A gripping international contest lies only two weeks ahead. Following the conclusion of the Olympic Qualifiers, every single team has been placed into their brackets. Twelve teams divided into three groups will face the heat and intensity of the Paris Olympics. Of the twelve, Team USA has the biggest onus. They have won four consecutive gold medals at the Olympics. However, their egregious outcome in last year’s FIBA World Cup called for the big guns.

Stephen Curry, LeBron James, Kevin Durant, Joel Embiid, and reigning champ Jayson Tatum are some of the glorified names on the roster. It’s the most decorated group of players in a long time. So let’s look at the path Team USA will have to endure before making it to the knockouts.

Nikola Jokic and Serbia mark the biggest threat

Team USA is placed in Group C, along with three other teams. The biggest threat lies in the Serbian NT, which is headed by 3-time MVP Nikola Jokic alongside other honorable mentions. Besides Jokic, sharpshooter Bogdan Bogdanovic from the Atlanta Hawks and forward Nikola Jovic from the Miami Heat, also grab some of the attention.

They will also be Team USA’s first opponents at the Paris Olympics. The game will take place on July 28 at 11:15 AM ET in Lille, France. The last time Jokic participated in the tournament was in the 2016 edition. He led the Serbians to a silver medal finish, ultimately succumbing to Team USA, which at the time was anchored by Kevin Durant. Hence, for Serbia, it’s their time to exact revenge. This time around, they have a superior squad filled with an abundance of NBA talent and an anointed Joker who just won his third MVP!

South Sudan

For the very first time in their history, South Sudan will have basketball representation at the most elusive sports competition in the world. They earned their spot after a stellar FIBA World Cup campaign, which saw them finish as the highest-ranking African team in the competition. The auspicious occasion came only after a decade of their basketball federation’s inauguration. Likewise, South Sudan has talents that may not be very well known but have made significant strides for their country.

Leading the way is Bol Bol, the Suns center who joins former Boomer Thon Maker and thriving 2025 prospect Khaman Maluach as the centers. FIBA star performer and G-League MVP Carlik Jones rounds up the impressive group of players included in the 25-man training camp. Former teammate of LeBron James, Wenyen Gabriel is also part of the team.

South Sudan will face Team USA on August 1 at 3 PM ET in Lille.

Puerto Rico

Puerto Rico didn’t have a Paris Olympic spot until yesterday. Motivated by home support during the qualifying tournament, they drowned Latvia 79-68 in the Finals to clinch a spot in Group C. It will be their first appearance at the Olympics since 2004. Pelicans guard, Jose Alvarado, was a man on a mission. He poured 23 points to go with 6 rebounds and two steals in Puerto Rico’s enthralling win over Latvia.

Their final roster remains to be announced with a possibility of some key absences making their international return. Notably, Markus Howard, who was touted as the best shooter in the Euro League, missed the qualifiers because of his child’s birth. He could join his brother, Jordan Howard, former Nuggets guard Davon Reed, and former Mavericks shooting guard Gian Clavell in Paris.

They will face off against Team USA in the last game of Group C to be played on August 3 at 11:15 AM ET.

The opposition isn’t as easy to counter as it was several years ago. The world has truly moved forward, as was evident in the competition that Team USA faced in their previous FIBA World Cup campaign. Then again, the only comparable teams to the US are the Dream Team from 1992 and the Redeem Team from 2008. Future Hall of Famers will wear the Team USA jersey in hopes of restoring their place as basketball’s head of the table.

Here is how the other groups look at the Paris Olympics.

Group A: Australia, Greece, Canada, Spain

Group B: Brazil, Japan, France, Germany

The top two teams from each group, along with the top two third-placed teams, will advance to the knockouts.

A riveting few weeks await the ardent basketball fans who will relish the upcoming action. Do you think Team USA will continue their Olympic domination, or is there a team that can dethrone the long-reigning giants?

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.