Since the original Dream Team brought current NBA players to the Olympics for the first time in 1992, Team USA has seen a few cycles of domination, disappointment and redemption. The 2024 Olympics in Paris will be an opportunity for the latter.
Team USA took bronze in the 2022 FIBA AmeriCup, losing to Mexico in group play and getting eliminated by Argentina in the semifinals of the knockout round. This summer, they failed to medal at all in the FIBA World Cup, losing to Germany in the semifinals and Canada in the third-place game.
Almost as soon as that loss to Canada was final, reports started leaking about LeBron James rallying the troops, talking with Draymond Green, Steph Curry and others about playing in the 2024 Olympics. Since then, a number of other NBA stars have confirmed their interest in playing for the team. Most notably, Joel Embiid confirmed this week that he would play for Team USA instead of France, which was also recruiting him.
Some players, like Embiid, have stated unequivocally that they intend to play. Other have been a bit cagier, saying that they would play if asked or play as long as they feel healthy enough. But including everyone who has expressed interest, here's the current list of commitments.
NBA players who have confirmed interest in playing for Team USA at the 2024 Olympics
- Joel Embiid
- Kevin Durant
- LeBron James
- Stephen Curry
- Khris Middleton
- Anthony Davis
- Kawhi Leonard
- Damian Lillard
- Devin Booker
- DeMar DeRozan
- Draymond Green
- Kyrie Irving
- Bam Adebayo
- Jaylen Brown
- Bradley Beal
- Donovan Mitchell
- Julius Randle
- Zach LaVine
- Aaron Gordon
- Fred VanVleet
- Brook Lopez
The list already includes 21 names and teams can only carry a roster of 12m so several of the players listed here won't actually get the chance to make good on their commitment. For some (Aaron Gordon, Julius Randle, Fred VanVleet) it may be that they simply aren't talented enough to really command a roster spot on this team. Others (Zach LaVine, Bradley Beal, Brook Lopez) may just get squeezed out by other players at their position with more clout and star power.
We are still months away from Team USA training camp so this list will certainly change throughout the NBA season. But at this point, it seems clear that Team USA will have some of the best and brightest domestic stars on the court as they gold.
