USA Men’s National Team roster is all set, and this is a very good roster.
On Wednesday, USA Basketball announced the 2024 USA Basketball Men’s National Team, which will compete at the Olympic Games Paris 2024, set for July 26-Aug. 11, 2024.
The team is highlighted by 12 players with extensive USA Basketball experience including three-time Olympic champion Kevin Durant (Phoenix Suns) and the NBA’s all-time scoring leader LeBron James (Los Angeles Lakers), who owns a pair of Olympic gold medals
In addition to Durant and James, the 2024 USA Men’s National Team features Bam Adebayo (Miami Heat), Devin Booker (Phoenix Suns), Stephen Curry (Golden State Warriors), Anthony Davis (Los Angeles Lakers), Anthony Edwards (Minnesota Timberwolves), Joel Embiid (Philadelphia 76ers), Tyrese Haliburton (Indiana Pacers), Jrue Holiday (Boston Celtics), Kawhi Leonard (L.A. Clippers) and Jayson Tatum (Boston Celtics).
The team was selected by USA Basketball Men’s National Team managing director Grant Hill.
Durant, who is also a 2010 World Cup gold medalist, is the USA’s all-time Olympic statistical leader in total points (435), scoring average (19.8 ppg), field goals (146), 3-point field goals (74) and free throws (69). He ranks third in rebounds (118) and blocks (16) and fourth in games played (24) and assists (71).
James, who has scored 273 points (3rd all-time among Americans) in the Olympics, will compete in his fourth Games and first since 2012. He won gold in 2008 and 2012 and made his Olympics debut in 2004 (bronze). James also owns a 2007 FIBA Tournament of the Americas gold medal.
Adebayo (2020), Booker (2020), Davis (2012), Holiday (2020) and Tatum (2020) have won Olympic gold medals and are part of a group that has gone 34-4 in Olympic competition since James’ debut in 2004.
Curry is a two-time World Cup champion (2010, 2014) and will make his Olympic debut this summer. He is one of six players who has competed at the World Cup, including Davis (2014), Durant (2010), Edwards (2023), Haliburton (2023), James (2006) and Tatum (2019). Of the seven World Cup participants, three (Curry; Davis, 2014; Durant, 2010) have also won gold and two (Edwards, 2023; Durant, 2010) have taken home All-Star Five honors. Edwards and Haliburton competed at the 2023 FIBA Men’s World Cup in Manila, helping to secure the United States’ Olympic bid.
Embiid and Leonard will make their USA Basketball national team debuts when the United States hosts Canada on July 10 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas to open the USA Basketball Showcase.
The 2024 USA Men’s National Team will be led by head coach Steve Kerr (Golden State Warriors), who is assisted by Mark Few (Gonzaga University), Tyronn Lue (L.A. Clippers) and Erik Spoelstra (Miami Heat). Last summer, the quartet coached the 2023 USA Basketball Men’s National Team to a fourth-place finish at the 2023 FIBA Men’s World Cup in Manila.
USA Basketball will commence training camp on July 6 in Las Vegas. Following the game vs. Canada, the Americans will embark on an international training window that begins when the USA hosts Australia and Serbia on July 15 and 17, respectively, at Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi. Australia and Serbia will also face off on July 18 in Abu Dhabi.
The USA Basketball Showcase continues at London’s O2 Arena when the USA men takes on the national teams of South Sudan on July 20 and Germany on July 22.
The NBA announced the All-Star starters for the Eastern and Western Conference on Thursday night, and for the 20th straight season, LeBron James will be a starter once again in an All-Star Game.
The All-Star Game will take place on February 18 at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis.
In the West, along with James(20x), Kevin Durant(14x), Nikola Jokic(6x), Shai Gilgeous-Alexander(2x), and Luka Doncic(5x) were named All-Star starters, while in the East, Joel Embiid(7x), Giannis(8x) Antetokounmpo, Jayson Tatum(5x), Tyrese Haliburton(2x), and Damian Lillard(8x) got the nod.
