“We have a very exciting, very talented and very experienced roster,” Hill said. “We are grateful that we had so many people willing to be a part of this. We had a large pool of candidates. It was not easy by any stretch of the imagination. We’re so glad we put together this list of 12. We look forward to his journey and career as he plans to bring back gold from the Olympics.
The roster includes many past gold medalists and no big surprises. James, Durant and Curry had telegraphed their desire to play together in October, and Hill chose only two newcomers: Embiid, who chose to play for the United States over France or his native Cameroon, and two-time NBA Finals MVP Leonard, who overcame recurring health concerns in the prime season.
USA Basketball is looking forward to the 2021 Tokyo Olympics team that won gold and the most recent FIBA World Cup team that finished fourth in September. Durant, Tatum, Adebayo, Booker and Holiday played in Tokyo. Edwards and Halliburton stood out during the World Cup run. James He will compete for USA Basketball for the first time since winning his second Olympic gold medal in 2012, and Curry, a two-time gold medalist at the FIBA World Championships, will be chasing his first Olympic gold.
For Hill, who replaced Jerry Colangelo as managing director following the Tokyo Olympics, the program’s disappointing World Cup showing was proof that a bigger, bigger workout could more effectively match high-level international competition. In the tournament’s opening game, they will face Serbia, led by Denver Nuggets star Nikola Jokic.
“The FIBA game is a different game than the NBA game,” Hill said. “They want players on that platform whose games translate. Defense, experience, common sense of how to win – it’s a puzzle. You want talented individuals, and you want players who blend, fit and play certain roles that you want. Prevention was a priority. Finding men who can lock down, maintain multiple sets in property, emotional maturity and then just blend personalities. Restoration is what we fought for. [in the World Cup]He said.
Davis and Embiid, who are coming off knee surgery in February, give the team a longer and more impressive front line than it had in the World Cup. Holiday and Leonard, who missed the final eight games of the regular season with a knee injury, will need to provide a solid defense to complement a deep group of scorers.
If Embiid, Leonard or another player is unable to play due to a health concern, Hill said the team has an “everywhere contingency plan,” which he declined to disclose. He opted to announce the 12-man roster before the NBA playoffs so the program wouldn’t hang on to players and the team could begin an extended team-building process against Paris.
The 12-person panel was selected from a pool of 41 candidates announced in January. Jimmy Butler, Paul George, James Harden, Damian Lillard, Donovan Mitchell and Chris Paul are among the candidates who did not make the Finals. Also not selected: Draymond Green (not included in the initial draft pool) and Kyrie Irving, both of whom have served major suspensions in recent years.
Paolo Banchero, Chet Homgren and Jaren Jackson Jr. led the roster of stars squeezed from a veteran-dominated team. Jay Morant, who is recovering from a season-ending shoulder injury, and Zion Williamson were not included in the starting lineup.
“Sometimes you can have a bunch of the best, but it’s really important to find the best fit,” Hill said. “We were very thoughtful and intentional about that.”
Golden State veteran Steve Kerr led the World Cup team last summer and will coach the Americans in Paris. Kerr has indicated that he will step down from that role after the Olympics. Paris’ staff includes Miami Heat coach Erik Spoelstra, Los Angeles Clippers coach Tyronn Lue and Gonzaga coach Mark Few. The Americans won Olympic gold in 2008, 2012 and 2016 with Mike Krzyzewski and Gregg Popovich in 2021.
The United States is one of eight teams in the 12-team field for the Olympics, and the Americans should enter as heavy favorites. Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Japan, Serbia and South Sudan have secured Paris spots. The United States will join Serbia, South Sudan and Group Three qualifiers in the opening round.