Devin Booker and Jrue Holiday are poised to headline the backcourt for Team USA at the 2024 Olympics in Paris, according to reports by Shams Charania and Joe Vardon of The Athletic.
The Boston Celtics and Phoenix Suns guards are expected to be key components of the team alongside basketball luminaries such as LeBron James, Stephen Curry, Kevin Durant, Joel Embiid, and Jayson Tatum.
Charania and Vardon anticipate a 12-man roster, with Anthony Edwards of the Minnesota Timberwolves and Tyrese Haliburton of the Indiana Pacers also being considered strongly to join the squad, rounding out what they describe as “the seven bona fide heavyweights.”
With such an impressive lineup, anything short of a gold medal would be surprising. Team USA has dominated Olympic basketball, clinching four consecutive golds since their bronze finish in the 2002 Athens Games.
The presence of veterans like James, Curry, and Durant, coupled with rising stars Embiid and Tatum, ensures a formidable lineup. Moreover, Jrue Holiday brings defensive prowess to the backcourt, providing valuable leadership and easing the defensive burden on the team’s other stars.
Holiday’s experience includes being part of the United States team that secured gold in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, where he showcased his skills, averaging 11.8 points, 4.8 rebounds, 3.8 assists, and 1.7 steals per game.
Similarly, Booker, also a member of the 2020 team, averaged 9.3 points, 3.2 rebounds, 1.8 assists, and 1.5 steals per game. Since then, Booker has further solidified his standing as one of the NBA’s premier guards, likely to play an even more prominent role in the upcoming 2024 Games.
