With the honor of hosting the Olympics, a nation is also given the responsibility of accommodating thousands of world-class athletes. And to fully immerse in the experience or because of budget restrictions, most athletes choose to stay in what is known as the Olympic Village. Even this year, over 14,000 competitors are reportedly staying in the facility built in Paris.

However, the beloved USA basketball team is not among the majority as they followed the age-old tradition of opting out of the Olympic Village and bearing a massive cost to keep the men’s and women’s teams in an isolated environment. But how is USA Basketball able to afford all the luxury in Paris for superstars like LeBron James and A’ja Wilson? Let’s dive in.

USA Basketball Yearly Revenue

As per the reports, USA Basketball is spending around $15 million for the three-week stay in Paris. Along with the lodging, the expense also includes teams’ travel, food, logistics, and more. Now that you know the number, you might be wondering where all the money comes from. Well, it is a collective effort by multiple parties as state departments, the United States Olympic and Paralympic Committee (USOPC), and of course, the NBA, all chime in to help USA Basketball get things in order. According to USA Basketball’s 2023 audit report, they made $21.9 million in revenue last year and $11 million the previous year. As expected, a major chunk of that revenue comes from the NBA because of their licensing and marketing agreement. During the year of the Tokyo Olympics three years ago, the NBA’s contribution to USA Basketball’s revenue was a whopping $15.4 million.

Meanwhile, the support from USOPC has been consistently over one million for the last four years. Because of these factors, USA Basketball has raked in nearly $80 million in the last four years. So, that explains how they can spend such a massive amount to give Team USA the best possible environment during the Olympics. In comparison, American teams for other sports that are participating in the Olympics only have a six-figure budget allocated for them, with the fencing team in the ballpark of $400,000. But this is not the first time USA Basketball has loosened their pockets during the Olympics.

Not the first rodeo for the USA Basketball

Ever since they sent the Dream Team to the 1992 Olympics in Barcelona, USA Basketball has taken care of the team’s accommodation during the Olympics. Well, that’s because there was so much star power in the team with players like Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson, and Larry Bird, that staying in the Olympic Village would have increased security concerns and distracted the athletes. Sure enough, it has been the same since then because USA Basketball always sends top NBA and WNBA stars to compete in the tournament. Obviously, creating a comfortable environment for some of the richest athletes in the world demands an exorbitant price.

During the 2004 Athens Olympics and the 2016 Rio Olympics, they booked entire docked cruise ships to accommodate the best American hoopers. And this time around, LeBron James and Co. are settled in a luxurious hotel, in the heart of Paris. As expected, they have booked the entire hotel, which reportedly has 800 rooms. And for the ongoing group stage games in Lille, they are going to be staying in a five-star hotel. Although there are only a handful of players, including the men’s, women’s, and 3X3 teams, the hotel is also for the entire traveling party that includes team staff, coaches, families, and executives.

A well-thought-out process

Obviously, investing so much money also requires a lot of assessment and deliberation. Well, the process of picking out a stay for the team actually begins nearly six years before the scheduled event, as per the former director of USOPC.

Once it is determined which country will host the next Olympics, members of the committee do a site visit to analyze the best options based on the teams’ requirements. Then, it’s up to USA Basketball to finalize the location. Surprisingly, everything needs to be sorted out for the next event by the time the previous one comes to an end.

So, as we speak about the Paris event, someone is already busy working on Team USA’s stay for the 2028 LA Olympics. But all that effort and money is worth it once the teams are standing on the podium with gold medals around their necks. And as far as the two teams go, the women’s squad has been on top seven straight times and the men’s team is currently pursuing their fifth consecutive gold medal. More importantly, the isolation has been working well in their favor as both teams are currently undefeated in Paris.

Before you go, do not forget to check out this crossover between BG12 and Georgia Bulldogs star Silas Demary Jr.