The upcoming Olympics 2024 promises to be yet another festive tournament. After a very limited showing in Tokyo, largely due to COVID, Paris earns the right to usher in an event like no other, with the pandemic now largely behind us.
Fans are surely expected to pack the streets of France’s capital to show their support and adoration toward their athletes.
But if you will go to Paris this July and hope to witness your country’s basketball team have the gold medal wrapped around their necks, then it would be highly advisable to temper your expectations—or not have any at all.
Resurgence of Red, White, and Blue
The best basketball players in the world all reside in the USA. This is an undisputed fact.
As much as anyone would discredit the NBA being called the world championships, not one country can come close to even the worst team in the league—yes, the Detroit Pistons would beat the brakes off of any European nation with Cade Cunningham’s right hand tied behind his back.
Despite the truthfulness of this, Uncle Sam’s hoop team is composed of humans too, unlike the Monstars in Space Jam, and they are capable of underwhelming results (FIBA and Olympic bronze in ’04 and ’06 and last year’s fourth-place finish in the FIBA World Cup).
Their roster for the upcoming Summer Olympics, however, is arguably the best they have ever fielded.
The 16-time Olympic gold medalists have a total of 16 NBA MVPs and 12 NBA titles under their belts. And that’s just between LeBron James, Stephen Curry, Kevin Durant, and Kawhi Leonard.
Joel Embiid, Jayson Tatum, Devin Booker, Anthony Davis, Anthony Edwards, Bam Adebayo, Jrue Holiday, and Tyrese Haliburton all boast numerous All-NBA and All-Star appearances between them as well.
And that’s just scratching the surface.
They are the most athletic and well-rounded hoopers the United States can assemble. Gone are the days of sending the B-team; the rest of the world has caught up, and being complacent doesn’t bring you easy gold medals any longer.
Team USA also retains the same coaching core of Steve Kerr, Erik Spoelstra, Tyronn Lue, and Mark Few to lead the squad.
Perhaps the most glaring issue this stacked group will face is in terms of chemistry.
You hear this in every summer camp these NBA players have done, and they have said it time and time again: not everyone will be the star player; what are you willing to do to impact winning?
True enough, not everyone will be Kobe or MJ. But what happens when almost everyone on your team is a first-option player? How can the importance of buying into and playing your role be addressed?
Whilst this potentially arises as a hole the team can fall into, I firmly believe it is a minute conundrum in the grand scheme of things.
With all-time greats as veterans, along with proven coaches who can handle any personality, this problem can be resolved right after the first team meeting.
Potential roadblocks
Team USA will bleed, but it won’t be enough to deter them from the ultimate prize. The Olympics 2024 odds have a few on their lists as to who can snatch a quarter or two from these mighty titans.
Canada and Spain will remain a threat to the Americans in every international basketball tournament there is.
It is usually these two that cause concern with their basketball programmes and skills well enough to match some of the United States’ best.
Canada even beat them just last year at the FIBA World Championships to finish bronze, leaving a sour fourth-place finish to Steve Kerr’s personnel.
With Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Jamal Murray, RJ Barrett, and Dillon Brooks, along with multiple NBA talents as well, they will be hunting for more in Paris.
And lest we forget Nikola Jokic’s Serbia—who, according to Olympics 2024 news, will suit up for his country after missing last year’s World Cup—and Victor Wembanyama’s France.
The defending World Cup winners, Germany, will also see if they have what it takes to lead the world stage once more. Dennis Schroder, together with the Wagner brothers, are as legit as they come. But for my money, they have never faced a team built quite like this.
As things stand, all odds point towards a 17th gold medal for the USA. SBOTOP has them as heavy favourites, and rightfully so.
This team will run wild, and only a work of fiction can stop them—you know, like the Monstars.
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