![](https://image-cdn.essentiallysports.com/wp-content/uploads/90-5.jpeg?width=600)
via Getty
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander L of Canada celebrates scoring with his teammate Kelly Olynyk during the Group H match between Lebanon and Canada at the 2023 FIBA World Cup in Jakarta, Indonesia, Aug. 27, 2023. (Photo by Agung Kuncahya B./Xinhua via Getty Images)
![](https://image-cdn.essentiallysports.com/wp-content/uploads/90-5.jpeg?width=600)
via Getty
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander L of Canada celebrates scoring with his teammate Kelly Olynyk during the Group H match between Lebanon and Canada at the 2023 FIBA World Cup in Jakarta, Indonesia, Aug. 27, 2023. (Photo by Agung Kuncahya B./Xinhua via Getty Images)
The pre-Olympics exhibition games have come to a close. Now all the national teams will take the flight to the city of love. Team USA stood out of the lot, grabbing all the attention during their 5-game run ahead of the Paris Olympics. The attention wasn’t only for the star-studded roster but also the thrilling nature of the game. Notably, South Sudan, which is all set to make its Olympic appearance, missed the win by a whisker. However, the drama isn’t over yet as it will continue with the ‘Group of Death’.
It isn’t an easy task to qualify for the Olympics. The European and African teams went toe-to-toe in the qualifying games and finally found themselves in a spot in the big tournament. Notably, Giannis Antetokounmpo‘s Greece went after Luka Doncic‘s Slovenia in an intense showdown for the Olympic qualification and kicked the Dallas Mavericks guard out. Moreover, the grind doesn’t end there for the Greek Freak.
After making a tough run into the Olympics, Giannis found himself amidst the threatening Group A. It is called the ‘Group of Death’ because of its competitive nature. The four teams that make Group A are Canada, Greece, Spain, and Australia. Each team brings its own style of aggressive basketball into the group, along with superstars in their rosters, making it the toughest group in the competition.
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Who are the notable players from Group A that make this the ‘Death Group’?
Polls of the day
Poll 1 of 5
Which team do you think will dominate the 'Group of Death' in the Paris Olympics?
USA
France
Spain
Australia
Do you think Team USA's record will give them an edge in the Paris Olympics?
Absolutely
Maybe
Not at all
Only time will tell
Whats your Perspective on:
Can Team USA survive the 'Group of Death' in Paris, or are we looking at an early exit?
Have an interesting take?
Do you think Jannik Sinner's health issues will affect his chances at the Paris Olympics?
Yes, definitely
No, he will recover in time
It's too early to tell
He should focus on his health first
Is Andreas Obst the next big thing in international basketball?
Absolutely
Maybe
Not yet
No way
It isn’t just the names of the countries that make the group a competitive one, but also the superstars involved in it. Notably, this group has the most number of NBA players than the other two groups. Team USA may have a stacked roster with superstars like LeBron James, Stephen Curry, and Kevin Durant, but other international teams also have an impressive roster to look out for.
![](https://image-cdn.essentiallysports.com/wp-content/uploads/2024-07-15T181345Z_1220692932_UP1EK7F1EMVE1_RTRMADP_3_OLYMPICS-2024-BASKETBALL-US-AUSTRALIA.jpg?width=150&blur=15)
via Reuters
Basketball – Basketball Showcase Game – United States v Australia – Etihad Arena, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates – July 15, 2024 LeBron James of the U.S. in action with Australia’s Josh Giddey REUTERS/Amr Alfiky
Not to take away the greatness of other leagues around the globe, but going by Anthony Davis’ earlier statement, “The best players in the world you go to the NBA… to prove that you’re one of the best players in the world,” the number NBA players in a group does make a parameter to determine the competitiveness of the group.
GROUP A | No. of players |
Active NBA Players | 19 |
Free Agents | 3 |
Former NBA Players | 10 |
What’s your perspective on:
Can Team USA survive the 'Group of Death' in Paris, or are we looking at an early exit?
Have an interesting take?
Firstly, let’s take a look at the menacing Canada roster. It has none other than the 2024 regular season MVP runner-up, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, along with Jamal Murray, the threatening point guard from the Denver Nuggets. And out of the other three teams in the group, the Canadian side has the most number of players from the NBA.
RJ Barrett (Toronto Raptors) | Trey Lyles (Sacramento Kings) |
Nickeil Alexander-Walker (Minnesota Timberwolves) | Andrew Nembhard (Indiana Pacers) |
Khem Birch (Former player) | Kelly Olynyk (Toronto Raptors) |
Dillon Brooks (Houston Rockets) | Dwight Powell (Dallas Mavericks) |
Luguentz Dort (OKC Thunder) |
Next in the lineup is the Australian side. Coming from the down under, their roster is also packed with NBA players. The most notable players are, Josh Giddey and Josh Green. In the recent outing against Team USA, the Aussie side almost chipped away with a win. Here is the list of NBA players in the team.
Dyson Daniels (Pelicans) | Josh Giddey (Bulls) | Jock Landale (Rockets) |
Matthew Dellavedova (Former) | Josh Green (Hornets) | Patty Mills (Free agent) |
Dante Exum (Mavericks) | Joe Ingles (Wolves) | Duop Reath (Trail Blazers) |
Next up, we have the mighty Spain side. Even though this roster doesn’t have any notable NBA stars, it sure does have the firepower to threaten the rest of the teams in the tournament.
Santi Aldama (Grizzlies) | Rudy Fernández (Former) | Juancho Hernangómez (Former) |
Lorenzo Brown (Former) | Usman Garuba (Free Agent) | Willy Hernangómez (Former) |
Last but not least, the Greek side. It says without going. Arguably the most impressive player is from his roster, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Finals MVP and a 7-foot wonder. Here are the other NBA players to watch out for on the side.
Kostas Antetokounmpo (Former) | Georgios Papagiannis (Former) |
Nick Calathes (Former) | Kostas Papanikolaou (Former) |
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Importantly, there are high chances for fans to witness surprise packages from these rosters. The players who haven’t made their NBA appearance may break out during this tournament.
Who is likely to make it to the quarter-finals?
While there are three groups, the top two teams from each group will make it to the quarter-finals. Apart from that, the two best 3rd-placed teams from the three groups will also get a chance. So, there are high chances that three teams from Group A can make it to the knockouts. Considering the aggressive nature and the all-around team, Essentially Sports picks Spain and Canada to make it to the quarter-finals.
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Not to forget the 2008 and 2012 Gold Medal games between Team USA and Spain, Kobe Bryant led the team to a glorious win against his Lakers teammate Pau Gasol. On the other hand, team Canada also has all the potential to win the gold. Recently, the team stunned the home side, France, in an exhibition game.
Who do you think will make it to the quarter-final round from Group A? Let us know in the comments below.
Debate
Can Team USA survive the 'Group of Death' in Paris, or are we looking at an early exit?