[Olympic Games Flag Symbol royalty-free stock illustration. Photo Credit to Pixabay]

On April 17th, USA Basketball announced their Men’s National Basketball Team’s roster for the Paris Olympics that is scheduled to be held in 2024.

Following the official announcement, the response from the public was sensational.

This was largely because all the members on the roster only consist of the NBA players who are showing a good performance these days or already known as star players.

NBA stands for National Basketball League, known as the most prestigious basketball league worldwide.

Some of the roster members are known for having a splendid career as veteran players. They have not only won an NBA championship, but also, multiple Olympic wins, NBA MVP, and NBA All-Star experience.

Below are the roster for the Men’s National Basketball Team:

• LeBron James (Los Angeles Lakers)
• Stephen Curry (Golden State Warriors)
• Kevin Durant (Phoenix Suns)
• Joel Embiid (Philadelphia 76ers)
• Devin Booker (Phoenix Suns)
• Jayson Tatum (Boston Celtics)
• Anthony Davis (Los Angeles Lakers)
• Tyrese Haliburton (Indiana Pacers)
• Anthony Edwards (Minnesota Timberwolves)
• Jrue Holiday (Boston Celtics)
• Bama Adebayo (Miami Heat)
• Kawhi Leonard (Los Angeles Clippers)

As such, the roster that comprised entirely of NBA players has garnered the attention of many people.

However, there is one more reason that it attracts more public attention.

It was the joining of LeBron James, Kevin Durant, and Stephen Curry to the team.

These players have been known as superstars in the NBA since the 2010s.

LeBron James, a veteran of the league since his debut in 2003, currently holds the record of having the longest career and the oldest age in the league.

He is also known as the only player who competes with Michael Jordan among all basketball players for the title of Greatest of All Time (G.O.A.T)

He won two gold medals and a bronze medal for the U.S. national team, and this time, he returns to the U.S. national team after 8 years since he played in Team USA of Rio 2016.

Stephen Curry revolutionized the league’s ‘three-point shooting paradigm’ since he debuted in 2009. Based on his high shooting accuracy and unlimited shooting range, he has now become a superstar of the league with the title of “The Most 3-Point Made All Time”.

This marks his debut on the U.S. national basketball team. He has participated in the World Basketball Association as a Team USA, but it is his first time at the Olympics.

Kevin Durant made his debut in 2007 and despite his tall height, possesses quick and efficient attack capability. He has recorded numerous numbers of “Scoring Leader of the Year,” and championship, making him a superstar of the league.

He has participated in several international competitions, having competed in three basketball Olympics, and one World Cup, and won gold medals in all competitions, while also earning the title "Most Points in a Game in Men's Basketball History(Olympics)."

This marks the first time for the three players to represent the national team together. As a result, more and more people are anticipating the performance of the league's superstars, who are working together for the first time.

The reason that the U.S. basketball team formed a superstar lineup for the Paris Olympics seems to be the recent poor performance of the USA at international competition.

In the U.S. During The Basketball World Cup and Olympic Games before the Paris Olympics, many basketball fans expressed disappointment with results that did not fit their reputation of “World’s top basketball powerhouse country”.

The U.S. national team also formed a Team USA only consisting of NBA players for the 2023 FIBA World Cup, but lost to Germany in the semifinals and Canada in the third-place match.

Additionally, Team USA ranked seventh in the 2019 tournament.

Historically, whenever the USA national basketball status faltered like this, the U.S. team formed a “Dream Team” and participated in the tournament for the redemption

For instance, after losing to the Soviet Union in the semifinals of the 1988 Seoul Olympics, Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson, and Larry Bird participated in the 1992 Atlanta Olympics to form the 1st Dream Team and win the gold medal.

After defeat in the 2004 Athens Olympics, he picked up Kobe Bryant, LeBron James, and Chris Paul at the 2008 Beijing Olympics and participated in the competition with his best strength to win the title.

Given this history, the new Dream Team's performance in the Paris Olympics in 2024 is drawing a lot of attention.

The 2024 Paris Olympics will take place on July 26 and end on Aug. 11. The U.S. men's basketball team is scheduled to play its preliminary match against Serbia on July 28.