Team USA will feature some heavy hitters in the upcoming Paris Olympics.
USA Basketball is finalizing a roster for the Summer Games that features LeBron James, Stephen Curry and Joel Embiid, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reports. The roster will also include Kevin Durant, Jayson Tatum, Devin Booker, Tyrese Haliburton, Anthony Edwards, Jrue Holiday, Bam Adebayo and Anthony Davis, per the report.
Team USA might elect to initially keep one spot open, per the report. The team will be coached by Golden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr. Los Angeles Clippers head coach Tyronn Lue, Miami Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra and Gonzaga coach Mark Few will serve as his assistants.
Tatum, Durant, Booker, Holiday and Adebayo return from the team that won gold at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021. James was not on that team; he returns to the Olympics for the first time since Team USA won gold in London in 2012.
This will be James’ fourth Olympic Games. He also won gold with Team USA in 2008 and bronze in 2004, the last time USA didn’t claim the gold medal.
The Paris Games will be the first Olympics for Curry. He was expected to play for Team USA in 2016 in Rio de Janeiro but opted out because of knee and ankle injuries.
These Games will also be the first for Embiid, who committed in October to play for Team USA over France or his native Cameroon. Embiid holds dual citizenship between the USA and France.
Team USA is looking for redemption after failing to medal at the FIBA World Cup in the Philippines last summer. But it could see stiff competition from a host France team that might feature Victor Wembanyama and Rudy Gobert, a Serbia team that might feature Nikola Jokić and a Canadian team that expects to feature Shai-Gilgeous Alexander.
Credit: Source link
