LeBron James, a two-time Olympic gold medalist, could make his return to international basketball alongside Kevin Durant and Stephen Curry at the 2024 Olympics in Paris. (Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)
The United States could field a new “Dream Team” at the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris, headlined by the NBA’s three biggest superstars.
In separate media day interviews Monday, Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James, Phoenix Suns forward Kevin Durant and Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry all expressed serious interest in representing the United States next summer as the program seeks its fifth consecutive Olympic gold medal.
While James, Durant and Curry have all played for the United States in major international competitions, the full trio have never appeared on the same roster together.
James, 38, won Olympic gold medals in 2008 and 2012, an Olympic bronze in 2004 and a FIBA World Cup bronze in 2006. The four-time NBA champion hasn’t played for the United States in more than a decade, but Paris could provide the opportunity for an international send-off.
Lakers’ LeBron James says he’s interested in playing for USA Basketball at 2024 Paris Olympics: “I don’t think it would be too much of a physical toll. I wouldn’t have to do much. Rebound a little bit. Pass a little bit. Defend. Block some shots.” pic.twitter.com/Pq733mNlz0
— Ben Golliver (@BenGolliver) October 2, 2023
“I do have interest,” James said. “We’ll see what happens. As far as a physical toll, we’ll see how I feel at the end of the season. From the players we have here that I can think of off the top of my head to fill that roster up, I don’t think it would be too much of a physical toll. I wouldn’t have to do much. Rebound a little bit. Pass a little bit. Defend. Block some shots.”
Durant played alongside James at the 2012 Olympics before guiding the program to gold medals in 2016 and 2021. The 35-year-old is the all-time leading scorer for the Americans, and he teamed up with Curry to claim gold at the 2010 FIBA World Cup.
“I will play in the Olympics next year,” Durant said.
Kevin Durant led Team USA to a gold medal at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021. (Toni L. Sandys/The Washington Post)
The 35-year-old Curry won a pair of FIBA World Cup medals in 2010 and 2014, but he has yet to play in the Olympics. Longtime Warriors coach Steve Kerr took the reins of Team USA from San Antonio Spurs Coach Gregg Popovich last summer, setting up the possibility of a late-career Olympic debut for Curry.
“I’ve talked to some people about the opportunity, and definitely, if all things stay the same, I want to be playing,” Curry said. “It’s the one thing I haven’t done. It’s the opportunity for USA Basketball to reassert yourselves as the dominant [team] in the world. I definitely want to be there. I definitely want to be on the team. Hopefully, things line up that way where we’re all there.”
The United States recently finished fourth at the FIBA World Cup, suffering losses to Lithuania, Germany and Canada in Kerr’s first competition as coach and Grant Hill’s first as managing director. Hill and Kerr will be tasked with naming the final 12-man roster, which could also include Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid.
Embiid, the reigning NBA MVP, said he is deciding whether to play for the United States, France or Cameroon. The 7-foot center, who was 𝐛𝐨𝐫𝐧 in Cameroon and holds dual citizenship in the United States and France, said Monday he would make his decision “in the next few days.”
“My goal is to play in the Olympics,” Embiid said. “I love all three options.”
