LeBron James, Steph Curry, Kevin Durant and Joel Embiid headline star-studded Team USA Olympics team as 11 of 12-man roster is confirmed… but will Jalen Brunson take the final spot?
LeBron James, Stephen Curry, Kevin Durant, and Joel Embiid will spearhead Team USA in the Paris Olympics this summer.
On Monday, The Athletic reported that Team USA is finalizing 11 of its 12-man roster for the games. According to the Athletic’s sources, the players cemented in place combine for 11 NBA titles with four former MVPs.
Guards Jayson Tatum, Devin Booker, Jrue Holiday, Tyrese Haliburton, and Anthony Edwards have committed to international duty.
Meanwhile, bigs Bam Adebayo and James’ Lakers running partner, Anthony Davis, will help bolster the front court for the stars and stripes.
While the team holds plenty of star power, fans wonder who will occupy the final spot – with Knicks star point guard and MVP candidate Jalen Brunson frequently mentioned.
LeBron James, Steph Curry, and Joel Embiid will spearhead Team USA in the Olympics
On Tuesday, The Athletic reported that Team USA is finalizing 11 of it’s 12-man roster
With one spot remaining, Knicks star Jalen Brunson joining the team remains a question
Brunson made an immediate impact after joining the Orange and Blue last season. However, with a new cast of teammates, Brunson elevated his game to new heights this year and gave New York one of their best seasons in recent memory.
The former Villanova star averaged 28.7 points and 6.7 assists per game, putting him at 4th and 13th in those categories, respectively.
With Brunson at the forefront, the Knicks cruised through their last five games toward a 50-32 record, clinching the second seed in the Eastern Conference.
Other notable names in the player pool released in January include Kawhi Leonard, James Harden, Paul George, Damian Lillard, Donovan Mitchell, and Jimmy Butler. Brunson’s Knicks teammate, Josh Hart, was also included in the broad selection of players.
Jayson Tatum, Devin Booker, and Anthony Edwards have also been named on the roster
The current selection combines for 11 NBA championships with four former MVPs
Brunson was part of the USA team that lost to Canada in the 2023 FIBA World Cup semifinals
Although the United States has won gold in the last four Olympics, Team USA had a wake-up call when the NBA’s biggest stars skipped the FIBA World Cup as the team fell to Canada in the semi-finals.
Edwards and Haliburton are the only players who will suit up for the World Cup and the Olympics, a group that Brunson hopes to be part of.
Booker, Durant, Adebayo, Holiday, and Tatum are returning from the 2020 team that struck gold in Tokyo.
