Olympics 2024: What to know, who to watch in men's basketball competition
A roadmap to follow for the men's basketball competition during the Paris Olympics:
ATHLETES TO WATCH:
LeBron James, United States: The NBA's all-time scoring leader seeks his third Olympic gold medal (2008, 2012) and returns to the Games for the first time in 12 years. At 39, James presumably is playing in his final Olympics.
Kevin Durant, United States: He is seeking to become the first four-time men's basketball gold medalist, after helping the U.S. win gold at Tokyo in 2021, Rio de Janeiro in 2016 and London in 2012.
Victor Wembanyama, France: The NBA rookie of the year and runner-up for defensive player of the year (behind French teammate Rudy Gobert) will be one of the faces of the Paris Games.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Canada: The runner-up in this season's NBA MVP voting behind Nikola Jokic of Serbia (another likely Olympic player this summer) will be asked to help deliver Canada a medal. It's not out of reach, as proven by Canada's bronze at the World Cup last summer.
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