Tag: USA Basketball

Projecting the U.S. men’s basketball roster for the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles

Anthony Edwards called next.

Welcome to Layup Lines, For the Win’s basketball newsletter. Subscribe here to get it delivered to your inbox every Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Have feedback for the Layup Lines Crew? Leave your questions, comments and concerns through this brief reader survey. Now, here’s Bryan Kalbrosky.

The 2024 Paris Olympics are in the rearview mirror and to no surprise, the United States once again earned a gold medal in basketball.

Led by a trio of NBA veterans, the U.S. men’s basketball roster was thrilling. Basketball fans were delighted to see LeBron James play with Stephen Curry and Kevin Durant at the same time and the results were incredible.

Now that the Olympics will leave France and the United States will become the next host nation, the focus will shift to what the roster could look like in 2028.

It is an impossible question to answer because so much of this depends on health, interest, coaching, development, and various other circumstances we can’t predict.

But based on what we know so far, factoring in age and relationships with the USA Basketball, here is our best guess as of right now:

GUARDS

Anthony Edwards

Devin Booker

Tyrese Haliburton

Donovan Mitchell

Tyrese Maxey

FORWARDS

Jayson Tatum

Paolo Banchero

Scottie Barnes

Cooper Flagg

BIGS

Bam Adebayo

Chet Holmgren

Evan Mobley

Noah Lyles denies beef with Anthony Edwards

Photos by MARTIN BERNETTI Damien MEYER / AFP

U.S. track and field sprinter Noah Lyles caused some more controversy this weekend:

“Two of the biggest stars from the United States at the 2024 Paris Olympics were Noah Lyles and Anthony Edwards.

Lyles and Edwards both became first-time Olympic gold medalists this summer. Before testing positive for COVID-19 and withdrawing from the Olympics this year, Lyles won a gold medal in the 100 meter for track and field. Edwards was a standout performer on the U.S. men’s basketball roster.

Both gold medalists have signed endorsement deals with the shoe company adidas. Recent reporting suggests that there is potentially animosity between the two, but Lyles is attempting to squash those growing rumors.”

You can read more here.

Shootaround

— 5 things we learned about the NBA (Victor Wembanyama’s rise is truly inevitable) at the Paris Olympics

— Tyrese Haliburton had the most perfect post after winning a gold medal despite limited playing time

— Hoops fans thought A’ja Wilson and Bam Adebayo’s polite handshake was so unsubtle amid dating rumors

— An earthquake interrupted ESPN’s NBA Today show but Malika Andrews handled it like a pro

Angel Reese took issue with media immediately looking towards the 2028 Olympics after Team USA’s gold medal win

Let this team enjoy the moment.

The U.S. women’s basketball team won its eighth straight Olympic gold medal on Sunday, defeating France on its home court by a single point. Team USA had to overcome some serious offensive struggles to close out the game, and really, it was a gutsy win that deserved plenty of praise.

That’s why Angel Reese took exception to some of the postgame media coverage on Sunday.

Immediately after the 67-66 U.S. win, Reese — who was not included on the 2024 Olympic roster — noticed a tweet from ESPN that looked ahead to the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles. The article wanted to predict the U.S. squad, which could potentially be headlined by Reese and Caitlin Clark. Reese, though, did not want the media coverage to take away with what had *just* been accomplished in Paris.

Reese tweeted that the current team deserves to be congratulated and have coverage that focuses on the gold medal win. Plus, it’s a silly exercise to predict an Olympic roster four years ahead of time. You never know how players develop, who breaks onto the scene and how healthy players will be in four years.

Reese made it clear that 2024’s team warranted the attention, and she’s right.

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CBS Sports tabs Caitlin Clark as ‘guaranteed replacement’ on 2028 USA Basketball Olympics roster

CBS Sports tabbed Caitlin Clark as a “guaranteed replacement” in projecting USA Basketball’s 2028 Olympics roster.

The 2024 Paris Games are officially in the books.

