After booking their slot in the final, the USA basketball men's national team will have a shot at yet another gold medal at the Paris 2024 Olympics. They remain undefeated, and their dominance can be tied down to the array of superstars on the roster. However, Grant Hill , the managing director of the team, deserves most of the credit for putting together what might be one of the most stacked rosters in Olympic history.
However, it wasn't without its challenges. The former Olympic champion had to seriously consider the uncertainty around the form and aptitude of three seasoned veterans — LeBron James , Stephen Curry , and Kevin Durant — as there were concerns about how their bodies would hold, especially after the NBA season that saw all three play over 70 games.
"I respect how hard it is to be excellent at that age," Hill told The Athletic. "I also know it can be exhausting, and the summer is an important part of your preparation for the upcoming NBA season. So I didn't know what they had. Like, I didn't know fully what level they would play at. You can hope that they play at a certain level. So there was some uncertainty, I'll be honest."
The veterans are riding high
Hill, an Olympic gold medalist and 19-year NBA veteran, took on the role of managing director for the USA men's national team back in 2021. With such a high-profile job, one of the biggest questions he had to wrestle with was whether James, at 39 years old, could still compete at the highest level.
Well, it turns out that the four-time NBA champion has not only met expectations but exceeded them. LeBron has led Team USA in both assists and field goal percentage. LBJ's essentially become the team's point guard, orchestrating the offense with precision and exploiting every weakness in the opposing defenses. Hill couldn't have asked for a better performance from the veteran superstar.
"Maybe it's being paranoid," he added. "But what if LeBron, at 39-and-a-half years old, can't be at that level? Then what?. [But] he's far exceeded that, and if anything, he came in (to training camp) in probably the best shape [of any player on Team USA]. He was the best player in the exhibition games and, at times, has been our best player in (Olympic) games thus far."
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Gold medal in sight
Team USA defeated Nikola Jokic and Serbia to punch their ticket into the gold medal game vs. France for a chance to win the gold medal. Having won 16 out of the 20 possible gold medals since the team's inception, they will be heavy favorites.
Having defeated the Serbs quite comfortably in their opening group game, coach Steve Kerr and the team knew they wouldn't have it easy this time around. It played out that way as they had to claw their way back after going down by as many as 17 points.
Curry led the team with an impressive 36 points, which put to bed all the talk about not meeting his Olympics ideal. LeBron, meanwhile, led the team in assists (10) and rebounds (12).
Hill's decision to include these veterans has proven wise. Each brings their unique gifts to the table, ensuring Team USA makes a powerful push toward another gold medal.
Related: "The duo we needed to see in our lifetime" - NBA fans go crazy over viral Stephen Curry-LeBron James photo after win vs. Serbia
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