Basketball at the 2024 Olympics - Diving into Team USA and Its Biggest Challengers in Paris

As we get set for the 2024 Paris Olympics to get underway this month, it’s starting to sink in just how perfectly the stars have aligned that really might make this men’s basketball tournament the most exciting draw the sport has ever seen. The European takeover has in many ways defined the NBA over the past few years, with this new wave of superstars scattered around the continent and all set to do battle for their country with one goal in mind. And then there’s the USA, who made it their mission to concoct as unstoppable a roster as possible this time around, mixing the legends of the 2010s with this newer era of stars to form a bonafide super team most Americans could only dream of being a part of. They’ll have some real challenges to deal with on their path to a gold medal, with teams like Canada and France stockpiled with legitimate NBA talent and then the countries like Spain with years of experience together and always a good bet to give the United States their all. The Dream Team and Redeem Team had no shortage of talent and starpower, though this 2024 USA Men’s crew looks like it might be the most menacing of them all, with not a single weakness on the roster and not one member still playing at an All-NBA level no matter where they are in their career. That combined with the deepest and most talented field of challengers this tournament has ever seen should make the basketball at the Olympics as electrifying as it’s ever been.

This year’s field will be made up of 12 countries, all of which have earned their spot here either through the FIBA World Cup in 2023 or the Qualifying Tournaments that just wrapped up. The tournament hasn’t even begun yet and we’ve already seen some serious talent not make the cut, speaking to just how loaded this year’s field will be and the grind teams have been through just for the right to play in the Olympic Games. Luka Doncic and Slovenia did not make the field, falling to Giannis Antetokounmpo and Greece in a 28-point blowout in the semifinals of the Qualifying Tournament. Right off the bat that’s a consensus top-3 player in the NBA that just led his team to the Finals that couldn’t make the cut. The Bahamas, a team led by a big three of proven NBA assets Deandre Ayton, Buddy Hield, and Eric Gordon, didn’t reach the big dance falling to World No. 2 Spain in the quarterfinals of the qualifying tournament.

Team USA Overview

The United States’ roster is, for lack of a better word, breathtaking. About a year ago, the ageless wonder that is LeBron James started to make it clear to the public his desire to represent the USA in 2024. LeBron hasn’t played for Team USA since the 2012 Olympics, and 39 years old and still playing at a ridiculously high level - but also realizing the end is in sight - this was realistically James’ final chance at the Olympics to represent his country still playing at this all-NBA level. And with that, the entourage followed. Kevin Durant and Stephen Curry, the next two guys up in whatever order you choose to rank the legends of the 2010s, hopped on board. While it may feel like they can, LeBron, KD, and Curry aren’t going to play forever. All three are still superstars, but this is likely the last Olympics where that can be said. They’ll be the veterans of the group - while simultaneously three of the roster’s top players - and should put forth their best efforts to make this as memorable a Team USA experience we’ve seen in recent memory. It’ll be the first Olympics the three have ever played together, and should be an incredible sight to see the three horsemen of their generation out there together. With those three on board, the standard had been set. 2023 NBA MVP Joel Embiid chose to forgo playing for France or Cameroon to play for Team USA for the first time, and he figures to be their No. 1 big man right away in his first international experience. The only other big men on the roster are Anthony Davis and Bam Adebayo, two of the game’s best rim protectors and overall big men, with Adebayo returning for a second straight Olympics and AD interestingly enough playing his first Olympics since he was the last man selected straight out of college back in 2012. Jayson Tatum, fresh off his first championship ring, will be representing Team USA for a second straight Olympics, as will Jrue Holiday, another member of the Gold Medalist group back in 2020. Holiday’s defensive prowess will always make him an essential piece even amongst top talent - look at this past season in Boston - and he’ll have real value on this U.S. roster as their top defensive guard. Star guards Anthony Edwards and Tyrese Haliburton will get their first taste of international basketball at the Olympic level, having both represented the U.S. at the FIBA World Cup last summer and now both rewarded for their breakthrough fourth seasons with spots on this exclusive squad. Kawhi Leonard and Devin Booker finish off the rest of the roster, a pair of stars in their own right who should provide valuable relief coming off the bench. All things considered, this roster has it all. From playmaking to shooting to defense to size, there is nothing you won’t get out of this crew. There shouldn’t be any clashing egos - this roster as a whole should just be happy to be a part of this - and there are countless fallback options this team will have if things stop going as planned. The minutes distribution will be fascinating, as guys used to carrying the load will be coming off the bench while just about everyone on this roster will have more talent to defer to then they’ve ever had or will have in their basketball career. Team USA hasn't fully loaded up like this since all the way back in 2012, and after an underwhelming fourth place finish to last year’s World Cup, the motivation will be there for the US to assert their dominance in one final international ride in this LeBron-led era.

