The 2024 Paris Olympics will showcase men’s basketball teams from around the world, including many notable NBA stars representing a total of 11 countries.
The men’s basketball 5×5 competition begins on Saturday, July 27 and runs through Saturday, August 10 with the gold medal game. Countries were placed into three groups (A, B and C) ahead of the Olympics. Four games will take place each day until the quarterfinals begin on Tuesday, August 6.
Team USA’s men’s basketball team in particular has a long history at the Olympics, winning a total of 16 gold medals so far. Team USA won seven consecutive gold medals from 1936–68, establishing an early dynasty in the sport.
Later on, USA basketball became more famous for some of the teams in the 1990s, such as the Dream Team. The 2008 Redeem Team started the current dynasty, as the men’s United States basketball team has won gold in the four Olympics since. Needless to say, Team USA has a huge weight of expecations on its shoulders heading into the Paris Olympics.
While Team USA is often seen as the Olympic powerhouse in men’s basketball, there are some strong NBA players competing for other countries. Here’s a list of which current and former NBA players fans can expect to see at the Paris Olympics later this month.
The United States has the most NBA players represented with the entire 12-man roster made up of players from the NBA.
Five of the 12 players are making their Olympic debut, including Stephen Curry and Anthony Edwards. On the other hand end of the spectrum, LeBron James and Kevin Durant are making their fourth Olympic appearances.
Player |
Team |
Olympic Experience |
---|---|---|
Bam Adebayo |
Miami Heat |
2020 |
Devin Booker |
Phoenix Suns |
2020 |
Stephen Curry |
Golden State Warriors |
First Olympics |
Anthony Davis |
Los Angeles Lakers |
2012 |
Kevin Durant |
Phoenix Suns |
2012, 2016, 2020 |
Anthony Edwards |
Minnesota Timberwolves |
First Olympics |
Joel Embiid |
Philadelphia 76ers |
First Olympics |
Tyrese Haliburton |
Indiana Pacers |
First Olympics |
Jrue Holiday |
Boston Celtics |
2020 |
LeBron James |
Los Angeles Lakers |
2004, 2008, 2012 |
Jayson Tatum |
Boston Celtics |
2020 |
Derrick White |
Boston Celtics |
First Olympics |
All but one player on Canada’s Olympic roster has NBA experience. Some of the big stars include Jamal Murray and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. This is the first appearance for Canada’s men’s basketball team since 2000.
Canada will be looking to repeat and further the success they had last summer during the World Cup when they beat the United States in the bronze medal game.
Player |
Team |
Olympic Experience |
---|---|---|
Nickeil Alexander-Walker |
Minnesota Timberwolves |
First Olympics |
RJ Barrett |
Toronto Raptors |
First Olympics |
Khem Birch |
Former NBA Player |
First Olympics |
Dillon Brooks |
Houston Rockets |
First Olympics |
Luguentz Dort |
Oklahoma City Thunder |
First Olympics |
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander |
Oklahoma City Thunder |
First Olympics |
Trey Lyles |
Sacramento Kings |
First Olympics |
Jamal Murray |
Denver Nuggets |
First Olympics |
Andrew Nembhard |
Indiana Pacers |
First Olympics |
Kelly Olynyk |
Toronto Raptors |
First Olympics |
Dwight Powell |
Dallas Mavericks |
First Olympics |
Two of Australia’s team members—Patty Mills and Joe Ingles—are making their fifth Olympic appearances.
Australia won the bronze medal at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
Player |
Team |
Olympic Experience |
---|---|---|
Dyson Daniels |
New Orleans Pelicans |
First Olympics |
Matthew Dellavedova |
Former NBA Player |
2012, 2016, 2020 |
Dante Exum |
Dallas Mavericks |
2020 |
Josh Giddey |
Chicago Bulls |
First Olympics |
Josh Green |
Charlotte Hornets |
2020 |
Joe Ingles |
Minnesota Timberwolves |
2008, 2012, 2016, 2020 |
Jock Landale |
Houston Rockets |
2020 |
Patty Mills |
Free Agent |
2008, 2012, 2016, 2020 |
Duop Reath |
Portland Trail Blazers |
2020 |
This year’s French men’s basketball Olympic team has a lot of hype around it as one of the NBA’s biggest young stars, Victor Wembanyama, will make his Olympic debut in his home country. Additionally, four-time NBA Defensive Player of the Year Rudy Gobert will represent France in his third Olympics.
