LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – JULY 10: (R-L) Devin Booker #15, LeBron James #6 and Anthony Davis #14 of the … [+]
Since the U.S. first sent NBA players to the Summer Olympics in 1992, Team USA has dominated the world’s premier sporting event. The U.S. has won seven of the eight Olympic gold medals in men’s basketball since 1992. The only exception was 2004 when Argentina won the gold and the U.S. ended up with the bronze.
This year, Team USA is one of 12 countries that have qualified and is again favored to win the competition in Paris thanks to a commitment from many of the nation’s top players to participate. The team has played two exhibitions so far, defeating Canada, 86-72, last Wednesday in Las Vegas and Australia, 98-92, on Monday in Abu Dhabi. The U.S. plays again in Abu Dhabi on Wednesday against Serbia.
At the Olympics, Team USA will be part of Group C, playing Serbia on July 28, South Sudan on July 31 and Puerto Rico on Aug. 3. The top two teams in the Group automatically qualify for the quarterfinals on Aug. 6. The semifinals are on Aug. 9 and the medal games are on Aug. 10.
Below, we examine Team USA’s roster and its chances of winning another gold.
Who Made The U.S. Men’s Basketball Team?
- Bam Adebayo – Miami Heat center
- Devin Booker – Phoenix Suns guard
- Stephen Curry – Golden State Warriors guard
- Anthony Davis – Los Angeles Lakers forward
- Kevin Durant – Phoenix Suns forward
- Anthony Edwards – Minnesota Timberwolves guard
- Joel Embiid – Philadelphia 76ers center
- Tyrese Haliburton – Indiana Pacers guard
- Jrue Holiday – Boston Celtics guard
- LeBron James – Los Angeles Lakers forward
- Jayson Tatum – Boston Celtics forward
- Derrick White – Boston Celtics guard
Who Are Top Players On The U.S. Men’s Basketball Team?
The U.S. has a stacked roster filled with NBA All-Stars and future members of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.
Stephen Curry (2015 and 2016), Kevin Durant (2014), Joel Embiid (2023) and LeBron James (2009, 2010, 2012 and 2013) have all won NBA Most Valuable Player awards. James is the NBA’s all-time leading scorer, while Durant is seventh and Curry is 11th. And seven players on the team (Curry, Anthony Davis, Durant, James, Jrue Holiday, Jayson Tatum and Derrick White) have won NBA titles.
Eight players on the U.S. roster made one of the three All-NBA teams this past season, too. Tatum, who helped the Celtics win the NBA championship last month, was a first team All-NBA selection. Davis, Durant and Anthony Edwards made second team All-NBA, while James, Curry, Devin Booker and Tyrese Haliburton were third team All-NBA.
Los Angeles Clippers forward Kawhi Leonard, a second team All-NBA pick, was also selected for the U.S. team. But Leonard pulled out of the Olympics last week and was replaced by White. Leonard missed the final 14 games of the NBA season due to right knee inflammation.
Who Are Team U.S.A.’s Newcomers?
Team USA has five players who are making their Olympics debuts: Stephen Curry, Anthony Edwards, Joel Embiid, Tyrese Haliburton and Derrick White.
Curry, the NBA’s all-time leading 3-point shooter who recently finished his 15th season, could have played on Olympic teams before. But he pulled out of the Olympics in 2016 due to an injury after winning the NBA title that year. He also chose not to play in the Olympics in 2021, citing a long season and the COVID-19 pandemic.
Edwards, who at 22 is the youngest player on Team USA, was coming off his rookie season when the Olympics last took place three years ago. Back then, he was a promising young player, but he has since emerged as one of the league’s best all-around guards. Edwards averaged 25.9 points, 5.4 rebounds and 5.1 rebounds per game this past season and led the Timberwolves to a surprising appearance in the Western Conference Finals.
Embiid announced last October that he would play for Team USA, adding another All-Star to a loaded roster. Embiid was born in Cameroon and has dual citizenship in the U.S. and France. He told ESPN at the time, “I love all three options” and that “it was a tough decision” picking the U.S. over France. Embiid was the league’s MVP in 2023 and averaged a career-high 34.7 points per game last season, although he only played in 39 games due to injuries.
Haliburton, 24, was once an overlooked player, but he has made the All-Star team the past two years and become one of the best guards in the world. He led the NBA with 10.9 assists per game last season while averaging 20.1 points per game and leading the Pacers to the Eastern Conference Finals.
White was selected for Team USA last week, replacing Kawhi Leonard, who pulled out to recover from a right knee injury he sustained late in the NBA season. It was another honor for White, who has improved each year since entering the league in 2017 with the San Antonio Spurs. White appeared in only 17 games (no starts) as a rookie, but he emerged this past season as an important member of the Boston Celtics, who won the NBA title. White averaged 15.2 points, 5.2 assists and 3.5 rebounds per game and made the league’s second team All-Defensive team for the second consecutive year.
Meanwhile, LeBron James and Kevin Durant will be competing in their fourth Olympics. James was on Team USA in 2004, 2008 and 2012, while Durant was on the team in 2012, 2016 and 2021. The other five members of Team USA are playing in their second Olympics: Bam Adebayo, Devin Booker, Anthony Davis, Jrue Holiday and Jayson Tatum.
How Did The U.S. Qualify For The Olympics?
Team USA qualified for the Olympics by finishing as one of the top two ranked countries from the FIBA Americas zone at the 2023 FIBA World Cup.
Still, the U.S. was not at the top of its game at the World Cup, finishing fourth overall and missing out on a medal. After winning its first four games by an average of more than 28 points, the U.S. lost, 110-104, to Lithuania.
Team USA then rebounded to defeat Italy by 37 points, but followed up by losing, 113-111, to Germany in the semifinals. The U.S. ended the World Cup by losing, 127-118, in overtime to Canada in the bronze medal game.
What Are The Expectations For The Olympics?
Despite the poor performance in last year’s FIBA World Cup, Team USA is still the heavy favorite to win the Olympics gold medal.
No team can match the U.S.’s depth or talent. Team USA has All-Stars at every position and has upgraded its roster after struggling at the World Cup. Anthony Edwards and Tyrese Haliburton are the only two members of the World Cup squad who are on the Olympics team.
Team USA also has an elite coaching staff led by head coach Steve Kerr, who has helped the Golden State Warriors win four NBA titles. The assistants are Gonzaga University coach Mark Few, Los Angeles Clippers coach Tyronn Lue and Miami Heat coach Erik Spoelstra. Lue and Spoelstra both have won NBA titles, while Few has won more than 83% of his games at Gonzaga and led the team to the NCAA tournament each year since he took over in the 1999-2000 season.
Other teams that could contend for medals at the Olympics include Canada, Serbia, France, Greece and Germany. Still, it would be a major upset if Team USA doesn’t win its fifth consecutive gold medal.