How do the players who will represent the USA at the 2024 Paris Olympics compare to past U.S. men’s basketball rosters?
ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reported on Tuesday that LA Clippers forward Kawhi Leonard will be the 12th and final player on the preliminary USA Olympic roster, joining a star-studded group of 11 players reported Monday that features four past NBA MVPs: Stephen Curry, Kevin Durant, reigning MVP Joel Embiid and LeBron James. Leonard adds a pair of Finals MVPs to that trophy case.
Thanks to high interest in getting the U.S. back on top of the medal stand after last year’s fourth-place finish in the FIBA Basketball World Cup and the lure of playing in Paris, the USA’s preliminary roster looks almost identical to the ideal group I picked last fall. Ten of the 12 players picked were on my imaginary roster, with Leonard Boston Celtics guard Jrue Holiday — both among my toughest cuts — as the lone aditions addition to the group.
There are more than three months until the opening ceremonies of the Olympics, so it’s possible the U.S. roster might change between now and then. Still, let’s take a look at how much more talented this group could be than recent USA t
eams.