After NBA star Kevin Durant from the Phoenix Suns, numerous other US professionals have expressed interest in playing at the Olympic Games in Paris next year.
At the media day of the North American professional basketball league, Stephen Curry from the Golden State Warriors said: “I definitely want to be there, it’s the one thing I haven’t done yet.”
The selection coach is Steve Kerr, who has already won four championship titles with Curry and the Warriors. Most of the US stars did not attend the World Cup this summer. The USA had to admit defeat to eventual world champions Germany in the semi-finals and ended up only fourth.
Larger selection of top players
For the Olympics, Kerr will have a much larger selection of top players. All stars DeMar DeRozan, Devin Booker, Jaylen Brown, Donovan Mitchell, Khris Middleton and Julius Randle, among others, announced on Monday that they wanted to play in Paris. Superstar LeBron James also left his participation open. “I don’t think it would be a big burden,” said the 38-year-old James, Olympic champion in 2008 and 2012. Durant could even become the first male basketball player to win Olympic gold for the fourth time in Paris.
A special case is Joel Embiid from the Philadelphia 76ers, who can still decide to play for the USA or host France because of his dual citizenship. The center also flirts with its native country, Cameroon. “My goal is to compete in the Olympics,” Embiid emphasized, “I love all three options.” If Cameroon were to qualify for the Games, “it would be an easy decision.”
