Team USA is now fully locked in for the 2024 Paris Olympics. Kawhi Leonard is the last person who snagged a spot. The Los Angeles Clippers star will be playing alongside one of the most stacked rosters ever constructed. He joins great names like LeBron James, Stephen Curry, and Kevin Durant on the squad as most of these veterans will probably play their last international game come the summer.
Kawhi makes the Olympics roster more loaded
When the news dropped that Kawhi Leonard was the last piece added to Team USA, the basketball world went absolutely nuts.
Fans were quick to instill fear in other countries in the 2024 Paris Olympics, How hilarious is it that KAWHI LEONARD was our LAST roster spot for the Olympics lol? These dudes are going to be standing on business this year. Good luck world.”
Some were even quick to point out how deep this squad must be to have the Clippers star as its last commit, What other country has a Kawhi Leonard-level player as their last option?”
Others were quick to speculate how the Team USA roster would look like, “Welp, the late addition of Kawhi Leonard all but eliminates the idea of Anthony Edwards starting for Team USA, barring a crazy Timberwolves playoff run that lifts him over Steph, LeBron, Durant and/or Kawhi… or injury issues.”
So, what does the complete squad look like now? Steve Kerr's guard rotation will feature Stephen Curry, Devin Booker, Jrue Holiday, Anthony Edwards, and Tyrese Haliburton. Their wings will have Jayson Tatum, Kawhi Leonard, and Kevin Durant. Finally, the bigs that round them out are Joel Embiid, Bam Adebayo, and Anthony Davis. To say that this squad is overflowing with talent is an understatement. This might be the best Team USA squad constructed, better than the 1992 Dream Team and 2008 Redeem Team.
What took the Clippers star so long?
Grant Hill, Team USA's Managing Director, met with most of the 12-man roster in the past few days. However, it was only the day when the news broke that the Clippers star got to talk to him. So, his official commitment to the squad was delayed but he had all the intentions to join the squad anyway. Thankfully, he was able to firm up his commitment to the squad as soon as he could.
As of the moment, Leonard is experiencing some issues with injuries. He is nursing some inflammation in his knee and is finding it hard to execute natural basketball moves. It is the same knee that underwent surgery a few times and the fact that it has surfaced again is not at all good news. The Clippers are going to need him if they want a deep postseason run. This is just because he is able to do a little bit of everything.
Moreover, he also needs to patch these woes when it comes to his health if he wants to make a big impact on the Team USA squad. But, this is Leonard we're talking about. If anyone can overcome adversity, it's him.
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