The men's national basketball team of the United States competed at the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris, France, and won the gold medal. They qualified for the Olympics as one of the top two FIBA Basketball World Cup finishers from the Americas in 2023. It was the fifth consecutive Olympic gold medal for the Americans, who defeated France in the gold-medal game for the second straight Olympics.
The team had been given the nickname "the Avengers" by some media outlets due to their high profile roster, which was assembled after the 2023 U.S. World Cup squad failed to medal. The Olympic squad included four National Basketball Association (NBA) players who have won its league most valuable player (MVP) award—LeBron James, Kevin Durant, Stephen Curry and Joel Embiid—an Olympic first. After the conclusion of the tournament, James was named the FIBA Men's Olympics MVP and was selected to the FIBA Men's Olympics All-Star Five along with Curry.
Timeline January 23, 2024 41 roster finalists announced April 17 Initial 12-man roster named July 5 Start of training camp July 10–22 Exhibition games July 28 – August 11 2024 Summer Olympics
Roster
After the 2023 U.S. World Cup team finished in fourth place, the first time since 1970 that Team USA failed to medal in consecutive World Cups, USA Basketball executive director Grant Hill and head coach Steve Kerr tried to persuade more experienced players to join the Olympic team. The NBA career scoring leader, LeBron James, reportedly committed the day after the United States lost in the World Cup bronze medal game, and he recruited other players to join the team. Kevin Durant, who was already the career leading scorer in U.S. men's Olympic history, said that he "kind of committed" to the Olympic team during the 2022–23 NBA season, when he was with the Brooklyn Nets, and Hill and Kerr were in Brooklyn to convince him to play in the World Cup. According to Durant, after James "started texting everybody ... I kind of knew we were all going to get together and that this was a special time". Stephen Curry, the NBA's all-time 3-point scoring leader, said he "pretty much softly committed" in 2022, when he and Kerr, his head coach with the Golden State Warriors, were returning from Boston after winning the NBA Finals over the Boston Celtics. Curry was joking with Kerr that the Olympics was "the only thing I hadn't done". In 2023, James texted Curry about playing. For four consecutive seasons from 2015 to 2018, while James was with the Cleveland Cavaliers, he and Curry faced each other in the NBA Finals, with the Warriors claiming three titles. Durant, who was Curry's teammate for two of those championships, said that joining the Olympic team "was a no-brainer, especially when [James and Curry] committed."
Seven players on the 2024 team had prior Olympic experience, a U.S. record. Durant, Bam Adebayo, Devin Booker, Jrue Holiday, and Jayson Tatum returned from the 2020 Olympic team that won gold, while James and Anthony Davis won gold in earlier Olympics. Anthony Edwards, the team's youngest player at 22, and Tyrese Haliburton were on the 2023 World Cup squad, while Curry won gold twice at the FIBA World Championships (previous name of the World Cup). The 2024 roster had won a combined 14 gold medals in major international events. It was the oldest U.S. men's basketball team, averaging 30 years and 9 months when the Games started, surpassing the 1996 team's average of 29 years, 10 months old. Hill said that he felt obliged to include James (age 39), Curry (36), and Durant (35) after they publicly committed to playing in the 2024 Olympics.
The American squad included 11 players who had been NBA All-Stars, three former NBA Finals MVPs and seven players who had won NBA championships. They had fewer role players than past U.S. Olympic squads as Hill instead focused on talent. He was concerned with the variation in talent among the Olympic opponents. Canada and South Sudan were deep in guards, while Germany and France were laden with big men. Joel Embiid, who had the opportunity to play for his native country Cameroon as well as France, was motivated to choose the United States because of his son, who was born an American in 2020. He also said that he had "some concern" with France and stated, "Comfort level was huge. I always say I'm going to be where I'm wanted and these guys wanted me." Embiid's addition addressed the lack of size and defense on the 2023 World Cup team. However, he had missed over half of the 2023–24 NBA regular season and played with a knee injury in the playoffs.
Six-time All-Star Kawhi Leonard had missed the final eight regular-season games for the Los Angeles Clippers and four of their six first-round playoff games with a right knee inflammation. On July 10, 2024, before Team USA's first exhibition, Leonard was replaced on the roster by the Celtics' Derrick White, who was coming off consecutive NBA All-Defensive Second Team selections and played on the 2019 World Cup team. According to Clippers president of basketball operations Lawrence Frank, Leonard wanted to stay with the squad, and the Clippers were supportive, but it was USA Basketball's decision. "I really wish they would have given Kawhi more time", said Frank. With Leonard, the United States team would have included 11 players who were All-Stars in 2024 as well as a combined 84 All-Star selections, the most ever in the Olympics. They also would have been the second Olympic team filled entirely with former All-Stars, joining the 1996 U.S. team. Three-time All-Star Jaylen Brown of the Celtics believed that he was passed over as Leonard's replacement in part due to Nike's influence. Brown had been critical of the company in the past, and White, Brown's Boston teammate, is a Nike-sponsored athlete.
