A host of NBA stars have declared their intention to represent Team USA at the 2024 Paris Olympics, but NBA insider Adrian Wojnarowski says not all of them will get invites.
“The 2024 Olympic team is expected to include such future Hall of Famers as LeBron James, Durant, Stephen Curry, Joel Embiid and Jayson Tatum,” Wojnarowski wrote. “But some of the All-Stars who publicly volunteered recently that they plan to play for Team USA won’t be extended invitations.”
It’s a very long list of players who have expressed an interest in playing, and it was inevitable that some were going to be left out. There are only 12 spots up for grabs, and we already know some of the players who are certainly going to be in there.
It was clear from the start, that LeBron James, Stephen Curry, and Kevin Durant would be in. Joel Embiid, who recently committed to Team USA, was added to that list, and it appears Jayson Tatum will be in as well.
Despite Embiid’s presence, Bam Adebayo is reportedly guaranteed a spot at the 2024 Olympics, while Team USA is aggressively recruiting Jrue Holiday as well. If we assume that these seven are in, then there are just five spots left.
Some of the other notable names who have expressed an interest in playing are Devin Booker, Bradley Beal, Kawhi Leonard, Paul George, Kyrie Irving, Donovan Mitchell, Draymond Green, Zion Williamson, Jaylen Brown, DeMar DeRozan, and Zach LaVine. Those are some big names, but a lot of them won’t be making the trip to France.
Team USA Looks Set To Dominate At The Olympics
From the moment we heard that the likes of LeBron and Curry were set to play, it was clear that Team USA would be the overwhelming favorite. There was a chance, though, in my mind that France could pose a serious threat to them if they had Embiid, but that’s not going to happen.
While it might be a bit of a struggle at first for all these stars to play together, they’ll eventually figure it out, and it’d be curtains for the rest of the field. The talent disparity is just way too big, and a fifth consecutive gold medal at the Olympics in 2024 seems like a formality at this point.
Joel Embiid Revealed Why He Chose Team USA
Embiid had been keeping his options open for quite some time, and it wasn’t even clear at one point whether he’d play in the Olympics. We now know he will, and Embiid explained why he committed to Team USA.
“I’m really proud and excited about this decision. It was not easy. I am blessed to call Cameroon, France, and the USA home. After talking to my family, I knew it had to be Team USA. I want to play with my brothers in the league. I want to play for my fans because they’ve been incredible since the day I came here. But most of all, I want to honor my son who was born in the US. I want my boy to know I played my first Olympics for him.”
It is wonderful that the 29-year-old is honoring his son, Arthur, and will be playing in his first Olympics for him. Arthur is probably the single most important person in his life, and Embiid had gotten very emotional when his son joined him during his MVP acceptance speech. It will be a great moment when the big man wins the gold in his honor.
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