The 2024 Olympic men’s basketball team for the United States wouldn’t exist without several key Duke alums, at least not in its current form. Few college programs can match the Blue Devils’ representation in Las Vegas during the preparation camp this weekend.
Boston Celtics star [autotag]Jayson Tatum[/autotag] joins the team for a second time after he helped the United States win a gold medal in Tokyo three years ago. Now, he gets to participate in the Olympics as an NBA champion after the Celtics breezed through the playoffs.
Incoming freshman [autotag]Cooper Flagg[/autotag] also got to participate as a member of the Select Team, a group of opponents for the Olympic team to scrimmage against to sharpen their skills. Even as the only active college player on the roster, Flagg went viral multiple times for his performance and caught the eye of several NBA scouts over the weekend.
Two-time national champion [autotag]Grant Hill[/autotag] even contributed, helping sculpt the team as the managing director. Duke fans enjoyed all three stars together in a photograph shared by the team.
The absolute Brotherhood 📸😈 @usabasketball
🇺🇸 @jaytatum0
🇺🇸 @realgranthill33
🇺🇸 @Cooper_Flagg pic.twitter.com/8k0uPAkVys— Duke Men’s Basketball (@DukeMBB) July 9, 2024
For those counting, there’s an NBA title, two NCAA national champions, nine total All-NBA teams, and two top-three NBA draft picks in this photo. And Flagg’s career hasn’t even started yet. It’s reasonable to think that, by 2035, these three might be the three Duke basketball players with the best NBA careers.