LeBron James, Anthony Davis reportedly part of finalized USA Basketball roster
While the playoffs are the focus of the near future, LeBron James and Anthony Davis are reportedly locks for the USA Basketball team in the Olympics this summer.
It appears Team USA is back in the business of creating Dream Teams.
According to simultaneous reports from Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN and Shams Charania of The Athletic, USA Basketball has finalized 11 of its 12 roster spots for the 2024 Paris Olympics. Both LeBron James and Anthony Davis are part of that roster.
ESPN Sources: USA Basketball is finalizing its 2024 Paris Olympics roster with Steph Curry, LeBron James, Kevin Durant, Jayson Tatum, Joel Embiid, Devin Booker, Tyrese Haliburton, Anthony Edwards, Jrue Holiday, Bam Adebayo and Anthony Davis. Team may initially keep one open spot. pic.twitter.com/kO7TREBVDK
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) April 15, 2024
Sources with @joevardon: Team USA is finalizing 11 of its 12-man Olympic roster:
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) April 15, 2024
LeBron James, Stephen Curry, Kevin Durant, Joel Embiid, Jayson Tatum, Devin Booker, Jrue Holiday, Anthony Davis, Anthony Edwards, Bam Adebayo and Tyrese Haliburton.
Both LeBron and AD expressed a desire to play for Team USA, starting in the preseason and again during the All-Star break. Reports around the time were that AD and LeBron both were part of the core for Team USA in 2024.
Like most others on the roster, the pair's health was going to be the biggest determining factor in their availability. Fortunately, barring something drastic happening in the playoffs, they were able to navigate the season injury-free.
And with them in the mix, Team USA is going to be as stacked as it’s been in years. Steph Curry will be playing in his first Olympics and will likely be joined in the starting lineup with Jayson Tatum, LeBron James, Kevin Durant and Joel Embiid.
Then you have Anthony Edwards, Devin Booker, Jrue Holiday, AD and Bam Adebayo as a second unit? And that’s not even mentioning Tyrese Haliburton, who was one of the big stars of Team USA at the FIBA World Cup.
Like, no one can come close to matching that. We’re talking about one of the best rosters of all-time, which is saying something with Team USA!
There is one open roster spot left which will be interesting to see how it’s used. If Team USA wants a winning player and wants to really solidify its roster as the greatest of all time, they’d bring back Austin Reaves. He’s a winning player and Team USA was never better than when he was on the court last season.
I mean, if you want to maximize AD and LeBron, put them next to someone who has won playoff games down the stretch like Reaves. He’s a proven winner.
That debate can be saved for a later date, though. LeBron and AD are Team USA this summer and it will give Lakers fans even more incentive to watch the Olympics.
You can follow Jacob on Twitter at @JacobRude.