MANILA, Philippines – “World champion of what?”
Following a subpar campaign in the 2023 FIBA World Cup in Manila, Team USA is back on the world basketball stage, this time in full force, to again defend its Olympic championship and national pride in Paris starting Sunday, July 28.
Now bannered by NBA living legends LeBron James, Kevin Durant, and Olympic debutant Steph Curry, the Steve Kerr-coached squad aims to reestablish dominance amid a fast-growing international basketball landscape and win a record-extending 17th gold medal in 20 appearances since 1936.
Schedule (Manila time)
- July 28, Sunday, 11:15 pm – vs Serbia, pool phase
- August 1, Thursday, 3 am – vs South Sudan, pool phase
- August 3, Saturday, 11:15 pm – vs Puerto Rico, pool phase
- August 6, Tuesday, time TBD – knockout quarterfinal*
- August 8, Thursday, time TBD – knockout semifinal*
- August 10, Saturday, 5 pm – bronze-medal match*
- August 11, Sunday, 3 am – gold-medal match*
*if necessary
Roster
Only two members of the fourth-place 2023 FIBA World Cup squad, Anthony Edwards and Tyrese Haliburton, are in Paris, as veterans James, Durant, and Curry, and other big-name NBA stars committed to represent the US now that it matters most on the Olympic stage.
Other notable inclusions are former NBA MVP Joel Embiid, who opted to represent the US after initially committing to France, and a team-high three representatives from the reigning NBA champion Boston Celtics, namely Jayson Tatum, Derrick White, and 2020 Tokyo Olympics starter Jrue Holiday.
White replaced former NBA champion Kawhi Leonard due to injury. Durant, meanwhile, is also injured and did not play in any of Team USA’s five exhibition games, but nonetheless remained committed to finish his fourth Olympic tour of duty.
Here is the complete Team USA roster:
- Bam Adebayo (Miami Heat)
- Devin Booker (Phoenix Suns)
- Steph Curry (Golden State Warriors)
- Anthony Davis (Los Angeles Lakers)
- Kevin Durant (Phoenix Suns)
- Anthony Edwards (Minnesota Timberwolves)
- Joel Embiid (Philadelphia 76ers)
- Tyrese Haliburton (Indiana Pacers)
- Jrue Holiday (Boston Celtics)
- LeBron James (Los Angeles Lakers)
- Jayson Tatum (Boston Celtics)
- Derrick White (Boston Celtics)
Teams to beat
While Team USA remains the huge title favorite in this year’s Olympics, multiple countries laced with current and former NBA standouts are extremely hungry to prove their worth against the world’s undisputed gold standard, as evidenced by the Americans’ shaky five-game exhibition slate.
Serbia
Team USA’s first challenge in Pool C play is as good of a litmus test as it can get, as medal contender Serbia now returns to the international stage with three-time NBA MVP Nikola Jokic spearheading the cause.
Winner of the 2023 FIBA World Cup silver medal even without Jokic, the Serbian army is a fearsome collection of standout shooters and passers, including NBA starters Bogdan Bogdanovic and Vasilije Micic, NBA prospects Nikola Jovic, Aleksej Pokusevski, and Filip Petrusev, and hulking center Nikola Milutinov.
South Sudan
Already a revelation in the 2023 FIBA World Cup, Olympic debutant South Sudan continues to make huge impressions on the world basketball landscape after giving Team USA a real run for its money off a tight 101-100 exhibition loss.
Former NBA role players-turned-local heroes Carlik Jones and Marial Shayok gun for real wins over the world’s best come the actual tournament, as other NBA-caliber bigs like Wenyen Gabriel, JT Thor, and hyped draft prospect Khaman Maluach seek to bolster their young country’s reputation as well.
Canada
While not a Team USA pool phase foe like Serbia, South Sudan, and Puerto Rico, American neighbor Canada is poised to prove its 2023 FIBA World Cup third-place game win over the US was no fluke, as it seeks another upset in the Olympics’ knockout stages should the two teams meet once again.
Although lacking stars up front, Canada is bursting at the seams with elite wing and guard talent like NBA MVP runner-up Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, NBA champion sniper Jamal Murray, defensive agitators Lu Dort and Dillon Brooks, athletic slasher RJ Barrett, and top-notch backup guard Andrew Nembhard.
Germany
Another Team USA exhibition slate tormentor that has a bone to pick over the “world champion” distinction, reigning FIBA World Cup champion Germany seeks a huge leap from its eighth-place finish in the Tokyo Olympics, and the Americans stand in the way of a breakthrough podium berth.
Led by FIBA World Cup MVP and country flag-bearer Dennis Schroder, the Germans are in Paris with its own NBA-caliber assembly, including veteran big man Daniel Theis and the Wagner brothers, sweet-shooting seven-footer Moritz and future NBA All-Star candidate Franz.
Tournament format
Team USA’s path to Olympic gold No. 17 is a short, but treacherous one, as the pool phase only allows a maximum two losses before elimination, while the playoffs are all knockout games up to the gold-medal match.
Should the Americans fall to third place in Pool C, its quarterfinal qualification is no longer in its hands as only the top two third-place teams in the four pools will get in based on the following tiebreakers, in order: classification points, game points difference, total game points scored, and FIBA world ranking. – Rappler.com