“We have a very exciting, very talented, very experienced roster,” Hill said. “I'm just so grateful that there were so many people who wanted to be a part of this. We had such great candidates. It wasn't easy by any stretch of the imagination. I am very excited to have assembled this roster and am looking forward to the journey and the task at hand as we aim to bring back gold from the Olympics.”
The roster includes many past gold medalists, so there are no big surprises. James, Durant and Curry telegraphed their desire to play together last October, and Hill only selected the two rookies. Embiid, who chose to play for the U.S. basketball team over France or Cameroon, and Leonard, a two-time NBA Finals MVP who has continued to excel. Offseason health concerns in his prime.
USA Basketball relied heavily on its 2021 gold medal-winning Tokyo Olympic team and its most recent FIBA World Cup team, which finished fourth last September. Durant, Tatum, Adebayo, Booker and Holiday all played in Tokyo, while Edwards and Haliburton emerged as standout players at the FIBA World Cup in the Philippines. James will be competing for the U.S. basketball team for the first time since winning his second Olympic gold medal in 2012, while Curry, a two-time FIBA World Championship gold medalist, will be aiming for his first Olympic gold medal.
For Hill, who replaced Jerry Colangelo as managing director after the Tokyo Olympics, the program's disappointing results at the World Cup meant it needed to be bigger and more effective in order to compete more effectively in top international competition. This proved that we need a strong team. USA Basketball will open the tournament against Serbia, led by Denver Nuggets star Nikola Jokic.
“A FIBA game is a different game than an NBA game,” Hill said. “You need players whose games work well at that stage. The defense, the experience, the collective understanding of how to win. It's a puzzle. You're looking for talent and blending the specific roles you need. We're looking for players who can fit in and execute. Defense was definitely a priority. Players who can lock down, guard multiple sets within a possession, be emotionally mature, and blend personalities. … I had a hard time rebounding. [in the Philippines]”
Thanks to Davis and Embiid, who will return from knee surgery in February, U.S. basketball will be able to maintain a far longer, more imposing front than it did at the World Cup. Meanwhile, Holiday and Leonard, who missed the final eight games of the regular season with knee soreness, should provide stout perimeter defense to complement the team's deep collection of scorers.
If Embiid, Leonard or any other player is unable to play due to health concerns, Hill said USA Basketball has “contingency plans for every position,” but declined to reveal them. . The program said he would announce the 12-man lineup before the start of the NBA Playoffs, so that the decision would not affect the players and the group could begin the long team-building process for Paris. Selected.
The 12-person team was selected from 41 candidates announced in January. Jimmy Butler, Paul George, James Harden, Damian Lillard, Donovan Mitchell and Chris Paul were among the notable candidates who did not make the final cut. USA Basketball also did not select Draymond Green and Kyrie Irving, who have both received significant suspensions in recent years.
Paolo Banchero, Chet Holmgren and Jaren Jackson Jr. are at the top of a list of rising stars squeezed out of a veteran-heavy team. Ja Morant and Zion Williamson, who are rehabbing a season-ending shoulder injury, were not on the original roster.
“You can collect the best, but the most important thing is to have the best fit,” says Hill. “We thought about it very thoughtfully and intentionally.”
Steve Kerr of the Golden State Warriors will coach the U.S. team in Paris after coaching the World Cup team last summer. Kerr announced his intention to resign after the Olympics. His staff in Paris includes Miami Heat coach Erik Spoelstra, Los Angeles Clippers coach Tyronn Lue and Gonzaga coach Mark Few. The Americans won Olympic gold medals in 2008, 2012 and 2016 under coach Mike Krzyzewski and in 2021 under coach Gregg Popovich.
The United States is one of eight teams to qualify for the 12-team Olympic Games, and they should enter as the favorites. Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Japan, Serbia and South Sudan have also secured spots in Paris. USA Basketball will be joined by Serbia, South Sudan and a yet-to-be-determined qualifier in Group C for the tournament opener.
