Team USA Basketball kicks off their Olympic journey this morning vs Serbia. Team USA has had its hands full during the Olympics' tune-up games, beating the likes of South Sudan and Germany by only one and four points, respectively. Plenty of talented teams are in the field, such as host nation France, who sport phenom Victor Wembanyama, defensive anchor Rudy Gobert, and many other NBA players on the roster. With all that being said, would anything but gold be considered a failure for Team USA?
Team USA enters the Olympics as a massive -500 favorite to win gold, with Canada second most likely at +1000 and France third at +1200. When looking at Team USA's roster, it's not hard to see why that is the case. Any team with LeBron James, Stephen Curry, and Kevin Durant alone would be the favorites to win gold, but it doesn't stop there. This team also includes Joel Embiid, who has decided to play for Team USA for the first time, Devin Booker, Anthony Davis, recent NBA Champions Jayson Tatum, Jrue Holiday, Derrick White, and other stars. Since 1992, when NBA players first started playing in the Olympics, Team USA has won gold at every edition except 2004, where they won bronze. However, there is one massive difference between now and when the iconic "Dream Team" played in 1992. In 1992, Team USA only faced nine other NBA players on opposing rosters, at these Olympics, there are 61 NBA players on opposing rosters. This indicates that the other teams are vastly improving, even if the talent is more staggered than the USA's.
Even though Team USA looks like the best team on paper, there is pressure on them to prove they are still the best. Last year at the FIBA World Cup, Team USA was eliminated in the semi-finals by eventual winners Germany. That USA team may not have boasted the same level of experience or skill as this year's team, but they were still expected to win the competition and failed to do so. You'd have to imagine they'll be more motivated this time around, with it being one last dance for the older stars like LeBron, who made history by becoming the first male basketball player to bear the American flag at the opening ceremony. It would be a third gold medal at the Olympics for LeBron should Team USA go on to win it. It may also be a passing of the torch to young star Anthony Edwards, who looks to win his first gold medal and become the next American face of the NBA.
The other teams in the tournament will undoubtedly have something to say about that, with current MVP of the NBA Nikola Jokic representing Serbia and former MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo playing for Greece. The top-end talent is there for the other teams, but questions remain. Will they have enough depth to stop this completely star-studded USA Roster? Will the more team-oriented European style of basketball benefit them enough to close the gap? Only one thing remains certain: you won't want to miss the action when Team USA fights to win yet another gold medal and prove that they are still the world's premier basketball nation.
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