USA Basketball is undergoing a bout of justified criticism in the US media after a disappointing fourth-place finish at the 2023 FIBA World Cup, with the field taking steps forward in the competition as the US National Team appears out of its depth and fielding questionable players and strategies given how FIBA rules differ from that of the NBA. The current roster lacks prior men’s national team experience and features only three current All-Stars, another factor behind their recent struggles.
In response to that disappointing showing, Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James has committed to play for the US Olympic team and has reached out to some high-octane peers to help him get USA Basketball back on top per recent reporting from The Athletic’s Joe Vardon and Shams Charania.
Buy Celtics Tickets“James has spoken to Stephen Curry, Kevin Durant, Anthony Davis, Jayson Tatum, and Draymond Green, and they are all prepared to commit as well,” writes The Athletic.
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“Separately, Phoenix’s Devin Booker, Portland’s Damian Lillard, Sacramento’s De’Aaron Fox, and Dallas’ Kyrie Irving also have serious interest in committing,” they add.
If such a lineup were to actually make it onto the roster for the 2024 Paris Olympics — a big ask given the ages of James, Curry, Lillard, Green, and Durant, and Davis’ spotty health — it would go a long way toward determining whether the issue behind USA’s FIBA foibles is star power.
Or the need for Team USA to invest in a full-time coach and more continuity and structure better focused on the FIBA environment in which the play will take place.
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