Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid has snagged a spot on Team USA's roster for the upcoming 2024 Paris Olympics. With this move, Embiid becomes a rare jewel for the Sixers as an active superstar Olympic participant—the second since Allen Iverson in 2004, a fact highlighted by the Philadelphia Inquirer.
Adding to the team's luster, the roster also includes NBA heavyweights Stephen Curry, Kawhi Leonard, Anthony Edwards, and Tyrese Haliburton, all donning the national team's threads for the first time, Delaware Online reported.
The U.S. squad is eyeing its fifth consecutive basketball gold, despite a couple of recent slips at the FIBA World Cups. Boosted by a roster that was assembled without the hassle of tryouts, coach Steve Kerr anticipates using seasoned Olympians and fresh faces alike to retain their world dominance. Having finished behind in Athens in 2004, Embiid will look to ensure his first were wrapped in gold—currently, no other country can stack up against America's lineup depth, according to a confident 6abc.
With international hoop dreams heating up, Canada's Kelly Olynyk wittily commented, "Your hope is that they haven't played together before," referring to the star-studded U.S. squad "other than the 12 last All-Star games." The assembly of talent is certainly daunting, suggesting that Team USA's gold run might not just be dreams as they head to Paris, the very place where the modern Olympics were reborn.
As the countdown to the games tightens, ambitions are running at a fever pitch. Kevin Durant is aiming to clinch a record fourth gold medal, while LeBron James chases another to add to his collection; according to 6abc. Further proving that in the land of competitive basketball, borders seem a little less important, Embiid had the option to represent France or Cameroon—his birth country but chose the red, white, and blue for what promises to be an Olympic spectacle.
Transforming the potential of U.S. Olympic basketball into palpable anticipation, Kerr, joined by assistants Erik Spoelstra, Tyronn Lue, and Mark Few, is driving towards an all-star summer. The coach dubbed the forthcoming Olympics may be the most anticipated, given that it's Paris, revealing the allure of the City of Lights is pulling strings in both the team's and their families' hearts. With more than 40 contenders whittled to 12, it’s clear that Team USA is not just playing for gold but also for the legacy that Paris 2024 could carve, as stated by 6abc.