For the eighth straight time, USA women’s basketball captured gold. It was a thrilling finish, though. Team USA rallied back from a 10-point deficit in the second half and just staved off an upset bid from France in a 67-66 gold-medal game victory.

A’ja Wilson led the way for Team USA with 21 points and 13 rebounds.

It was just the third game decided by single digits during USA Basketball’s now 61-game Olympics winning streak. The others were a four-point win over Russia in the 2004 Olympics semifinals in Athens and a nine-point win over Nigeria in 2021 in the group stage of the Tokyo Games.

With the 2024 Paris Games now in the rearview, it’s time to begin looking ahead to the 2028 Los Angeles Games.

CBS Sports took a first look at what USA Basketball’s roster might look like and Indiana Fever star Caitlin Clark is tabbed as a “guaranteed replacement.”

Clark nearly became the fifth WNBA rookie to make a Team USA Olympic roster this summer, but was ultimately a controversial cut. There will be no such dramatics ahead of the 2028 games; Clark, arguably already the best playmaker in the world, will be one of the first names on the team sheet. For the sake of this exercise, we can consider her a direct replacement for Taurasi. – Jack Maloney, CBS Sports.

CBS Sports listed A’ja Wilson, Breanna Stewart, Napheesa Collier, Jackie Young and Sabrina Ionescu as “locks” for the 2028 Los Angeles Games.

Kahleah Copper, Jewell Loyd and Kelsey Plum were listed as “more likely than not” Team USA selections. Brittney Griner, Alyssa Thomas and Chelsea Gray were tabbed as “aging vets.”

CBS Sports listed Shakira Austin, Aliyah Boston, Cameron Brink, Paige Bueckers, Rhyne Howard, Rickea Jackson, Flau’jae Johnson, Angel Reese and JuJu Watkins as “potential replacements.”

Of course, one of the big storylines in the leadup to these Olympic Games was Team USA’s decision to pass on Caitlin Clark as a roster selection for these 2024 Paris Games.

The USA Basketball selection committee’s decision against adding Clark to the roster was met with widespread criticism. USA TODAY Sports’ Christine Brennan wrote that the selection committee airballed a golden opportunity.

Selection committee chair Jen Rizzotti told the Associated Press that Clark didn’t satisfy the committee’s selection criteria.

“Here’s the basketball criteria that we were given as a committee and how do we evaluate our players based on that? And when you base your decision on criteria, there were other players that were harder to cut because they checked a lot more boxes. Then, sometimes it comes down to position, style of play for Cheryl (Reeve) and then sometimes a vote

“It would be irresponsible for us to talk about her in a way other than how she would impact the play of the team. Because it wasn’t the purview of our committee to decide how many people would watch or how many people would root for the U.S. It was our purview to create the best team we could for Cheryl,” Rizzotti told the Associated Press.

Clark took the high road on the selection committee’s decision to pass on her for the 2024 Paris Games.

“I’m excited for the girls that are on the team. I know it’s the most competitive team in the world and I know it could have gone either way, me being on the team or me not being on the team. I’m going to be rooting them on to win gold. I was a kid that grew up watching the Olympics, so it will be fun to watch them.

“Honestly, no disappointment. It just gives me something to work for. It’s a dream. Hopefully one day I can be there. I think it’s just a little more motivation. You remember that. Hopefully when four years comes back around, I can be there,” Clark said.

Clark was selected to Team WNBA for the 2024 WNBA All-Star Game where she and her teammates topped USA Basketball, 117-109.

Clark is averaging 17.1 points, 8.2 assists, 5.8 rebounds and 1.5 steals per game during her rookie WNBA season with the Fever. The 6-foot point guard is shooting 40.5% from the field, 32.7% from 3-point range and 89.1% from the free throw line.

Clark and the Fever resume their season following the All-Star and Olympics break on Friday, Aug. 16 versus the Phoenix Mercury at 6:30 p.m. CT on ION.

Contact/Follow us @HawkeyesWire on X and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Iowa news, notes and opinions.

