U.S. Basketball legends’ last dance for the Paris Olympics 2024
Few narratives evoke the same sense of grandeur, drama, and legacy as that of a legendary athlete bidding farewell to one of the stages that made them immortal.
As the world turns its gaze towards the Paris Olympics of 2024, the basketball court becomes the stage for an epic saga—a tale of valour, camaraderie, and the indomitable spirit of champions.
As we get closer to the Paris Olympics, the echoes of “The Last Dance” reverberate through time, drawing parallels between the heroic exploits of Michael Jordan’s Bulls and the impending swan song of LeBron James, Stephen Curry, and Kevin Durant.
Their names, etched in the annals of greatness, stand as testaments to the enduring power of the human spirit, transcending borders and generations.
LeBron James, the titan of modern basketball, stands poised to script another chapter in his storied legacy. With two Olympic gold medals to his name and a heart aflame with the passion of a thousand suns, James embodies the essence of greatness—a colossus among men, destined for immortality.
“The King” is still a top-5 player in the NBA, at 39 years old! He will shatter the record of oldest U.S. Olympic men’s basketball player, held by Larry Bird, who was 35 years old when he was on the Dream Team in 1992.
Beside him, Kevin Durant, the master craftsman of the hardwood, weaves a tapestry of brilliance, his every move a symphony of skill, class, and finesse. KD is the U.S.’s all-time Olympic statistical leader in total points (435), scoring average (19.8 PPG), field goals (146), 3-point field goals (74) and free throws (69). He ranks third in rebounds (118) and blocks (16), and fourth in games played (24) and assists (71).
Aged 35, Durant now sits on 435 points, and he could achieve more history at Paris 2024 by breaking a tie with Anthony for the most gold medals — 4 — won by a male basketball player at the Olympic Games.
We can’t forget about the best shooter of all-time, Stephen Curry, who recently won the 2023-24 Kia NBA Clutch Player of the Year, at 36 years old. He finished 1st in points (189), made field goals (59) and made 3-pointers (32) in the clutch this season, truly remarkable even if his team couldn’t make the Playoffs.
As always, “the baby-face assassin” will be hungry and determined to make an amazing Olympics debut this summer.
With a roster boasting 12 NBA All-Stars, four MVPs, and six champions, they embody the pinnacle of excellence. U.S. Men’s National Team is a mix of legends and rising stars, experience and ambition, but above all, a lot of talent and physical power.
Led by the sage wisdom of Steve Kerr and the indomitable spirit of Mark Few, Tyronn Lue, and Erik Spoelstra, they march forth with heads held high, ready to conquer the hearts of nations and etch their names in the annals of history once again.
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However, the FIBA game is a totally different game than the NBA. You need defence, experience, hunger, and a collective understanding of how to win. Players who can blend, fit, and play certain roles is essential. Rebounding is something U.S.’s squad struggled with in the last World Cup, and they don’t want to make the same mistake.
U.S. will have some tough battles for sure. France, under coach Vincent Collet, the NBA trio of Gobert, Nicolas Batum, and Evan Fournier made Gregg Popovich sweat in Tokyo three years ago.
Now, with Victor Wembanyama, France aspires to honour the host nation by winning gold this summer.
Wembanyama is marking the start of a basketball revolution in France, he is growing the sport with every incredible performance in the NBA. Four French journalists are living in San Antonio to cover the French rising star.
“I’m 100% confident in the fact that basketball is going to get much, much bigger in France thanks to Victor,” Rémi Reverchon, an analyst for beIN Sports in France, declared. “He’s going to change everything.”
“We’ve never seen something like that in the sport, in basketball. When you’re a French person, you’re proud of it. Because you know this guy is going to put the country on the map for the next 15, 20 years-plus, maybe.” – NBA veteran Nicolas Batum said.
Victor Wembanyama considers France’s 2024 Olympic rally as a ‘championship or bust’: “Any other result than the first place would be a failure”.
The U.S. men will face Serbia, which could be led by Denver Nuggets’ star Nikola Jokić, in the competition’s opening game. Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Japan, Serbia, and South Sudan also have secured spots in Paris.
Four spots are still to fill, there will be qualifying tournaments from the 2nd to the 7th of July in Puerto Rico, Latvia, Greece and Spain. Six countries will compete at each site, with one team from each advancing to Paris.
The most intense qualifying tournament could be in Piraeus, Greece, where there could be a showdown between the hosts (led by Giannis Antetokounmpo) and Luka Dončić’s Slovenia. Dončić led Slovenia to the bronze medal game at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021.
Italy, Lithuania, and host Puerto Rico are candidates to come out of the San Juan region. Lithuania beat Team U.S. last summer at the World Cup, and could have a dominant front line with Jonas Valanciunas and Domantas Sabonis, who missed that event with a thumb injury. Latvia reached the quarter-finals of the World Cup without Kristaps Porziņģis, who missed the tourney with a foot injury.
That potentially sets up the most difficult group in Paris, featuring Canada along with Australia (the bronze winners in Tokyo), and the two winners from the Spain and Greece qualifying events.
The road to glory will not be easy for any team, especially for the U.S., against whom everyone will be extra motivated because of their legendary roster.
Whittling down the field for the 2024 Olympics was an extremely difficult task. Pretty much every All-Star that addressed the topic on the record essentially said that they would play if asked.
One of them is Kyrie Irving, who has two gold medals while representing the U.S. He helped win gold at the 2014 World Cup, then also claimed gold at the 2016 Olympics in Rio.
However, the 32-year-old Mavericks star did not get called up despite averaging 25.6 points, 5.2 assists and five rebounds on 50/41/91 shooting splits. Irving’s likely competition for a spot was Celtics’ guard Jrue Holiday, who might’ve received the nod due to his overall defensive prowess.
Irving then began reminiscing about the old selection format for the national team, which he said included the group of players competing against each other in practices and scrimmages before the roster decisions were made.
“I grew up in a time, too, where we actually had to try out for USAB, and we did meet up as a group and as peers and there was a mutual respect that we earned from one another, trying out and then seeing what five meshed well,” Irving said.
“I miss that fun part of it, just getting together, but I wish my brothers well.”
We all remember this clip of Kyrie Irving dribbling past the whole U.S. roster, including NBA legends such as Kobe Bryant, Kevin Durant, and James Harden. Paul George shared his behind the scenes look into one of the more iconic Team USA basketball clips in an episode of his podcast:
“What people don’t see from that moment, was how tough it was. I don’t know if y’all seen the clip where [Kyrie Irving] like is doing some special shit. He’s breaking down the whole team, put it behind his legs, bro, that play happened because we could not get the ball past half court. They all picking up full-court… It was crazy, because like [Kyrie] took it upon himself, and that was I think his rookie year, like that was after his rookie season.”
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That team was absolutely loaded with talent, but it was a young Kyrie Irving that came in and stole the show during that scrimmage game.
This year’s selection process was certainly different, with U.S. Basketball managing director Grant Hill deciding and travelling across the country to personally deliver the Team USA jerseys to each player that was selected.
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For some, the path to glory is clear, their destiny written in the stars. For others, the road is fraught with obstacles, their dreams deferred, their spirits tested. Yet, amidst the trials and tribulations of life, they persevere, their hearts aflame with the fire of a thousand suns, their spirits unbroken, their resolve unwavering.
As the countdown to the Paris Olympics continues, basketball enthusiasts around the globe await with bated breath—a symphony of skill and strategy, a tapestry of talent and tenacity, woven into the fabric of Olympic lore.
Here, on one of the grandest international stages of all, the legends of the game shall bid farewell—a final dance, a final chapter, written in the annals of history for all eternity.
