The roster for the group of players representing the USA basketball team at the 2024 Summer Olympics has been announced, and it is nothing shy of impressive. This is arguably the best roster team USA has ever assembled. The 12-man roster features 12 all-stars and many players who have previously won gold for the US. The reason for forming this dream team was the lackluster performance of Team USA in last year’s FIBA World Cup, in which they failed to receive any medals. Now, the question is whether or not they will be able to redeem themselves this time.
For a long time, the United States has been regarded as the country with the best and most prolific basketball players, but that belief was challenged last year. What went wrong last year was partially due to the ego of Team USA and the inability to take down teams that wanted to win more than they did. The team that ended up taking gold last year was the German national team, while the USA, unfortunately, fell to fourth place. Many were also speculating about the credibility of the NBA after this loss. Other athletes like Noah Lyes spoke on NBA Finals winners calling themselves world champions, saying, “World champion of what? The United States?” This quote quickly spread across the internet and made NBA stars upset enough to do something about it.
Whether or not Team USA will be able to bring the gold medal back home is still to be determined. Still, with a roster containing multiple season MVPs and finals winners like Lebron James, Stephen Curry, Kevin Durant, etc, it’s hard to imagine them losing. This hypothesis will be tested in the USA Basketball Showcase as early as July, before the Summer Olympics. Team USA Basketball announced that the 2024 Men’s National Team will host Canada in Las Vegas on July 10 (usab.com). This showcase will show this multi-talented team in action for the first time. If they live up to the hype they’re rightfully receiving, then Team USA should be very fun to watch when traveling to Paris for the games.
What will happen if they win? Will they be regarded as the best Olympic basketball team ever produced? Will the United States still receive backlash due to last year’s loss? That will be made clear at the end of this summer. Winning is what the USA basketball team is used to doing, and win or lose, their placement in the games will be reported worldwide. This is, without a doubt, the most pressure that Team USA has ever produced. Living up to the challenge will be up to all 12 players. Whether they are veterans of the Olympics or first-timers trying to prove themselves, everyone will have to play a role in their journey.
