The United States has dominated basketball since the game was first invented, however, the rest of the world continues to catch up. In Team USA's last two FIBA World Cups, they've posted multiple losses and failed to medal both times. The Americans still managed to qualify for the 2024 Summer Olympics, and it looks like they'll finally bring their best players to compete. Los Angeles Lakers legend LeBron James has reportedly been recruiting other American stars to team up in Paris next year, and Boston Celtics forward Jayson Tatum got the invite, per The Athletic.

Alongside Tatum, Team USA is also rumored to have Kevin Durant, Stephen Curry, Anthony Davis, and other high-profile guys ready to play. While he won't be the No. 1 option on this stacked roster, assuming a lot of these guys do indeed suit up, the Olympic team still needs Tatum.

At 25 years old, Tatum has more youth on his side than most of Team USA. While all the aforementioned stars will be critical to America's success, it doesn't hurt to have an athletic, two-way player who won't be as slowed down by age.

In addition, Tatum is no stranger to global basketball. Before he was even in the league he helped the U.S. grab gold medals in 2014 and 2015 at the FIBA U17 and U19 World Championships. Plus, he was one of the top guys on America's 2019 FIBA squad. To top it all off, he won a gold medal during the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo.

The Celtics star wasn't just a name on the first-place team either. Outside of Durant, he arguably played better than anyone else on the American side. Over the course of six games, he averaged 15.2 points in 20.5 minutes per outing while shooting 49.3% from the field. The St. Louis native was connecting from deep as well, as he shot 44.7% from beyond the arc.

Jayson Tatum's shining moment in Tokyo came at the best time, too. In the gold medal game versus France, he put up 19 points and seven rebounds on 57.1% shooting. Team USA came out on top 87-82, but without Tatum's double-digit performance off the bench, they likely would've lost.

If Tatum has a similar role in the upcoming Olympics, his country would greatly benefit. It's hard to know what the exact lineup will look like, yet he has shown that he can contribute while starting or coming off the bench. And, with his 2020 Olympic background, he knows what it takes to win on the biggest stage against opposing nations that are eager to shock the world.

On the 2023 FIBA team, no one playing for the U.S. had any prior experience in the Olympics. If LeBron James is able to seal the deal and get Jayson Tatum and others to Paris, the U.S. will have boatloads of talent, leadership, and athleticism. Although all these American stars playing in the Olympics would've once been viewed as overkill, nowadays, it's necessary if Team USA wants to re-establish its basketball dominance.