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At this year’s Paris Olympics, basketball will once again be one of the main attractions. Numerous teams from all over the world will be competing from July 26 onwards, hoping to represent their nation to the best of their ability by winning a medal, preferably a gold one.
For some, a place on the podium may be enough. For others, qualifying for the event is already a major achievement. However, the US men’s basketball team will not be in Paris this summer to win a participation trophy.
In the history of the Olympic Games, basketball has been marked by (almost) unwavering American dominance since 1936. There were “incidents” in 1972, 1988 and 2004, when they narrowly missed out on the title. In 1992, they fielded the greatest team in Olympic history, the “Dream Team.” Led by Michael Jordan, Larry Bird and Magic Johnson, this team was clearly unbeatable.
It’s clear that the USA are in a position to win the gold medal this year. This is Beirut takes a look at the 2024 team led by LeBron James.
Can this team replicate the same success and continue to be the Dream Team?
An American Game
Basketball originated in the United States. So it’s hardly surprising that the national team is still considered one of the best.
From Bill Russell to Michael Jordan, to Kobe Bryant and LeBron James, many stars have taken to the court. Since its inception, the NBA has also welcomed many foreign stars, such as Giannis Antetokounmpo, Tony Parker, Dirk Nowitzki and Nikola Jokic.
These same stars went on to represent their countries in international tournaments, but they hardly stood a chance against the Americans. That’s why the NBA champions are called “world champions” every year.
While some have criticized this title, there’s no doubt that American players have nothing to envy the rest of the world. For example, talent that hasn’t made it in the NBA often finds itself abroad, where it dominates the respective leagues.
Spoiled for Choices
When it comes to selecting the players who will represent the United States at the Olympic Games, the coach has no shortage of options. While some players are indisputable starters (LeBron James, Stephen Curry, Kevin Durant), the rest of the team is difficult to complete.
While an excess of stars can seem overwhelming to opponents, we know that managing a team full of important players can be complicated. Team USA will certainly be the favorites this year, but coach Steve Kerr mustn’t forget that sometimes too many cooks spoil the sauce.
Dream Team Nightmares
With the arrival of Cameroonian Joel Embiid, the US squad is undoubtedly very complete in all positions. However, it’s worth noting that the opponents standing in their way will give everything they’ve got to defy the odds.
Reigning world champions Germany, led by Schöder and Wagner, are also in the running behind the USA and are likely to be one of their biggest threats. Other teams such as Wembanyama’s France and Antetokounmpo’s Greece are likely to give the other teams a tough time.
Finally, the Spanish national team, ranked second in the world, will be the one to watch out for the Dream Team, as the Spaniards are armed with excellent shooters like Sergio Llull.
So who will be the champion? The USA are the logical favorites. But they’ll have to be wary of overconfidence because the USA’s greatest adversary is selfishness, given their abundance of individuality!
