Having finished fourth at the 2023 World Cup, the U.S. national team is keen to restore its reputation. This latest failure in an international competition has left many with a sore feeling. Reigning Olympic champions, Team USA will be keen to do well at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. Its main objective will be to bring home the gold medal! In this quest, an impressive roster of 12 NBA All-Stars has been assembled. Including no fewer than 5 superstars!
Team USA’s roster for the 2024 Olympic Games
– Tyrese Haliburton (Indiana Pacers)
– Stephen Curry (Golden State Warriors)
– Jrue Holiday (Milwaukee Bucks)
– Anthony Edwards (Minnesota Timberwolves)
– Devin Booker (Phoenix Suns)
– LeBron James (Los Angeles Lakers)
– Kevin Durant (Phoenix Suns)
– Jayson Tatum (Boston Celtics)
– Bam Adebayo (Miami Heat)
– Anthony Davis (Los Angeles Lakers)
– Joel Embiid (Philadelphia 76ers)
Coach: Steve Kerr (Golden State Warriors)
Preparatory matches for the 2024 Olympic Games
Most of the US basketball team’s preparations will take place abroad. After an initial training camp and match in Las Vegas, the reigning Olympic champions will travel to England. This will be an opportunity for European fans to see their idols up close. Here’s the official schedule:
The USA match in Las Vegas
As they do every summer in the run-up to a major international competition, the Team USA players will first meet in Las Vegas. In July 2024, after some collective training in the legs, they will play in front of their public against a world-class opponent.
United States – Canada
Team USA’s first friendly match against a foreign selection will take place on July 10, 2024! The match kicks off at 7.30pm in the T-Mobile Arena. The opponent is none other than Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s Canada. The Oklahoma City Thunder star will challenge his NBA All-Star Game counterparts with the best players from his native country. The game will be an opportunity for the Americans to exact revenge at home against the Canadians. Indeed, it was the Canadians who robbed them of the bronze medal at the 2023 World Cup. In any case, even if it’s only an exhibition match, the opposition promises to be spectacular. A whole host of NBA stars will be lining up on the floor!
USA games in London
In the past, London’s O2 Arena has hosted several NBA pre-season and regular-season games. In July 2024, the British capital will welcome the world’s greatest basketball stars. Ticketing for these two games is already open. If you’re planning to make the trip, don’t hesitate to book your tickets now. First come, first served!United States – South Sudan
Qualified for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, South Sudan will take on Team USA this summer! The match will take place on July 20. The match promises to be a great spectacle! Many dunks and three-point baskets are expected. The Americans are likely to win by a wide margin. Fans lucky enough to be able to sit in the stands will be very lucky indeed. For the rest of us, TV will be the easiest way to watch the game. Many eyes will be on London for this international basketball tournament.United States – Germany
Two days after their duel with the South Sudanese national team, the NBA’s American stars take on Germany. Quite simply, it’s a clash between the reigning Olympic champions and the reigning World Champions! Last summer, the Germans eliminated the Americans in the semi-finals of the World Cup. Dennis Schröder and the Wagner brothers are expected to lead the way for the German national team, should they make it to the Olympic Games. Team USA will remain favourites for this match. Nevertheless, there’s always room for a surprise. Especially in a friendly match in preparation for an international competition! In the event of defeat, it wouldn’t be the first time the Americans have been surprised. What’s more, this match will feature two opposing styles. The Americans are renowned for dominating their opponents, relying on the individual qualities of each player. Germany, on the other hand, play a more collective style of basketball…
Team USA’s schedule at the 2024 Olympic Games
In the first round of the 2024 Olympic Games, the USA will face South Sudan, Serbia and the winner of the San Juan qualifying tournament. Considering the squad they have built up, these are clearly opponents within their reach. Of the three teams, only Nikola Jokic and Bogdan Bogdanovic’s Serbia look capable of putting up serious resistance. Nevertheless, we’re never safe from a surprise. Anything can happen in a basketball match. For Team USA, the competition is likely to get tougher from the quarter-finals onwards. Some of the heavyweights of international basketball could then stand in the way of the Americans. These include Canada, France, Australia and Germany. Team cohesion, in particular, will be crucial if they are to avoid another setback like the last two World Cups.Testimony of Nasser Haïf: “A kid’s dream to play against Team USA”
Nasser Haïf is a former pro basketball player, well known on the N1 and Pro B floors. Above all, he also took part in the World Basketball Championship in 2002. During this competition, he played against the prestigious Team USA. He tells us about this experience!“I’m part of the generation that got hooked on basketball with the Barcelona Olympics in 1992 and the USA Dream Team. My older brother put my foot down. He was a terror on the playgrounds and on the floor. He played for Poissy-Chatou in the Pro B U23s with a team that made me dream. The team included Thierry Ruppert, Christophe Oyié, Philippe Ladislas, Michael Urie, Cyril Kingue, Mourad Rahib, Michaël Urie and others… Like many of my generation, I started out on the playgrounds. And I made my club debut late in life (aged 16 and a half) in the French cadet championship at ECOP (Cergy-Pontoise). The town was bursting with talent (Amara Sy, Félix N’diaye, Sidy Faye, Anderson Dieujuste, Modibo Niakaté, Antoine Mendy, Abdel Raho, etc.). Playing against Team USA only happens once in a career like mine. You tell yourself it’s an incredible opportunity. And that you shouldn’t waste it by being a spectator. It’s out of the question to eat a “Frédéric Weis”! Or entering the Guinness Book of Records! Then you motivate yourself to put on a good show to represent your nation, your club, your family… and enjoy the moment. It’s a bit of a childhood dream to play against Team USA. Even if it was their worst result ever… And even if the gap was considerable, I think we did well to represent Algeria. The match began with a 17-0 scoreline in favor of the USA (the ghost of Guinness was hovering). But we responded with three incredible shots from more than two meters behind the three-point line… That’s what allowed us to relax our game. Otherwise, my pride and joy was a good counter on Ben Wallace… And I think he had it “bad”.”