The biggest challengers

Never in the history of international basketball has so much top NBA talent been this scattered around the world. While nobody is matching the sheer star-power the United States possesses, there’s a number of nations with the talent and chemistry that could give America problems along the way. From Nikola Jokic to Giannis to Victor Wembanyama, there’s a ton of guys that could give the U.S. all sorts of fits, and plenty of rosters with the experience and cohesiveness alongside one another that could make them a tough matchup. Let’s get into the challengers.

Canada

Rarely does a roster that doesn’t go by Team USA resemble an NBA roster the way this Canada squad does, but it’s all coming together up north in this new era that made their first real breakthrough with a bronze medal finish in last year’s FIBA World Cup. Now having qualified for the first Olympics since all the way back in 2007, the future is now for Team Canada. This new wave is led by Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, the superstar guard for the Thunder coming off a second straight first-team All-NBA selection. SGA has already shown he can lead the way for a winning team after Oklahoma City secured the top seed in the West last season, and he’ll have plenty of weapons to operate with when the inevitable double and even triple-teams come his way in Paris. Alongside him in the backcourt is another star guard in Jamal Murray, a proven winner with a well-documented clutch gene that should go a long way in this tournament. This is a guard pairing that will be able to score with anyone in this field, but the team is built on another strength along the wing - their defense. Between Lu Dort, Dillon Brooks, and Nickeil Alexander-Walker, there's not a collection of swingmen in this tournament that can guard as well as Team Canada. There’s already two real strengths being solidified, and they’ll have some other nice scorers to work with as R.J. Barrett and Andrew Nembhard should both assume important roles on the roster. The big men area is their biggest weakness, with the likes of Kelly Olynyk, Dwight Powell, and Trey Lyles making up their best options, all of which will have their hands full and then some against all the talented and just flat-out larger big men all around the field. This Canada crew has risen fast on the international stage, now entering this tournament with the second-most NBA players and a very well-rounded roster built to make a deep run. While other competing countries will enter very star-centric, Canada has a mix of great scoring, menacing defense, and genuine team chemisty from last year’s FIBA World Cup that should make them the most capable squad of any to give Team USA fits.

France

France is always a power on the international stage, and all they’ve done now is adding the next great NBA star into the mix. If you thought Rudy Gobert was a hassle to deal with, imagine 7’4” Victor Wembanyama right by his side. It’s a duo unlike any other we’ve seen at any level of basketball really ever, quite possibly the two best defenders in the NBA right now with a total of 14 feet and 5 inches between the two. France finished second in the last Olympics, going toe-to-toe in the final with a still very impressive United States team, and that was before Wemby entered the fold. Wemby just dropped 25 on 10/16 shooting in their friendly against Germany, the winner’s of last year FIBA World Cup, and he adds an element to this French team that not a player in this tournament can match. Nicolas Batum and Evan Fournier have both risen to the occasion internationally more often than not, and this is a group with the experience alongside one another that does wonders in moments like these. France’s big man pairing is going to be a sight to see and something no other team - maybe in the history of basketball - has ever gone up against. That alone gives them an excellent shot to compete, and with plenty of real NBA talent across the roster this team should be one of the best playing in front of their fans in Paris.

Germany

The Germans are trending very upwards internationally, potentially approaching some form of a golden era coming off their gold medal at the 2023 FIBA World Cup that included a narrow takedown of Team USA. Franz Wagner, fresh off his max contract, will lead the way for Germany, with his older brother Moritz not far behind. Dennis Schroder runs the show offensively, with a tendency to rise on the international stage coming off his MVP in the World Cup Final. Theis gives them some size and an anchor down low, a solid defensive center that can space the floor well. This is a group that has won together before and comes into this tournament with some real momentum, and they’ll be hungry to keep that going behind some strong NBA talent.

Serbia

It’d be wrong to leave Team Serbia off this list, locked and loaded as they enter this tournament and led by the NBA’s finest in Nikola Jokic. Here’s the thing about this team - they’re more than just Jokic. This team reached the championship game of last year’s World Cup WITHOUT the 3-time MVP, with Bogdan Bogdanovic, EuroLeage big man Nikola Milutinov, and a pre-NBA Nikola Jovic leading the way. They’re all back, and Jovic now has a year of NBA experience that should make him an even more effective weapon this team around. Serbia sends the same team that found that World Cup success back into the fire, only with Nikola Jokic added to the mix. We’ve seen first-hand just how good the Joker makes the guys around him look, and it'll be a joy to watch him do it on the international stage. Having the best player in basketball helps, but don’t sleep on the rest of this Serbia roster and what they’ve already been able to accomplish.

All in all, it's safe to say nobody is going to come close to matching the talent Team USA is throwing out there, but that doesn't mean there aren't plenty of talented nations that can give them a run for their money. With a "Last Dance" feel surrounding Team USA in what should be the final Olympic go for LeBron, KD, and Curry, combined with plenty of terrific talent scattered across Europe, these Olympics should be must-watch television and some of the most exciting we've ever seen.