Team USA is in London for a layover ahead of the 2024 Paris Olympic Games, and Kevin Durant returned to practice for the first time since suffering an injury in June.
The United States men's team is looking to win a fifth-straight Olympic gold medal this summer and will play two tune-up games at London's O2 Arena. Steve Kerr's formidable 12 will take on South Sudan on Saturday night, followed by a clash with world champions Germany on Monday.
It's Team USA 's first visit to London since the team took gold at the 2012 Olympic Games. Both Durant and LeBron James were on that roster. The two NBA greats have been joined by Steph Curry, who's set to play in his first Olympics. "It's great," Durant said. "It's exciting times. He's at the point in his career where this is probably the last thing he wants to check off on a résumé. His energy is very, very high. To be around that is pretty cool."
The rest of the roster is stacked. Joel Embiid will be suiting up for Team USA. Bam Adebayo, Devin Booker, Anthony Davis, Anthony Edwards, Tyrese Haliburton, Jrue Holiday, Jayson Tatum, and Derrick White were also selected. Mirror Sport US takes a look at 5 things noticed at Team USA's London workout.
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Durant was first out to practice
Durant appears to be itching to get back on the court as the 14-time NBA All-Star was the first out on the court for practice. He was joined by Minnesota Timberwolves superstar Anthony Edwards. The pair had an epic showdown in the playoffs this year as Edwards got the better of his hero. Durant did miss a few shots - but nothing to worry about.
"You always had those concerns, but I see progress every day," said Durant to reporters. "It's one of those things you just got to monitor every day and I see how I feel after I do certain movements and certain exercises. But my thing is just keep working and see what happens."
Joel Embiid copies signature move
Philadelphia 76ers star Embiid copied Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's iconic skyhook shot. The 7ft giant was seen warming up near Curry, Tatum, and White as he pulled off the iconic shot. Embiid, a one-time NBA MVP, opted to play for Team USA over France and his native Cameroon.
LeBron unable to avoid Bronny talk
The Los Angeles Lakers drafted James' 19-year-old son , Bronny, 55th overall in the 2024 NBA Draft. The two-way guard has had two excellent back-to-back games in the summer league.
It's likely that the NBA will see the father-son duo touch the court at the same time together at some point. "As a family, we're obviously just proud of the fact he's even at this point, so the best will continue to come as he continues to work and continues to get better," James said.
Curry very relaxed
As if it was ever in doubt, Curry cut a cool and calm figure in London as the Golden State Warriors star and future NBA Hall of Famer prepares for his first Olympics.
An Olympic gold medal is the last piece to the puzzle for Curry, who has four NBA championships, two MVP awards, and ten All-Star selections. Curry didn't miss a shot while Mirror Sport US watched over his warmup.
Super team
Kerr's roster is up there as the best Olympic team of all time. It rivals that of 1992, which saw Michael Jordan, Larry Bird, Magic Johnson, and Charles Barkley all where the colors of red, white, and blue.
Following the disappointment at the World Cup in 2023, the old guard has come back to get the job done. South Sudan and Germany are up first before the Olympic opener against Serbia on July 28.
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