On Monday, Team USA announced 11 out of the 12 players they have selected to represent the nation for the upcoming Summer Olympics in Paris. For some reason, they left out one name for the final roster spot, which led to all sorts of speculation regarding the same.
Well, it did not take long for the committee to decide on that final spot. According to reports, Los Angeles Clippers forward Kawhi Leonard has been picked to join a superstar-studded squad that will be led by the likes of LeBron James and Stephen Curry.
Team USA News: Kawhi Leonard Added to Olympics Roster
It was NBA reporter Jeff Zillgitt of USA TODAY Sports who broke the news on Tuesday evening via Twitter:
“Kawhi Leonard will fill the 12th and final spot on the U.S. men’s Olympic basketball team in Paris, I’m told,” Zillgitt reported.
This does not come as a complete surprise. As the initial roster was announced on Monday, Shams Charania and Joe Vardon of The Athletic reported that Leonard was the frontrunner to land the final spot, with the likes of Jalen Brunson and Mikal Bridges, to name a couple, also considered contenders.
What remains unclear, however, is why Team USA decided to wait a day before settling on the 12th player on their roster instead of just announcing the entire team all at once.
Team USA Is Absolutely Stacked
Talking about the whole team, this is without a doubt one of the most stacked national squads we’ve seen in quite a while. Apart from LeBron and Curry, the likes of Kevin Durant, Jayson Tatum, and Joel Embiid have also been tapped up to represent the country.
Below is the full 12-man list:
LeBron James
Kevin Durant
Jayson Tatum
Joel Embiid
Devin Booker
Tyrese Haliburton
Anthony Edwards
Jrue Holiday
Bam Adebayo
Anthony Davis
Kawhi LeonardBetter than the dream team? pic.twitter.com/9ey7kTM9Wv
— Legion Hoops (@LegionHoops) April 16, 2024
Honestly, is there any national team there that is capable of defeating this roster?
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