Fan votes served as the tiebreaker for players in a position group with the same score. The Milwaukee Bucks’ Damian Lillard won the tiebreaker with the New York Knicks’ Jalen Brunson for the second starting spot in the Eastern Conference guard group.
Starters for the 2024 NBA All-Star Game were selected by fans, current NBA players, and a media panel. Fans accounted for 50 percent of the vote to determine the starters, while players and media accounted for 25 percent each.
The All-Star reserves will be announced on February 1.
The Cavs finished the second half of back-to-back home games on Saturday night against the Indiana Pacers.
Cleveland, who fell to the Thunder on Friday, did not have its starting backcourt as Donovan Mitchell(hamstring) joined Darius Garland(hamstring) in street clothes. In addition, Jarrett Allen missed his third staright game.
The undermanned Cavs battled in this one, but they did not have enough and would fall to the Pacers 125-113.
Here’s the Great, Not So Great, and the Bottom Line of the Cavs’ loss to the Pacers.
Great:
Evan Mobley was a beast on Saturday night. He had 33 points, 14 rebounds, and three blocks; it was the first 30-10 game of his career. With the Cavs shorthanded, Mobley got more touches and delivered.
Caris LeVert got the start, and he delivered. He scored 22 of his 31 points(12/28 FG, 4/10 3-Point FG) in the first quarter. LeVert was a man on a mission in the first quarter. He was 9/12 from the field, which included four threes.
Max Strus struggled a little with his shot(7/20 FG. 4/9 3-Point FG), but he did record a double-double as he added 11 rebounds and six assists. This was Strus’ second double-double in three games.
Not So Great:
Second Quarter: Cleveland led 37-31 at the end of the first quarter, but they went ice cold in the second quarter. Indiana started the quarter on a 15-3 run and took control. The Cavs shot 19% in the second, and they trailed 60-49 at halftime. Cleveland would never have a lead after the second quarter.
Second-Fourth Quarter LeVert: After scoring 22 points in the first quarter, Levert shot 3/16 from the field and scored only nine points the rest of the way. Maybe he ran out of gas, but he struggled after the first.
Bottom Line
Cleveland cut the lead to two on two occasions in the fourth, but they did not have enough to get over the top. It’s hard to win with Mitchell, Garland, and Allen in street clothes, so this loss was expected. Give credit to the players for fighting to the end.
What’s Next:
The Cavs finish their three-game homestand against the New York Knicks on Tuesday night.
Best of the Rest:
Aaron Nesmith led the way for the Pacers with 28 points off the bench. Tyrese Haliburton had 21 points, eight rebounds, and 13 assists, and Myles Turner added 20 points and 12 rebounds.
Isaac Okoro added 11 points, five rebounds, and three assists for the Cavs.
On Thursday, USA basketball announced the 2023 USA Men’s National Team, which will compete at the 2023 FIBA Men’s World Cup Aug. 25-Sept. 10 in Manila.
The 12-man roster includes, Paolo Banchero (Orlando Magic), Mikal Bridges (Brooklyn Nets), Jalen Brunson (New York Knicks), Anthony Edwards (Minnesota Timberwolves), Tyrese Haliburton (Indiana Pacers), Josh Hart (Knicks), Jaren Jackson Jr. (Memphis Grizzlies), Cameron Johnson (Brooklyn Nets), Walker Kessler (Utah Jazz), Bobby Portis (Milwaukee Bucks) and Austin Reaves (Los Angeles Lakers).
“On behalf of USA Basketball, I’m thrilled to introduce the 2023 USA Men’s National Team, which features some of basketball’s brightest talent,” USA Basketball Men’s National Team managing director Grant Hill in a press release. “We are excited for the challenges ahead and look forward to the opportunity to compete at the 2023 FIBA Men’s World Cup. I am confident that working together, and under the leadership of our outstanding coaching staff, this team will proudly represent the United States this summer in Manila.”
