Kofi Inkoom
LeBron James, Stephen Curry, Kevin Durant, and Joel Embiid are headlining a group of 41 players from which the final 12-member U.S. Olympic men’s basketball team will be chosen for the July Paris Olympic Games.
The Paris Player Pool 🫡
🇺🇸 #USABMNT pic.twitter.com/OWIml1e8Rt
— USA Basketball (@usabasketball) January 23, 2024
The team director, Grant Hill, has selected a pool, but the roster may change before the final decision.
1. Bam Adebayo (Miami Heat)
2. Jarrett Allen (Cleveland Cavaliers)
3. Paolo Banchero (Orlando Magic)
4. Desmond Bane (Memphis Grizzlies)
5. Scottie Barnes (Toronto Raptors)
6. Devin Booker (Phoenix Suns)
7. Mikal Bridges (Brooklyn Nets)
8. Jaylen Brown (Boston Celtics)
9. Jalen Brunson (New York Knicks)
10. Jimmy Butler (Miami Heat)
11. Alex Caruso (Chicago Bulls)
12. Stephen Curry (Golden State Warriors)
13. Anthony Davis (Los Angeles Lakers)
14. Kevin Durant (Phoenix Suns)
15. Anthony Edwards (Minnesota Timberwolves)
16. Joel Embiid (Philadelphia 76ers)
17. De’Aaron Fox (Sacramento Kings)
18. Paul George (Los Angeles Clippers)
19. Aaron Gordon (Denver Nuggets)
20. Tyrese Haliburton (Indiana Pacers)
21. James Harden (Los Angeles Clippers)
22. Josh Hart (New York Knicks)
23. Tyler Herro (Miami Heat)
24. Jrue Holiday (Boston Celtics)
25. Chet Holmgren (Oklahoma City Thunder)
26. Brandon Ingram (New Orleans Pelicans)
27. Kyrie Irving (Dallas Mavericks)
28. Jaren Jackson Jr. (Memphis Grizzlies)
29. LeBron James (Los Angeles Lakers)
30. Cam Johnson (Brooklyn Nets)
31. Walker Kessler (Utah Jazz)
32. Kawhi Leonard (Los Angeles Clippers)
33. Damian Lillard (Milwaukee Bucks)
34. Donovan Mitchell (Cleveland Cavaliers)
35. Chris Paul (Golden State Warriors)
36. Bobby Portis (Milwaukee Bucks)
37. Austin Reaves (Los Angeles Lakers)
38. Duncan Robinson (Miami Heat)
39. Jayson Tatum (Boston Celtics)
40. Derrick White (Boston Celtics)
41. Trae Young (Atlanta Hawks)
The player pool includes talents like Bam Adebayo, Devin Booker, Kyrie Irving— including young talents like Chet Holmgren and Halliburton.
LeBron James, at 39, could become the oldest U.S. Olympic men’s basketball player, breaking Larry Bird’s record. Despite playing in previous Olympics, James skipped Tokyo and Rio Games for rest.
Stephen Curry, arguably the best PG in the world and is yet to join the Olympics, chose to rest during the Tokyo Games.
Kevin Durant, a consistent performer, led the U.S. in points per game in the last three Olympics, breaking Carmelo Anthony’s career Olympic points record in Tokyo.
Notably absent from the initial player pool is Draymond Green, but there’s still a chance for additions. Green and Durant were the only ones to make both the Rio and Tokyo teams. It’s worth mentioning that in the past, players not initially in the pool made it to the final Olympic teams.
The U.S. men’s team, aiming for a fifth consecutive Olympic title, faced their first defeat in Tokyo but secured a gold medal after overcoming challenges.
Last summer, a U.S. team without All-NBA players or previous Olympians finished fourth at the FIBA World Cup, marking a notable performance.
In addition to the announced exhibitions, USA Basketball has added a pre-Olympic game against Canada in Las Vegas on July 10, providing further preparation for the upcoming Olympic challenge.