LeBron James was part of the USA men’s basketball 2004 debacle in Athens, a three-loss tournament that ended with a bronze medal and doubled as a low point for all involved. James, only 20 years old, was joined by Dwyane Wade and Carmelo Anthony as the young guys on the team. The squad was captained by Tim Duncan and featured veteran guards Allen Iverson and Stephon Marbury, but never coalesced under Larry Brown.
Two decades later, James is pushing 40 as he dominates on the international stage. In the lead up to the 2024 Olympics in Paris, James saved Team USA from consecutive upsets against South Sudan and Germany in London to wrap up a 5-0 showcase run. The close calls reminded everyone that winning gold at the Olympics is no longer the light work the original Dream Team enjoyed.
Opponents aren’t intimidated. No one is asking for a post-game picture or jersey swap. Even though James is joined by other future Hall of Famers with more than a decade of pro experience in Stephen Curry, Anthony Davis and Kevin Durant, the reverence other teams have for them ends at the opening tip. A fifth consecutive gold medal won’t come easily.
All 12 teams include at least one NBA player. All-Stars Giannis Antetokounmpo (Greece), Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (Canada), Nikola Jokic (Serbia) lead their groups. Reigning NBA Defensive Player of the Year Rudy Gobert and Rookie of the Year Victor Wembanyama make the French especially tough.
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DraftKings’ odds to win 2024 Olympics men’s basketball gold medal
Here are odds from DraftKings Sportsbook to win gold in Paris. Alongside the United States (C -1800), Canada (A -170) and France (B -225) are favored to win their groups.
- United States -500
- Canada +1100
- France +1200
- Serbia +1600
- Greece +2000
- Germany +3000
- Australia +4000
- Spain +5000
- Brazil +10000
- South Sudan +25000
- Puerto Rico +30000
- Japan +50000
USA men’s Olympics basketball odds & betting analysis
James will be the flag bearer for the United States at the Opening Ceremony. Because this is Curry’s first Olympics and Durant has been sidelined, James has emerged as the leader in the lead-up to these Games. Steve Kerr is in the head seat for the first time after assisting Gregg Popovich in the last cycle, coaching the first team in Olympic history to feature four NBA MVPs.
A calf injury has kept Durant out, but he’s begun practicing and hopes to debut in Paris. He’s won three gold medals while averaging nearly 20 points per game in his Olympic career. Curry, James and Embiid have started every game in the showcase games and should be among the first five in Sunday’s opener against Serbia.
Guard Derrick White replaced Kawhi Leonard, who stepped aside due to injury, and has already received important minutes off the bench. Alongside Davis, Bam Adebayo and Celtics teammate Jayson Tatum, he’s in the mix to ensure depth remains one of Team USA’s top attributes. Jrue Holiday looks set to join Curry in the starting backcourt, while the other wing will be Devin Booker or Anthony Edwards.
Germany and South Sudan round out Group C, alongside the U.S. and Serbia. BetMGM reports that 97.5 percent of its handle is on the Americans to win gold, with France (0.9%) and Serbia (0.7%) next highest. USA has drawn 28.1 percent of tickets, followed by France (21.9%) and Canada (20.3%).
Top contenders and longshots for 2024 Olympics men’s basketball tournament gold medal
While USA is the clear favorite, here’s a rundown of teams that could compete for gold in Paris:
Canada
New Nets head coach Jordi Fernandez guides this group, which fell 86-72 to the U.S. in Las Vegas on July 10 but has since defeated France and Puerto Rico. Gilgeous-Alexander, Dillon Brooks, R.J. Barrett and Kelly Olynyk should be joined in the starting five by Jamal Murray, who has missed time due to personal reasons. Andrew Wiggins and rookie center Zach Edey aren’t part of the team, focusing on the upcoming NBA season.
France
Wembanyama’s emergence next to Gobert makes France incredibly dangerous, especially since much of the team’s core is back from the group that won silver in Japan. Vincent Collet has been at the helm for 15 years and needs Frank Ntilikina and Evan Fournier to have big tournaments, since guard play will make or break this group. In addition to having top shot-blockers patrolling the paint, the French can also rely on Nicolas Batum, Bilal Coulibaly, Guerschon Yabusele and Ntilikina to make life difficult on opponents on the perimeter and press up when they need to.
Serbia
Jokic looks to put Serbia on his back, and getting Nikola Jovic back aids the cause immensely. The versatile 6-foot-10 Heat forward has been sidelined by a foot injury but will play a large role up front in Paris. Vasilije Micic isn’t a strong defender but proved he’s an elite passer and playmaker in his rookie season in Charlotte, while Hawks wing Bogdan Bogdanovic is one of this tournament’s best shooters and a dynamic scorer. This group is blessed with quality size behind Jokic, Jovic and former Gonzaga standout Filip Petrusev, but needs Micic, Aleksa Avramovic, Ognjen Dobric and Marko Guduric to thrive on the wing.
Germany
The reigning FIBA World Cup champs traded blows with the U.S. on Monday and looked extremely dangerous. Dennis Schroder captains this group and plays at a high level at both ends. The Wagner brothers, Daniel Theis, wing Isaac Bonga and veteran center Jo Voigtmann make up an excellent frontcourt. Elite shooter Andreas Obst is a major x-factor. Maodo Lo (Columbia) and Nick Weiler-Babb (Iowa State) were excellent at the collegiate level and provide quality.
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