Before arriving in Manila, the USA Men’s National Team will hold training camp August 3-6 in Las Vegas before playing a series of exhibition games as part of the USA Basketball Showcase, which tips off August 7 vs. Puerto Rico at Las Vegas’ T-Mobile Arena. The USA will also face Slovenia on August 12 and Spain on August 13 in Malaga, Spain, and Greece and Germany on August 18 and 20, respectively, in Abu Dhabi.
As part of Group C, the U.S. opens the 2023 FIBA World Cup against New Zealand on August 26, followed by Greece on August 28 and Jordan on August 30.
The Cavs(33-22) begin a quick two-game road trip in Indiana against the Pacers(25-30) on Sunday night.
Cleveland used a dominant second quarter to defeat the Pacers 122-103 at Gainbridge Fieldhouse.
The Cavs have won two straight, while the Pacers have lost 12 of their last 14 games.
Here’s the Great, Not So Great, and the Bottom Line of the Cavs’ win over the Pacers.
The Great:
The Cavs’ Starting Five:
Isaac Okoro scored a season-high 20 points, three rebounds, three assists, and two steals. Okoro has shown improvement of late and has been in double figures in the last two games.
Darius Garland led the Cavs with 24 points and six assists. Again, Garland continues to show why he should have been an All-Star.
Donovan Mitchell started slow(he missed his first four shots in the opening quarter) but picked it up in the second quarter, where he scored nine of his 19 points. Mitchell added three rebounds and six assists.
Jarrett Allen had his third straight double-double with 18 points and 13 rebounds.
Evan Mobley had his second-straight double-double with 17 points, 10 rebounds, four assists, and three blocks.
According to Elias Sports, this was the fourth time in team history that all five starters scored 17-plus points in a regular season game.
Sharing is Caring: Cleveland had 33 assists on 46 field goals. They were unselfish, and everyone benefitted, and Ricky Rubio led the way with nine assists off the bench. This was Cleveland’s fourth straight game with 30-plus assists.
Second Quarter: Cleveland led by two at the end of the first quarter and busted things open in the second, where they shot 56% from the field. Indiana had a 37-36 lead with 6:54 left in the quarter, and the Cavs closed things out the right way as they outscored Indiana 26-9 to take a 62-46 lead at halftime. Cleveland would take their largest lead of 26 points in the fourth quarter.
Three-Point Shooting: Cleveland had a lot of success from three-point range as they were 15/37(41%) from behind the arc.
Not So Great:
Nothing to see here.
Bottom Line:
Cleveland had a terrific offensive game against Indiana. They were unselfish, made shots, and dominated the Pacers from the second quarter until the end. It’s just the Pacers, but this a good win for a team that has been mediocre on the road, and if Okoro can play like this going forward, they will win a lot of games. In fact, they are 10-4 when Okoro scores 10-plus points, so if he can play at a high level, Cleveland will only get better.
What’s Next:
Cleveland heads to Washington to battle the Wizards on Monday night.
Best of the Rest:
Myles Turner led Indiana with 27 points, 10 rebounds, and three blocks. Tyrese Haliburton had 15 points and 11 assists; Buddy Hield chipped in with 16,
Cleveland recorded its league-leading 23rd victory by 10-plus points.
Garland made three-pointer number 500 on Sunday.
The Cavs(22-14) begin a two-game road trip in Indy against the Pacers(19-17), and the Cavs have now lost three straight as they fell to the Pacers 135-126 at Gainbridge Fieldhouse.
Here’s the Great, Not So Great, and the Bottom Line of the Cavs’ loss to the Pacers.
Great:
Jarrett Allen had 19 points and 14 rebounds. Allen was a perfect 5/5 and had 13 points in the fourth. He battled against the Pacers. This was Allen’s 14th double-double of the season.
Donovan Mitchell had a team-high 28 points. He didn’t shoot a high percentage, as he was 10/25 from the field, but he was 5/11 from deep.
Cleveland had seven players in double figures.
Not So Great:
Defense: For the third straight game, Cleveland allowed a team shot 50 percent or more; the Pacers shot 57% from the floor and 61% from downtown. Indiana made 19 threes.