Follow Josh on X:@JoshOnREF

Steph Curry had the French announcers in absolute disbelief when he closed out Team USA’s gold medal win

“This devil named Curry is hurting us!”

Throughout his NBA career, Steph Curry has put opposing teams and fan bases on the receiving end of his late-game heroics. When Curry gets a rhythm, there seemingly isn’t a shot in the gym that is too difficult for him.

He’s the best shooter of all-time for a reason.

On Saturday, France got a chance to know what it’s like to see Steph go into Legend Mode. And let’s just say that the French broadcast wasn’t enjoying any of it.

Curry made threes in four straight possessions to close out the gold medal win for Team USA over France, which included one of the more iconic shots of his Hall of Fame career. And while viewers in the U.S. were treated to a great call by Noah Eagle, those watching in France may have gotten to experience an even better reaction.

“This devil named Curry is hurting us,” the French broadcast apparently said as Steph got going during that run.

And then it got to the point where the announcers were asking aloud, “How is this possible?!”

We can all relate to that. Steph is just different. And now, he’s an Olympic gold medalist.

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Photos of former Notre Dame women’s basketball players winning gold

Make that two golds each for the two.

The 2024 Olympics in Paris had only one event left in which to give out medals. That was the women’s basketball competition, and the U.S. was a heavy favorite for its eighth straight gold medal. It turned out winning the gold was easier said than done as the U.S. squeaked by France, 67-66, in a game that nearly went into overtime but for a foot on the 3-point line on the final basket.

Though two former Notre Dame standouts were on the U.S. roster, only one played in the final game. That was [autotag]Jackie Young[/autotag], who made a single basket on seven field-goal attempts. [autotag]Jewell Loyd[/autotag] was left on the bench. However, both will leave Paris with their second Olympic gold medals each.

In six Olympic contests, Young averaged 9.5 points, 2.3 rebounds, 2.3 assists and 1.5 steals a game. Over five games, Loyd had averages of 3.2 points, 2.2 rebounds and 1.6 assists.

Here’s how these two Irish legends enjoyed their latest moment of Olympic glory:

Steve Kerr calls former Kentucky star Team USA’s ‘unsung MVP’

Former Kentucky guard Devin Booker drew praise from Devin Booker for his performance in Team USA’s gold medal win over France.

Team USA secured a gold medal against France in Paris on Saturday, thanks in large part to a dominant fourth quarter from Steph Curry, who looked like his old self after hitting three three pointers in the closing minutes to put the game to rest and silence the home crowd.

Curry led the USA with 24 points on eight made three pointers, while fellow veterans LeBron James and Kevin Durant each had excellent games as well – giving Team USA’s older superstars an incredible curtain call.

After the game, understandably, most of the conversation was centered around Curry’s late game heroics or the play of James and Durant, but at the end of his postgame press conference head coach Steve Kerr made sure to give a special shoutout to former Kentucky guard Devin Booker for his play on Sunday and throughout the olympics.

“Devin Booker is an incredible basketball player,” Kerr said, per Ben Golliver of the Washington Post. “Nobody asked about him. He was our unsung MVP. I just wanted to say that.”

Booker finished with 15 points, six rebounds, and three assists in 28 minutes, while shooting 6-9 from the field.

His 28 minutes trailed only Curry, James, and Durant – a clear sign the 27-year-old is a critical future piece of Team USA going forward.

Team USA will attempt to defend its gold medal in Los Angeles in 2028, and while Curry, Durant, and LeBron are likely going to be done at that point, expect Booker, Anthony Edwards, Jayson Tatum, Bam Adebayo, and others to pick up the mantle and keep USA Basketball thriving for years to come.

USA Basketball’s thrilling gold medal win had analyst Dwyane Wade unable to sit: ‘My pants are a little tight’

Dwyane Wade was so hyped after Steph Curry’s dagger

Dwyane Wade won a gold medal with the U.S. men’s basketball team at the 2008 Beijing Olympics and was part of the team that unfathomably took bronze a the 2004 games in Athens.

