The men’s Olympic basketball tournament field is set, and we’re less than two weeks away from action getting started in Paris. Team USA men’s basketball is going for its fifth gold medal in a row, and the Americans are taking a star-studded roster to face some strong competition. Team USA will be in Group C, along with Serbia, Puerto Rico and South Sudan. The United States — the favorite to win gold again — automatically qualified for the Paris Olympics by finishing as one of the top two countries in the Americas zone at the FIBA World Cup last summer.
Team USA finished fourth in the World Cup, however, after losing the bronze medal match against Canada. It was a shocking finish for the American men’s team, and no doubt led to an increased interest in competing in the 2024 Olympics by top American talent in the NBA.
Team USA has its most stacked roster in quite some time, even if it won’t end up featuring Kawhi Leonard. The Clippers star withdrew from the Olympics on July 10, and in a statement Team USA said it determined with the Clippers that sitting out the Paris Olympics was in Leonard’s “best interest.” Leonard missed the end of the regular season and most of the playoffs with a right knee injury. Derrick White was selected for Leonard’s open roster spot and the champion Celtics now account for three of the 12 roster spots on Team USA.
The men’s tournament begins on July 27, with Team USA taking the court for the first time on July 28 against Serbia. But prior to that, the United States is taking part in a USA Basketball Showcase from July 10-22, where they team is playing against five different countries as a tune-up for the Olympics. The exhibition schedule features matchups against Canada, Australia, Serbia, South Sudan and Germany.
Team USA will be led by Warriors head coach Steve Kerr, as well as Gonzaga head coach Mark Few, Clippers coach Ty Lue and Heat coach Erik Spoelstra as assistants.
As we get closer to the start of the Olympics, here’s all the information you need to know about Team USA’s roster,…
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