 16, 2024). "Jaylen Brown says he 'wasn't surprised' by Team USA snub, believes Nike influenced decision". The Athletic. Retrieved July 16, 2024.
- ^ "USA Basketball announces star-studded 2024 Olympic player pool". Le Monde. January 24, 2024. Retrieved May 25, 2024.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i Vardon, Joe (July 23, 2024). "LeBron James' late scoring spree propels Team USA past Germany in final pre-Olympic game". The Athletic. Retrieved July 24, 2024.
- ^ a b c d e Reynolds, Tim (July 22, 2024). "LeBron James scores final 11 points for US in 92-88 win over Germany as pre-Olympic tour ends". The Associated Press. Retrieved July 23, 2024.
- ^ Vardon, Joe; Charania, Shams (July 19, 2024). "Kevin Durant practices with Team USA for first time in London, questionable to play vs. South Sudan". The Athletic. Retrieved July 19, 2024.
- ^ a b c Windhorst, Brian (July 22, 2024). "LeBron James leads Team USA past Germany in London". ESPN. Retrieved July 24, 2024.
- ^ a b Golliver, Ben (July 11, 2024). "Thanks, Obama: USA Basketball survives rust, roster drama in exhibition win". The Washington Post. Retrieved July 14, 2024.
- ^ a b Reynolds, Tim (July 11, 2024). "USA Basketball tops Canada 86–72 in exhibition opener on the road to Paris Olympics". The Associated Press. Retrieved July 14, 2024.
- ^ a b Reynolds, Tim (July 15, 2024). "US men's basketball team builds big lead then holds off Australia for 98–92 win in Olympics tuneup". The Associated Press. Retrieved July 16, 2024.
- ^ Vardon, Joe (July 15, 2024). "Anthony Davis, Anthony Edwards star for Team USA in sloppy Olympic exhibition win vs. Australia". The Athletic. Retrieved July 16, 2024.
- ^ a b c Hightower, Kyle (July 17, 2024). "Stephen Curry strong in US men's basketball team's 105–79 win over Serbia in Olympic warmup". The Associated Press. Retrieved July 17, 2024.
- ^ a b c Vardon, Joe (July 17, 2024). "Steph Curry, Bam Adebayo lead Team USA in lopsided defeat of Serbia in Olympic exhibition game". The Athletic. Retrieved July 17, 2024.
- ^ a b c Reynolds, Tim (July 20, 2024). "James hits game winner with 8 seconds left, US avoids upset and escapes South Sudan 101-100". The Associated Press. Retrieved July 20, 2024.
- ^ Windhorst, Brian (July 20, 2024). "LeBron James layup helps U.S. dodge upset from South Sudan". ESPN. Retrieved July 20, 2024.
- ^ a b Golliver, Ben (July 22, 2024). "LeBron James closes out Germany, keeps U.S. men unbeaten entering Paris". The Washington Post. Retrieved July 25, 2024.
- ^ a b "Team Stats". USA Basketball. July 22, 2024. Retrieved July 24, 2024.
- ^ "Team USA Basketball: 2024 Paris Olympics roster, schedule, news". ESPN. July 5, 2024. Retrieved July 6, 2024.