So you can understand the personal investment he had in the USA-France gold medal matchup on Saturday in Paris before you consider the close relationships he has with a number of the current players on the squad.

That made it understandably difficult for Wade to keep his cool as the color analyst on the NBC broadcast of the game. As Stephen Curry’s lights out shooting down the stretch delivered the United States a fifth consecutive gold, Wade couldn’t even get himself to sit down.

“I apologize,” Wade hilariously said to broadcast partner Noah Eagle as the final seconds ticked away. “I can’t even sit down. My pants a little tight.”

Wade can exhale now — thanks in part to this ridiculous Curry dagger from behind the arc — as the Americans defeated France, 96-87.

Or as Curry said, “Night, night”.

Predicting the 2028 USA Olympic basketball team for Los Angeles

HoopsHype attempts to project what the 2028 USA Olympic Basketball Team might look like four years in advance.

With the USA Men’s Basketball Team winning gold at the Olympics for the fifth time in a row after fielding one its strongest rosters of all time, we thought this could be a fun time to predict what Team USA might look like in 2028 for the L.A. Games.

The days of LeBron James and Stephen Curry donning the red, white and blue will likely be over by then, leaving the American squad with enormous shoes to fill. Based on what we saw this summer, things could get dicey for Team USA in the future when things get tight late in games without James and Curry, but we’re getting ahead of ourselves.

Plus, there’s one legend on the current USA team that we are predicting could suit up for Team USA one more time in Los Angeles.

Find out who we’re talking about below where we predict the 2028 USA Olympic basketball squad.

Kevin Durant thrilled fans by responding to Olympics tweets absurdly early in the morning from Paris

KD deserves a gold medal for social media.

After one of the most exciting games in United States men’s basketball history, Kevin Durant was awake early in the morning.

The late Kobe Bryant, who was Durant’s teammate the 2012 London Olympics, used to discuss the importance of waking up early for early morning workouts. Durant obviously has his workout routine down to a science, but he also needed to be up early for other reasons.

Durant, who could potentially win MVP of the men’s basketball tournament at the 2024 Paris Olympics and recently broke Lisa Leslie’s all-time scoring record for Team USA at the Olympics, had an agenda.

He has stayed active on Twitter during his time as an Olympian in Paris, sharing a particularly classy message after he became the points leader. But nothing came close to his social media behavior on Friday morning while in France.

Despite riding high following the victory over Serbia, the two-time NBA Finals MVP couldn’t help but respond to some folks on Twitter who were discussing the thrilling semifinals match.

RELATED: I hope Kevin Durant never logs off. His posting truly inspires me.

No one who follows Durant on Twitter was surprised to see that he responded to basketball fans. He obviously loves to do that, even if the posts come from one of his “burner” accounts occasionally.

Durant used his own account for these replies, questioning all of the NBA fans from the United States who rooted for Denver Nuggets superstar Nikola Jokic on Serbia.

It was fairly standard stuff from Durant, but the fact he was posting these quote tweets around 5:00 a.m. from Paris was particularly amazing.

Everyone thought this was hilarious

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Reminder that in high school, Team USA’s Olympic star Bam Adebayo was unstoppable

Bam Adebayo was good, even in high school.

Despite coming off the bench on Thursday, United States basketball’s Bam Adebayo was the leading scorer for the Americans in a 103-86 win in the Olympics.

And for those who have followed Adebayo’s career for a while, his dominant performance for the United States in the Olympics is to be expected.

As a class of 2016 recruit from High Point Christian (High Point, North Carolina), the now Miami Heat star was a five-star recruit and the seventh-best prospect in the nation according to Rivals. He picked Kentucky over offers from Arizona State, Arkansas, Iowa State, Kansas, Louisville, Missouri, North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia and Wake Forest among others.

He showed unreal explosiveness and the ability to play above the rim. Not unlike his showing on Thursday for Team USA in the Olympics.

Check out some of these highlights of Adebayo:

 

 

Against South Sudan, Adebayo also added seven rebounds. He was 8-of-10 from the floor including making two of his three attempts from behind the arc.

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