Inside USA's basketball team: A complete roster and more to know about 2024 Olympics 'Dream Team' comparison

08-08-2024
7 min read
(NBA Getty Images)

The United States is coming in hot for its fifth consecutive Olympic gold medal.

After going a perfect 3-0 in the Group Stage, Team USA rolled into the semifinals for a matchup with Serbia after handling Brazil by 35 points in the quarterfinals.

Led by established NBA superstars like LeBron James, Kevin Durant and Stephen Curry, the United States sent one of its most decorated teams in program history to represent the country at the 2024 Paris Games.

Get to know more about Team USA's roster, coaching staff, Olympic qualifying path and more below.

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United States men's basketball roster at 2024 Olympics

The United States men's national team is as decorated as ever with seven different players coming in with at least one gold medal and previous Olympic experience.

LeBron James and Kevin Durant headline the roster but Olympic debuts for NBA stars like Stephen Curry, Joel Embiid and Anthony Edwards made headlines going into the tournament.

Jayson Tatum, Jrue Holiday, Bam Adebayo, Anthony Davis and Devin Booker were all Olympic gold medalists going into the 2024 Paris Games, while Derrick White and Tyrese Haliburton round out the other first-time Olympians.

Kawhi Leonard was originally named to the 12-man roster but was replaced by White due to a knee injury.

No. Player Pos. HT Team
4 Stephen Curry G 6-2 Golden State Warriors
5 Anthony Edwards G 6-4 Minnesota Timberwolves
6 LeBron James F 6-9 Los Angeles Lakers
7 Kevin Durant F 6-10 Phoenix Suns
8 Derrick White G 6-4 Boston Celtics
9 Tyrese Haliburton G 6-5 Indiana Pacers
10 Jayson Tatum F 6-8 Boston Celtics
11 Joel Embiid C 7-0 Philadelphia 76ers
12 Jrue Holiday G 6-3 Boston Celtics
13 Bam Adebayo C 6-9 Miami Heat
14 Anthony Davis F/C 6-10 Los Angeles Lakers
15 Devin Booker G 6-5 Phoenix Suns

MORE: Ranking all 108 U.S. men's basketball Olympians since the 1992 Dream Team

United States basketball coaches

Warriors head coach Steve Kerr is making his Olympic debut as the leader of the United States men's national team. He first took the sidelines for Team USA at the 2023 FIBA World Cup.

Kerr's decorated staff of assistants includes Gonzaga head coach Mark Few, Clippers head coach Tyronn Lue and Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra.

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Role Coach Team
Head coach Steve Kerr Golden State Warriors HC
Assistant coach Mark Few Gonzaga Bulldogs HC
Assistant coach Tyronn Lue LA Clippers HC
Assistant coach Erik Spoelstra Miami Heat HC

How the United States reached the Olympics

The United States has won four consecutive Olympic gold medals, but that doesn't automatically qualify you for the next Games. The USA had to earn its way to the 2024 Paris Olympics through the 2023 FIBA World Cup in the Philippines last summer.

The United States secured its bid for the 2024 Paris Olympics despite a disappointing fourth-place finish. It went 3-0 in the first Group Stage with wins over Greece, New Zealand and Jordan, then defeated Montenegro but lost to Lithuania in the second Group Stage.

Team USA still qualified for the Knockout Round, where it defeated Italy to reach the semifinals.

The United States came up short of the gold medal match after falling to Germany in the semifinals, which went on to win the whole tournament.

Canada knocked Team USA off the podium in the bronze medal match. The United States still qualified for the Paris Olympics by finishing second among North and South American teams.

History of United States basketball teams in the Olympics

Team USA has a dominant history in men's basketball at the Olympics. The Americans have taken home gold 16 times in 19 appearances, including seven of their past eight appearances and four in a row.

While Team USA is going for its fifth consecutive gold in 2024, the program's longest streak is seven straight, beginning in 1936 and running through 1968.

Year Site Result
1936 Berlin Gold
1948 London Gold
1952 Oslo Gold
1956 Melbourne Gold
1960 Rome Gold
1964 Tokyo Gold
1968 Mexico City Gold
1972 Munich Silver
1976 Montreal Gold
1980 Moscow Withdrew
1984 Los Angeles Gold
1988 Seoul Bronze
1992 Barcelona Gold
1996 Atlanta Gold
2000 Sydney Gold
2004 Athens Bronze
2008 Beijing Gold
2012 London Gold
2016 Rio de Janeiro Gold
2020 (2021) Tokyo Gold
2024 Paris TBD

How 2024 Team USA roster compares to 1992 Dream Team

The 2024 United States team is leaning on an older generation of stars to guide the country to another gold medal. The roster is comprised of mostly 30-year-olds with a few established 20-year-old stars to round out the group.

The 1992 Dream Team had stars like Larry Bird and Magic Johnson on the other side of 30, but others like Michael Jordan, Charles Barkley, Patrick Ewing, Karl Malone and Chris Mullin were all in their prime. 

Younger players like David Robinson and Scottie Pippen were already making a major impact in the NBA, too.

2024 Team USA   1992 Dream Team  
Player Age Player Age
LeBron James 39 Larry Bird 35
Stephen Curry 36 Magic Johnson 32
Kevin Durant 35 John Stockton 30
Jrue Holiday 34 Clyde Drexler 30
Anthony Davis 31 Michael Jordan 29
Joel Embiid 30 Charles Barkley 29
Derrick White 30 Patrick Ewing 29
Devin Booker 27 Karl Malone 28
Bam Adebayo 27 Chris Mullin 28
Jayson Tatum 26 David Robinson 26
Tyrese Haliburton 24 Scottie Pippen 26
Anthony Edwards 22 Christian Laettner 22

 

  2024 Team USA Dream Team
Youngest player 22, Anthony Edwards 22, Christian Laettner
Oldest player 39, LeBron James 35, Larry Bird
20 year olds 5 8
30 year olds 7 4
Average age 30.1 28.7