The American team announced this Wednesday the constellation of stars that will form its team at the Paris Games, led by veteran LeBron James, who will compete in his fourth and final Olympic event, and with the definitive presence of Joel Embiid, who had been nationalized by France, but will finally be part of this new ‘Dream Team’, clear favorite for gold in the French capital.
LeBron James, who returns to an Olympic team after his last presence in London at the age of 39, and Anthony Davis (Lakers), Bam Adebayo (Heat), Devin Booker and Kevin Durant (Suns), Stephen Curry (Warriors), Anthony Edwards (Timberwolves), Joel Embiid (Sixers), Tyrese Haliburton (Pacers), Jrue Holiday and Jayson Tatum (Celtics), and Kawhi Leonard (Clippers) will be the players representing the current Olympic champion at the Paris event.
All of them ‘All Star’ players and the vast majority of them gold medalists in the Games, except for Joel Embiid, who will add a spicy note after obtaining French nationality a year ago and dropping the possibility of playing with the host, Kawhi Leonard, Stephen Curry, who has been a two-time world champion, but has never played in the Games, and Edwards and Haliburton who were already in the last World Cup where the United States was left off the podium and the only survivors on this list from that event.
This ‘Dream Team’ will seek its fifth consecutive gold after triumphs in Beijing, London, Rio de Janeiro and Tokyo and is placed in a group with Serbia, South Sudan and another member still to be decided in the Pre-Olympic in Puerto Rico. with Italy or Lithuania as the main favorites.
“I am grateful to these 12 men for their commitment to representing USA Basketball. The United States is home to some of the best basketball players in the world and I appreciate the great interest in being a part of this roster. These decisions were not easy, but It was a pleasure to go through the process and reach this result,” said Grant Hill, general director of the American team.
The former player warned that they have “the greatest respect for the level of competition” that they will find in Paris. “The Olympic Games represent the pinnacle of sports and the world will be watching America as we play in the toughest basketball tournament in history,” he added.
Leading the US team will be Steve Kerr, coach of the Golden State Warriors, who will be assisted by Mark Few (Gonzaga University), Tyronn Lue (Los Angeles Clippers) and Erik Spoelstra (Miami Heat), the same quartet from last Mundobasket.
“My staff and I are honored to coach this incredible group of players in our quest to win Olympic gold in Paris. We plan to represent USA Basketball with the utmost class and hope to make our country proud,” Kerr warned.
Those chosen will gather in Las Vegas on July 6, where four days later they will face Canada. Then they will go to Abu Dhabi where they will face Australia (15) and Serbia (17) and before facing the Games they will play in London against South Sudan (20) and Germany (22).