Kawhi Leonard, the star player for the Los Angeles Clippers, has secured the final spot on the United States men’s basketball team for the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris, as announced by the team. This news follows a report by Jeff Zillgitt of USA Today on Tuesday confirming Leonard’s addition to the team, which was later officially confirmed.
Grant Hill, the managing director of USA Basketball, emphasized the importance of defensive prowess in selecting the team members, highlighting Leonard’s defensive skills as a significant asset. He expressed excitement about the defensive potential of the team, acknowledging the physical nature of international basketball compared to the NBA.
Greatness Unites.
The 2024 USA Men's National Team is here.
🇺🇸 #USABMNT pic.twitter.com/I2jOLsrcQv
— USA Basketball (@usabasketball) April 17, 2024
Reports by Shams Charania and Joe Vardon of The Athletic indicated that the Olympic roster was nearly finalized, with only one spot remaining before Leonard’s inclusion. Leonard’s exceptional performance throughout the season, averaging 23.7 points and demonstrating versatility across various aspects of the game, made him an obvious choice for the Olympic team.
Ty Lue says Kawhi Leonard is not fully practicing today but will participate for the Clippers.
— Tomer Azarly (@TomerAzarly) April 16, 2024
Despite Leonard’s absence from the court since March 31 due to knee soreness, there’s optimism regarding his potential participation in the Olympics, which could signal a positive outlook for his postseason availability. Clippers coach Ty Lue indicated that Leonard would gradually increase his participation in practice with hopes of playing in Game 1 of the playoffs.
If Leonard commits to the 2024 Summer Olympics, it would mark his first opportunity to compete for Olympic gold after previously missing out in 2016 and 2021. His inclusion underscores the team’s determination to redeem themselves after a disappointing fourth-place finish in the 2023 FIBA Basketball World Cup.
With other notable players like LeBron James, Stephen Curry, and Joel Embiid reportedly joining the roster, anything less than a gold medal for Team USA would be considered a significant letdown.