The following were also candidates to make the team: +Earlier candidatesPlayer NBA team Added Removed Reason Cleveland Cavaliers April 17, 2024 Not named to 12-man roster Orlando Magic Memphis Grizzlies Toronto Raptors Brooklyn Nets Boston Celtics New York Knicks Miami Heat Chicago Bulls Sacramento Kings Los Angeles Clippers Denver Nuggets Los Angeles Clippers New York Knicks Miami Heat Oklahoma City Thunder New Orleans Pelicans Dallas Mavericks Memphis Grizzlies Brooklyn Nets Utah Jazz Milwaukee Bucks Cleveland Cavaliers Golden State Warriors Milwaukee Bucks Los Angeles Lakers Miami Heat Atlanta Hawks Los Angeles Clippers Injured
Exhibition games The United States was 5–0 in exhibition games but did not look unbeatable. They won convincingly over Canada and Serbia; led Australia by 25 before the Aussies came back to make it close; and were at risk of losing the final two games against South Sudan and Germany, both in London, but LeBron James's late-game performances led Team USA to victories. He scored 13 of the team's 17 combined points in the final four minutes of both contests. According to head coach Steve Kerr, the U.S. was outplayed "effort- and energy-wise" in the two games, and he felt that they played slowly and did not use their depth to their advantage.
Kevin Durant did not play in any of the games after suffering a calf strain in a workout before training camp. After coming out of training camp slowly and appearing out of shape, Joel Embiid steadily improved with each outing.
Canada
The United States won their exhibition opener 86–72 over Canada. Anthony Edwards led all scorers with 13 points. The Americans began the game shooting 0 for 6, but overcame an early 11–1 deficit to lead 41–33 at halftime. They expanded their lead to 69–54 after three quarters. Team USA played without Durant and Derrick White, who had not joined the team yet after replacing Kawhi Leonard on the squad.
Australia
Anthony Davis scored 17 points and had 14 rebounds in Team USA's 98–92 win over Australia. The Americans were up by 24 points in the third quarter, but the Australians pulled to within five points with 5:05 remaining in the game after outscoring the United States 39–21. Twice Australia cut the deficit to four points, but Devin Booker was a perfect four of four on free throws in the final eight seconds to secure the win.
Kerr started two new players—Edwards and Jayson Tatum. The team committed 18 turnovers and allowed 13 offensive rebounds. White joined the team in Abu Dhabi and practiced, but did not play in the game.
Serbia
Stephen Curry led the United States with 24 points in a 105–79 win over Serbia. He scored Team USA's first nine points and had 18 in the first half, making four three-point field goals in 11 minutes. The game was tied at 40 with 4:42 remaining in the second quarter, when Curry made a four-point play on a three-pointer and subsequent free throw. The Americans led 59–45 at the half, pulling away from the Serbs with a 31–5 run over the second and third quarters. Team USA led by 25 entering the fourth, before expanding its lead to 30.
Davis had all six of the United States' blocks, and the team held six-time All-Star Nikola Jokić, the reigning NBA MVP, to 6-of-19 shooting. Edwards added 16 points off the bench. In his U.S. debut, White finished with four rebounds and an assist in nine minutes. Serbia did not play captain Bogdan Bogdanović.
South Sudan
LeBron James made a layup with eight seconds remaining in the game to put Team USA ahead, and they held on for a 101–100 win over South Sudan. After going up 8–0 in the first minutes of the game, the Americans trailed 58–44 at halftime after South Sudan made 61 percent of their shots in the first half and outscored the United States 21–3 on 3-pointers. Team USA rallied back with an 18–0 run in the second half, going up 79–76 late in the third quarter on a three-pointer from Curry for their first lead since the first quarter. South Sudan missed three attempts in the final seconds to win the game. The team's performance came as a surprise, as they entered the game as -point underdogs according to BetMGM Sportsbook.
James had a game-high 25 points along with six rebounds and seven assists, and Davis finished with 15 points and 10 rebounds. South Sudan's Marial Shayok had 24 points and Carlik Jones had a triple-double with 15 points, 11 rebounds and 11 assists.
Germany
James scored the final 11 points for the United States in the last 3:57 of the game as they fended off defending World Cup champion Germany 92–88. Team USA led 48–41 at the half, but they were outscored in the third quarter 30–20. Trailing entering the fourth quarter, the United States' defense held the Germans to 19 points and James took over on offense. The Germans shot just 36%, but took 13 more shots than the Americans, with 14 offensive rebounds leading to 16 points. Team USA also committed 14 turnovers to Germany's 7.
James scored a game-high 20 points and added six rebounds and four assists. Embiid continued his improved play with 15 points, eight rebounds and five assists, offsetting his backup, Davis, who got into foul trouble. Curry had 13 points but made just 1-of-7 on 3-pointers. Off the bench, Edwards added 11 points and Davis had 10 points and seven rebounds. White received all the backup playing time at point guard, as Kerr removed Tyrese Haliburton from the rotation. Franz Wagner, one of four active NBA players on Germany's roster, led his team with 18 points. Andreas Obst, the star of Germany's semifinals win over the United States in the 2023 World Cup, had 17 points and five 3s. Dennis Schröder scored 13 points and had 10 assists while shooting 3-of-15.
Olympic play