Gonzaga men's basketball coach Mark Few heads with Team USA to Paris for the 2024 Olympics.
Naismith, a two-time Coach of the Year, will help groom some of the most talented players in the world as an assistant on a coaching staff that includes Team USA coach Steve Kerr of the Golden State Warriors, Tyronn Lue of the Los Angeles Clippers and Miami Heat's Erik Spoelstra. The four basketball experts have experience working together as a crew from the 2023 FIBA World Cup last summer, which ended with Team USA finishing in a disappointing fourth place. Inexperience and defensive failures from an inexperienced roster led to a second straight World Cup appearance without a medal to compete for, although the Americans are still in position to capture their fifth straight Olympic gold medal behind their star-studded stars. existing.
LeBron James, Kevin Durant and Stephen Curry headline what some have dubbed “Redeem Team 2.0,” which includes 12 NBA stars, four NBA MVPs and six NBA champions. In addition to 10 Olympic gold medals and three FIBA World Cup titles, the Paris-bound team has plenty of experience on the world stage.
“He's going to coach the best players in the game today,” Gonzaga assistant coach Brian Michaelson said on an episode of Gonzaga Nation. “Future Hall of Famers, some players you could argue might be up there with the greatest players of all time. To be the only college coach associated with any U.S. Olympic team is really special.”
Little's experience with USA Basketball goes back nearly a decade. He guided mostly college players to a bronze medal as head coach at the 2015 Pan American Games. He helped prepare the 2019 World Cup team and the 2021 Olympic team winning gold in an assistant coach role with the 2018 USA National Team minicamp and the 2019 USA Men's Team. But as far as these teams are concerned, nothing compares to the firepower the United States will send to Paris.
The rest of the Team USA roster includes:
– Bam Adebayo (Miami Heat).
* Devin Booker (Phoenix Suns)
* Stephen Curry (Golden State Warriors)
* Anthony Davis (Los Angeles Lakers)
* Anthony Edwards (Minnesota Timberwolves)
* Joel Embiid (Philadelphia 76ers)
– Tyrese Haliburton (Indiana Pacers).
* Jrue Holiday (Boston Celtics)
* Kawhi Leonard (Los Angeles Clippers)
* Jayson Tatum (Boston Celtics)
With some of the best talent in the NBA assembled, it looks like the gold medal is going to be Team USA's to lose. According to covers.com, the USA are favorites heading to Paris with betting odds of -500 on Draftkings Sportsbook. Serbia (+750), Canada (+800) and France (+900) have the next best odds, while World Cup champions Germany have +1600 odds of winning gold.
There is an opportunity to represent Gonzaga throughout the men's basketball event. Former NBA veteran Kelly Olynyk could represent his native Canada in the national team's first appearance at the Olympics since 2000. Olynyk was instrumental in Canada's World Cup bronze medal, averaging 10.9 points and 4.6 rebounds. Rebounds and 2.9 assists in eight games. games. Other Zags who may team up with Olynyk include Kevin Pangos and Andrew Nembhard, though the roster has not yet been announced.
NBA talent Domantas Sabonis, who missed the World Cup due to thumb surgery, is nothing less than a lock to represent Lithuania for a second Olympic Games. Sabonis played in six games and averaged 5.5 points and 4.5 rebounds for seventh place for Lithuania at the 2016 Rio Games.
Team VIEW and Team USA will head to Las Vegas on July 6 to begin training camp, with the first match against Serbia three weeks later on July 28.
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