(AP) — Kawhi Leonard, Tyrese Haliburton and Joel Embiid are set to participate in the start of the U. S. men’s national basketball team’s educational camp in Las Vegas next week, the first step toward what Americans hope will be. a fifth in a row. Olympic gold medal.
Leonard missed 12 of the LA Clippers’ last 14 games last season because of right knee inflammation. Haliburton was hampered in the Indiana Pacers’ playoff race because of left hamstring issues. And Embiid struggled with left knee issues during his season with the Philadelphia 76ers.
“We hope everybody is fit to go,” U. S. coach Steve Kerr said Thursday. “We’ve been in contact with everybody, not just those three guys. Womb. . . We are in constant communication, so we hope that the 12 guys will be in condition to ride.
Leonard is perhaps the biggest question. Haliburton said at the end of the Pacers’ season that he believes he has enough time to prepare for the Olympic race, and Embiid in the NBA Finals about two weeks ago and proclaimed himself fit for what will be his first Olympic experience.
?? #USABMNT pic. twitter. com/2gdOqX3ze6
– USA Basketball (@usabasketball) April 18, 2024
But Leonard’s prestige is a mystery. USA Basketball has been following Leonard, who has been training for a few weeks and likes where he is currently.
“We will continue to be in contact with the entire organization as we head to Las Vegas next week,” Kerr said.
It’s a big sigh of relief for the Americans, who will enter the Paris Games as favorites and the top-ranked men’s team in the world, even if no one expects those Olympics to be a cakewalk. France, with Victor Wembanyama, has the merit of being at home. Germany won the World Cup last year and has practically the same team this summer. Canada has a shot at winning an Olympic medal since winning silver in 1936.
“We’re very aware of the challenge we face,” Kerr said. “World basketball is much better and much stronger. We know how smart those groups are and we know we’ll have to do our best. So I couldn’t be more excited.
The United States has yet to make any adjustments to the list since originally announcing it in April, even though contingency plans are in place at each position. The original 12 names remain unchanged: Leonard, Haliburton, Embiid, Kevin Durant, LeBron James, Stephen Curry, Anthony Edwards, Jrue Holiday, Jayson Tatum, Devin Booker, Bam Adebayo and Anthony Davis.
Attend the ?? #USABMNT in Las Vegas, Abu Dhabi and London the Olympic Games!Tickets ?
– USA Basketball (@usabasketball) April 17, 2024
“Winning is the pinnacle of the sport,” Haliburton said. And winning a gold medal is the most sensible thing on the list. How could you possibly need to do that?
The organization includes seven Olympic gold medalists; Durant has 3, James has two, while Adebayo, Booker, Holiday, Tatum and Booker have one each. It is still imaginable that the list will change, if necessary. The list was evolving before the Tokyo Games 3 years ago until recently. before the start of the competition.
“Every place on the list is important,” Kerr said. You know how those things will play out. “
The Americans will play their first match against Canada on July 10, followed by matches in Abu Dhabi and London before the start of the Paris Games. The United States will open the Olympics on July 28 against Serbia and will also face South Sudan and the winner of next month’s Puerto Rico qualifier (Mexico, Lithuania, Ivory Coast, Italy, Bahrain or Puerto Rico) in their other matches of the organization.