USA Basketball has listed 41 NBA players as finalists to be considered for its 2024 Paris Olympics team, though it’s becoming more clear which players will be named to the final 12-man roster.
Celtics teammates Jayson Tatum and Jrue Holiday are considered locks to represent Team USA, according to Joe Vardon and Shams Charania of The Athletic (it’s worth noting that Vardon was one of the reporters credentialed to cover the Tokyo Olympics during the COVID-zoom era along with yours truly).
Tatum and Holiday helped lead Team USA to win the Gold Medal in the most recent Olympics in Tokyo. While Holiday arrived late in Japan as a result of the Bucks’ NBA title run, he quickly made an impact, trailing only Kevin Durant in minutes per game among Team USA’s players.
Before Holiday debuted with the Celtics earlier this year, there were rumors that USA Basketball wanted the 33-year-old to participate in the 2024 games and Vardon now reports that Holiday has committed to playing.
USA Basketball has been pursuing Holiday for much of the NBA season, and it’s believed Holiday has delivered his commitment to USAB officials in recent weeks, sources said.
Team officials have valued Holiday’s two-way ability, point-of-attack defense and dynamic playmaking. Holiday was considered Team USA’s second-most important player behind Kevin Durant on the gold-medal-winning team in Tokyo in 2021.
The Celtics have never had two players represent USA Basketball in the Olympics. Aside from Tatum (2020), Larry Bird is the only other Celtic to play for Team USA in the Olympics (1992 Dream Team).
LeBron James, Kevin Durant Lead Additional Locks
Kevin Durant has long been considered a lock for the 2024 roster. During the most recent Olympic Games in Tokyo. Durant passed Carmelo Anthony to become USA Basketball’s All-Time Leading Scorer en route to winning the Olympic MVP.
Devin Booker has also been considered likely to make the roster for quite some time. Booker played alongside Durant and Tatum for the Olympic team in Tokyo and has a resume with USA Basketball that dates back to 2016 when he was on the USA Select Team that trained with and against Team USA’s Olympic squad.
LeBron James, Stephen Curry, and Joel Embiid are also locks to join Durant in 2024 “barring injury,” per Vardo’s initial report.
Prior to the 2023-2024 NBA season, there were reports that James was spearheading a group behind the scenes, along with Curry and Durant, to lead USA Basketball’s Paris roster.
Of the candidates being reported as locks, none are surprising. Outside of Embiid, each of the five NBA players have significant ties and previous experience with USA Basketball.
Embiid received his French citizenship in 2022 in what was reported at the time as a step toward playing for France in the 2024 Olympics. He has since declared his intent to play for the United States, signaling him as a lock for Team USA if healthy, though the big man is currently sidelined with a knee ailment.
The 2024 Games would be James’ fourth Olympics, having participated in the 2004 Games in Athens (Bronze), the 2008 Games in Beijing (Gold), and the 2012 Games in London (Gold). During 2012, James joined Michael Jordan as the only other player to win an NBA MVP award, NBA championship, NBA Finals MVP, and Olympic gold medal in the same year.
Curry previously represented USA Basketball in a pair of Gold-Medal FIBA World Cup runs and expressed interest in contributing to Team USA at the Paris Olympics on multiple occasions. It’s also worth noting that Warriors coach Steve Kerr will make his Olympics debut as head coach of USA Basketball’s Men’s team this summer.
What About Bam Adebayo?
Not mentioned in the initial report: Bam Adebayo.
Following the news of Embiid’s intent to play for Team USA, Tim Reynolds of the Associated Press reported that Adebayo would have a spot on the 2024 team.
While I’d still expect Adebayo to be included on the roster regardless of whether Embiid is healthy enough to play. Since this piece was published, The Athletic published a new piece indicating that Adebayo is considered a “strong candidate” for a roster spot.
Adebayo’s USA Basketball resume dates back to 2012 when he attended the organization’s Development National Team minicamp.
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