FIBA World Cup – Team USA got bested in the semifinals by a dark horse, the Germans. The young USA Men’s National team disappointingly fell short on the international stage. Because of that, many fans believe the next squad that will represent the country in the 2024 Summer Olympics should feature the best of the best. Should Team USA recreate the Redeem Team and dominate the Olympics next year?
LeBron James hints at joining Team USA in the 2024 Olympics
NBA Central’s official X (Twitter) account proposed a Team USA roster that would be led by NBA superstars, namely Jimmy Butler, Kawhi Leonard, Anthony Davis, Kevin Durant, Steph Curry, LeBron James, and many others. What surprised everyone is that the Lakers star reacted to the same photo with a side-eye emoji, leading us to believe he’s thinking about it, too.
Could we see a last dance with LeBron in the Olympics? 👀 pic.twitter.com/RaFH78SO6X
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) September 8, 2023
In fact, it would be a remarkable comeback for the American team after failing to capture the Gold Medal in the FIBA WC and be named as World Champions. LBJ has already participated in three Team USA Olympics tours, wherein he won two golds (2008,2012) and a bronze medal (2004) for his country. After the 2023 playoffs, LBJ thought of possibly retiring from basketball. Fortunately, he chose to stay. James is currently entering his 21st NBA season. At 38 years old, The King hasn’t slowed down one bit. Argued by many as The Greatest of All Time, LeBron is still a force to reckon with. If he joins Team USA, James will be 39 years old by the start of the 2024 Olympics.
Meanwhile, fans are also calling for two revolutionary players, Kevin Durant and Steph Curry, to join LeBron next year. KD has won three gold medals for the USA, while Curry is yet to make his Olympic debut if the Warriors’ superstar decides to commit to the team. Other players that could form this team are Jayson Tatum, Damian Lillard, Devin Booker, Bam Adebayo, and Anthony Edwards.
Who do you wanna see on Team USA in the Paris Olympics next year? 👀 pic.twitter.com/jc1jFXoAkK
— ESPN (@espn) September 8, 2023
Team USA has already booked a ticket to the Paris Olympics after dominating group C. They will be facing Canada on September 9 to decide who gets the 3rd place in the tournament.
The Redeem Team
We all remember a Team USA that failed to win the Gold Medal in the 2004 Olympics. One of the players on that roster was no other than LeBron James. Despite a star-studded cast of young guns and All-Star veterans, this squad only brought home a bronze medal. Because of that, Team USA decided to make changes and became hungrier for the title. Now led by coach K (Mike Krzyzewski) and joined by Kobe Bryant, Team USA made a statement against the world with the new “Redeem Team.” LeBron and Kobe, two of the biggest superstars in the NBA at the time, were very fun to watch. Aside from being unstoppable, they were obviously the co-leaders of the team.
Four years later, LeBron James returned to the Olympics and brought home the championship again. It was pretty easy for the Americans after they swept the whole tournament (8-0) and won with an average of 32 points against their opponents. The 2012 Team USA roster comprised of LeBron, Carmelo Anthony, Kevin Durant, Chris Paul, Russell Westbrook, James Harden, Tyson Chandler, Andre Iguodala, Deron Williams, Anthony Davis, Kevin Love, and Kobe Bryant. Although the 1992 Dream Team featuring Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson, and Larry Bird was probably the best team ever assembled, the 2012 version is already up there as one of the best Team USA squads.
Germany advances to face Serbia for the Gold Medal match in FIBA World Cup 2023
In other news, Germany secured the championship round after beating Team USA in the semis. They will be facing another great European team, Serbia. Dennis Schroder (Germany) will go head-to-head against another NBA star, Bogdan Bogdanovic (Serbia). Both teams were deemed as dark horses that were expected to go deep. Surprisingly, they did just that as they will be the teams battling for the gold medal. These countries will face each other on September 10 in the Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay City, Philippines.
GERMANY WILL FACE SERBIA IN THE GOLD MEDAL GAME AFTER DEFEATING TEAM USA‼️ pic.twitter.com/OQY3wU5OYT
— ESPN (@espn) September 8, 2023
What do you think of this article? Feel free to share your thoughts in the comments below. For more content, stay with us here at Spiel Times. Make sure you subscribe to our push notifications and never miss an update. You can also follow us on Spiel Anime, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube. Until next time!