France will be looking for revenge against the United States this year after they picked up the silver medal at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
Player |
Team |
Olympic Experience |
---|---|---|
Nicolas Batum |
Los Angeles Clippers |
2012, 2016, 2020 |
Bilal Coulibaly |
Washington Wizards |
First Olympics |
Nando De Colo |
Former NBA Player |
2012, 2016, 2020 |
Rudy Gobert |
Minnesota Timberwolves |
2016, 2020 |
Frank Ntilikina |
Former NBA Player |
2020 |
Victor Wembanyama |
San Antonio Spurs |
First Olympics |
Guerschon Yabusele |
Former NBA Player |
2020 |
The Serbian Olympic team will have a lot of eyes on it as three-time NBA MVP Nikola Jokic will lead the team.
Serbia earned the silver medal at the 2016 Rio Olympics after losing to the United States in the final. Only two of those players are returning to this year’s roster.
Player |
Team |
Olympic Experience |
---|---|---|
Bogdan Bogdanovic |
Atlanta Hawks |
2016 |
Marko Gudurić |
Former NBA Player |
First Olympics |
Nikola Jokic |
Denver Nuggets |
2016 |
Nikola Jovic |
Miami Heat |
First Olympics |
Vasilije Micić |
Charlotte Hornets |
First Olympics |
Filip Petrušev |
Former NBA Player |
First Olympics |
Aleksej Pokusevski |
Charlotte Hornets |
First Olympics |
Germany has never earned a men’s basketball Olympic medal, but with the help of four current NBA players on the roster, the team is hoping for better results this year.
Player |
Team |
Olympic Experience |
---|---|---|
Isaac Bonga |
Former NBA Player |
2020 |
Dennis Schroder |
Brooklyn Nets |
First Olympics |
Daniel Theis |
New Orleans Pelicans |
First Olympics |
Franz Wagner |
Orlando Magic |
First Olympics |
Mo Wagner |
Orlando Magic |
2020 |
Spain will be looking to earn a medal after missing out in the gold and bronze medal games at the last Olympics. Before Tokyo, Spain earned three medals in a row—two silvers in 2008 and ’12 and one bronze in 2016.
Spain only has two active NBA players on the roster, Santi Aldama and Usman Garuba, while the other names mentioned below are former NBA stars.
Player |
Team |
Olympic Experience |
---|---|---|
Santi Aldama |
Memphis Grizzlies |
First Olympics |
Lorenzo Brown |
Former NBA Player |
First Olympics |
Rudy Fernández |
Former NBA Player |
2004, 2008, 2012, 2016, 2020 |
Usman Garuba |
Free Agent |
2020 |
Juancho Hernangómez |
Former NBA Player |
2020 |
Willy Hernangómez |
Former NBA Player |
2016, 2020 |
The biggest NBA name on South Sudan’s Olympic team is Phoenix Suns center Bol Bol. He will be making his Olympic debut for his home country of South Sudan in Paris.
This is the first year in which South Sudan has an Olympic basketball team.
Player |
Team |
Olympic Experience |
---|---|---|
Deng Adel |
Former NBA Player |
2020 (Australia) |
Bol Bol |
Phoenix Suns |
First Olympics |
Carlik Jones |
Former NBA Player |
First Olympics |
Thon Maker |
Former NBA Player |
First Olympics |
JT Thor |
Charlotte Hornets |
First Olympics |
Greece has one active NBA player on its Olympic roster, and it helps that it’s two-time NBA MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo. He will be making his Olympic debut, and he was also named the flagbearer for Greece.
Greece has never won an Olympic medal in men’s basketball.
Player |
Team |
Olympic Experience |
---|---|---|
Giannis Antetokounmpo |
Milwaukee Bucks |
First Olympics |
Kostas Antetokounmpo |
Former NBA Player |
First Olympics |
Nick Calathes |
Former NBA Player |
First Olympics |
Georgios Papagiannis |
Former NBA Player |
First Olympics |
Kostas Papanikolaou |
Former NBA Player |
First Olympics |
Brazil has one active NBA player on its Olympic roster, Gui Santos. While Brazil has three Olympic bronze medals in men’s basketball, they last won a medal in 1964.
Player |
Team |
Olympic Experience |
---|---|---|
Bruno Caboclo |
Former NBA Player |
First Olympics |
Marcelo Huertas |
Former NBA Player |
2012, 2016 |
Raul Neto |
Former NBA Player |
First Olympics |
Gui Santos |
Golden State Warriors |
First Olympics |
Japan has two active NBA players on its Olympic roster, including 2019 first-rounder Rui Hachimura. Like some of the other countries mentioned above, Japan has never won a men’s basketball medal.
Player |
Team |
Olympic Experience |
---|---|---|
Rui Hachimura |
Los Angeles Lakers |
2020 |
Yuta Watanabe |
Memphis Grizzlies |
2020 |
New Orleans Pelicans’ Jose Alvarado is the one NBA player representing Puerto Rico this year.
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