The 2024 edition of the Dream Team has more star power than the recent iterations of Team USA . Kevin Durant, who has played in the previous three editions of the Summer Olympic Games, even thinks it's the deepest team in all of the ones he's played for.
But despite that team's talent level and star power, Minnesota Timberwolves All-Star guard Anthony Edwards says he will still be the leading man.
"I'm still the number one option. Y'all might look at it differently," Edwards said. ". ..I just go out there and be myself. Shoot my shots, play defense. They've got to fit in to play around me. That's how I feel."
Edwards could not lead Team USA to gold in the 2023 FIBA World Cup
That's a strong statement, especially since the U.S. failed to take home a medal the first time that Edwards was the No.1 option on Team USA. Ant-Man was among four NBA All-Star players named to the 2023 U.S. men's basketball team to the 2023 FIBA World Cup.
The No.1 pick of the 2020 NBA Draft emerged as the No.1 option for that team. He was the only player to average double-digit field goal attempts per game at 15.3 and ended up as the team's leading scorer at 18.9 PPG while playing the most minutes at 26.1 MPG.
But despite Ant-Man's impressive performance, they lost thrice in that tournament and finished a disappointing fourth. Ant scored 23 points on 10-17 shooting during their 113-111 semifinal loss to Germany and scattered 24 points on 9-20 shooting in their defeat to Canada in the medal round.
Ant-Man was controversial for his 'We don't have a Kobe' comment
This isn't the first time the young Timberwolves star has made a controversial comment while playing for Team USA. During the lead-up to the 2023 FIBA World Cup, Edwards was reported to have said, 'We don't have a Kobe' when coach Steve Kerr explained to him that he had to come off the bench because even D-Wade had to do it while playing with Kobe.
Edwards went on to deny that he said that to Kerr , claiming he only told reporters what he had in mind when the Golden State head coach explained to him why he wasn't a starter early on. Ant became a starter on that team and later its best-performing player.
It will be interesting to see how Edwards fits into the Paris team. Kerr is back as head coach, but this isn't the team where Austin Reaves was the second-best player behind him. There's no question Ant-Man is one of the rising stars in the NBA, but with zero gold medals in his resume and many bigger-named stars on the team, he might have to watch, learn, and get his popcorn ready in Paris.
Related: How Steve Kerr will build his starting five for Team USA in the 2024 Paris Olympics: "It’s a good problem to have"
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