Also, the Cavs allowed a season-high 135 points. In addition, the Cavs allowed the Pacers to score 30-plus points in three quarters.
Fourth Quarter: Cavs had their largest lead of seven with 9:29 in the fourth, and the Pacers would tie things up at 113 with just under seven minutes to go, and with just over five minutes to go and the Pacers trailing by 1, Indy would go on a 7-0 run to take control!
Bottom Line:
The Cavs’ road woes continue. They could have defended better, which cost them. You score 126 points in regulation; most nights, you will win.
Cleveland has now lost three straight and fell to 6-10 on the road. It’s still early, but based on how things are bunched up in the East, a few losses could drop them in the standings.
Something to keep an eye on is Darius Garland, who left and returned after injuring his thumb in the fourth quarter. According to cleveland.com’s Chris Fedor, Garland left the locker room with a bag of ice wrapped around his right hand, and the team has some concerns. Let’s hope for the best.
What’s Next:
Cleveland finishes 2022 in Chicago as they face the Bulls on Saturday night.
Best of the Rest:
Indiana had four players with 20-plus points. Tyrese Haliburton led the way with 29 points, including six threes; Buddy Hield had 26 points, including five threes; Bennedict Mathurin chipped in with 23 points off the bench, and Aaron Nesmith added 22.
Hield also made history as he made a three off the opening tip three seconds into the game.
Garland had 18 points, and eight assists for the Cavs, and Caris LeVert added 19 points off the bench.
Cleveland was without Robin Lopez(illness) and Cedi Osman(back).
Over the past few weeks, Sacramento Kings guard Tyrese Haliburton has been linked to the Philadelphia 76ers in trade talks surrounding Ben Simmons. However, according to reports, the Kings ended discussions with the 76ers.
If Philly fans and maybe even Daryl Morey had any doubts about Haliburton, that might have been put to rest Saturday night at Wells Fargo Center.
Haliburton scored a career-high 38 points (11-19 FG, 5-9 3FG, 11-12 FT) to go along with game-high-tying seven assists. Haliburton scored the final 14 points for the Kings, but they would fall short when Harrison Barnes missed a three at the buzzer as the 76ers defeated Sacramento 103-101.
76ers F Danny Green was impressed by what he saw from the 21-year-old Haliburton.
“Woo! I think that describes enough of it right there,” Green, who scored 11 points off the bench, said postgame. “That side-step, step back fadeaway over the backboard in the corner, I thought that was, for sure, gonna come off hard. It didn’t touch anything but the net, and that kind of shows the night he [Tyrese Haliburton] had. He was getting the free-throw line a lot, though. He was very active; he was getting to the paint. He made some adjustments. But the fact that he was getting downhill and getting to his floater opened up the game a lot for him and them. So, we tried to get him off the free-throw line, but when he started hitting the three-ball, he had a good rhythm. He kept them in the game.”
Kings head coach Alvin Gentry added on Haliburton: “Well, you know, I think he’s progressing every day from the standpoint of getting better, learning more… just doing the things that he needs to do to show improvement and stuff. I was happy with his game, very happy.”
Haliburton has struggled in the past two games, where he combined for 18 points, and while he was happy to break out, he does not want to get too high or too low.
“I’m just learning every night, through the good and bad. Obviously, last two games, I’ve been awful,” Haliburton said. “Tonight, I was pretty good, but you know, just not getting too high, not getting too low, it’s the NBA, it’s 82 games, it’s a grind, and you’re really going to mess yourself up mentally if every time you’re playing well you get too high and every time you are playing bad you get too low so for me, I’m just trying to stay even keel, stay mellow and just come to work every day and be ready to compete and I think tonight obviously I played pretty well, but I think that the guys around me put me in a position to succeed so just keep going from there.”
Haliburton has a ton of talent; he might be a guy the Kings make untouchable in any trade talks and use as a building block going forward. However, he sure made an impression on the Philly fans Saturday night.
Featuring 14 players owning USA Basketball experience, 17 athletes have been selected to the 2021 USA Basketball Select Team that will train with the USA Basketball Men’s National Team during its Las Vegas training camp.
