With the 2024 Paris Olympics less than three weeks away, Team USA is gearing up for their friendly game against Canada. LeBron James, who was recently voted the best player so far in the camp and Steph will share the court. On the other hand, KD is listed as injured for the upcoming game. While this is a warm-up and the players will get the chance to run their plays before the Olympics, this may also be them trying out new rotations. Recently, Carmelo Anthony, who was part of the ‘Redeem Team’, visited the USA camp.

Now, Melo was part of the 2008 Olympics basketball team that was set to redeem themselves. Team USA suffered a terrible loss in the Athens Olympics back in 2004, and so the stacked team was formed. Coming back from this loss was quite a long journey, and the Kobe-led side ultimately defeated Spain, 4 years later to clinch Gold! It is safe to say that Melo knows a thing or two about these training camps.

However, when it came down to listing his starting five for the upcoming tour, the last-minute change in his answer might be surprising. “I would go with Steph, Bron, AD, KD, and I will go with… Who am I missing? Nah, scratch that, I’ll go young. I’ll go young. I’ll go Haliburton, Anthony Edwards, Bam Adebayo, I’ll go Jayson Tatum. And I’m missing one more, Book.”

“And I’ll come off the pine with Bron, KD, Joel, Steph, you know what I mean, and Jrue Holiday. I’ll come off the bench,” Melo claims to be his strategy in Paris. Well, this roster of his may not be up to the mark. Last year, during the FIBA WC, the USA team included all the young stars. From Paolo Banchero to Jalen Brunson, the squad had them all. And we all know what it led to. However, letting the younger guys start the game in the Olympics instead of the vets might just not be suitable.

LeBron James brings the energy to the game. Whereas Steph terrorizes the defense with his shooting. AD and KD are two of the most versatile big men on the team. They, paired with someone like Anthony Edwards or Jrue Holiday, would make up a solid starting five.

Of course, Melo wasn’t so serious with this lineup of his. But at the same time, considering the current scenario, the trio of Bron, Steph, and KD are already pretty dangerous. Durant will look to make his return right before the Olympics. And hopefully, it doesn’t become a problem with the set timeline. But as they continue their camp, what does the Olympics look like for Team USA?

LeBron James is laser-focused on his last Olympics

James has previously won two Gold medals in the Olympics. Going into his last national run with a stacked roster, there are no excuses for Bron to acquire anything less than the topmost podium spot. On the other hand, guys like Steph, Embiid, Edwards, Haliburton, and others are making their first Olympic appearance. The outcome and expectations of this Paris tour seem to be quite obvious, not only to the Americans but to basketball fans around the world.

Watching Bron, KD, and Steph play together will be a sight to see. “There’s 11 other guys beside me that I want to play for and vice versa. Our only goal is to win a Gold Medal for Team USA,” the Lakers veteran clarified, a few days ago. As seen from the rosters, some teams may pose a threat to the States. Though things will start rather on a lighter note, be sure they won’t take anything for granted.

Team USA will be facing Serbia on July 28 to kick things off. This will be a battle between the multiple MVPs on the roster against the three-time MVP. Nikola Jokic and Serbia will look to stop the dominant force in their very first game. What are your thoughts on Team USA going up against Serbia? How do you think will stand out in the first game? Let us know in the comments.

Stay tuned for more such updates, and to follow what brand maker, Leonard Armato, had to say about the deadly duo, Shaq and Kobe, check out this exclusive video by EssentiallySports.