The Select Team features a roster of 13 young standout NBA players and four veteran players with international and USA Basketball experience.Members of the USA Select Team will train daily with the USA National Team from July 6-9 at UNLV’s Mendenhall Center.
Named to the 2021 USA Basketball Select Team were: Saddiq Bey (Detroit Piston); Miles Bridges (Charlotte Hornets); Anthony Edwards (Minnesota Timberwolves; Darius Garland(Cleveland Cavaliers); Tyrese Haliburton (Sacramento Kings); Tyler Herro (Miami Heat); John Jenkins (Bilbao Basket, Italy); Keldon Johnson (San Antonio Spurs); Josh Magette (Darüşşafaka Tekfen, Turkey/Alabama-Huntsville); Dakota Mathias (Philadelphia 76ers); Immanuel Quickly (New York Knicks); Naz Reid (Minnesota Timberwolves); Cam Reynolds (Houston Rockets); Isaiah Stewart (Detroit Pistons); Obi Toppin (New York Knicks); P.J. Washington (Charlotte Hornets); and Patrick Williams (Chicago Bulls).
Miami Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra will serve as head coach of the 2021 USA Select Team, and serving as assistant coaches will be Gonzaga University head coach Mark Few, who served as an assistant coach with the 2019 USA Select Team and head coach of the 2015 U.S. Pan American Games Team, as well as Dallas Mavericks assistant coach Jamahl Mosley, who served as an assistant coach at the 2018 USA National Team minicamp.
“This USA Select Team continues the legacy established by previous Select teams of helping prepare our USA National Team for the Tokyo Olympic Games,” saidJerry Colangelo , USA Basketball Men’s National Team managing director. “With all the uncertainty of how many of our Olympic Team members will be available for the USA training camp because of the overlap with the NBA Finals, we chose a USA Select Team consisting of many of the top young NBA players and four players who not only owninternational experience, but who played recently for USA Basketball in important national team qualifying competitions.If we need to add players to fill out our roster for any of our exhibition games, we feel this USA Select Team has an excellent variety of skilled players to choose from.”
The roster, which features 12 players who just completed either their first or second NBA season, includes six members of the 2021 NBA All-Rookie first and second teams. Bey, Edwards and Haliburton were 2021 All-NBA Rookie first team selections, while Quickley, Stewart and Williams garnered All-Rookie second team honors. Additionally, Herro and Washington were second team All-Rookie selections in 2020.
Jenkins, Magette, Mathias and Reynolds, the four oldest members of the team, all bring recent USA Basketball playing experience as members of either the USA World Cup Qualifying or USA AmeriCup Qualifying teams. Jenkins played during the November 2019 World Cup Qualifying window and the November 2020 AmeriCup Qualifying window and helped the USA to a combined 4-0 record. Reynolds was a member of the USA World Cup Qualifying team for the November 2018 and February 2019 teams and helped the Americas to a 4-0 record. Magette played for the USA in the AmeriCup Qualifying in the February 2020 and November 2020 windows, while Mathias was a member of the February 2021 USA AmeriCup Qualifying Team that finished 2-0 in San Juan, Puerto Rico.
Garland (2018), Herro (2018), Johnson (2018) and Stewart (2019) were all selected for USA Junior National Select Teams that participated in the Nike Hoop Summit.
Haliburton was a member of the 2019 USA U19 World Cup team that captured the gold medal; Jenkins was part of the 2011 USA World University Games Team; Quickley was part of bronze medalist 2017 USA U19 World Cup and the gold medalist 2016 U17 World Cup teams; Stewart played on the gold medalist 2018 U17 World Cup Team; Washington was a member of the bronze medalist 2017 U19 World Cup Team, the gold medalist 2016 USA U18 Championship Team and was on the 2015 USA 3×3 U18 World Cup Team. Additionally, Edwards, Garland, Herro, Johnson, Quickley, Reid, Stewart and Washington were all part of USA Basketball’s Junior National Team program, and Bridges was part of the 2016 U18 Championship Team trials.
