After another failure in the World Cup, Grant Hillthe USA Basketball GM, had to bring together the best of the best for the Olympics. LeBron James, Kevin Durant and Stephen Curry had quickly publicly announced their desire to play in Paris.
The three most dominant players of the last ten years. But also three players who are nearing the end of their careers. So, a question lingered in Grant Hill's mind.
“I respect how difficult it is to be excellent at this age,” he admits to The Athletic. “I also know it can be exhausting, and the summer is a big part of your preparation for the upcoming NBA season. So I didn't know what they had in store. I didn't really know what level they were going to play at. You could hope that they would play at a certain level. So there was some uncertainty, to be honest.”
A very quickly reassuring “King”
LeBron James quickly calmed the doubts. Already, during the preparation, the “King” refused to give up the victory in South Sudan or against Germany. He also stood out once the competition began against Serbia.
“Maybe it’s paranoia, but what if LeBron at 39 and a half couldn’t be at that level? What would happen? ” adds Grant Hill. “He has largely brushed that aside and, importantly, he was probably the fittest player coming into training camp. He has been the best player in the friendlies and has been our best player at times in the Olympic games so far.”
It was in the face of uncertainty about the level of his veterans that Grant Hill chose to assemble such a talented team, when usually two or three “role players” join Team USA.
In Tokyo, Keldon Johnson, Jerami Grant and Javale McGee came to fill the team's ranks without playing much. Today, Steve Kerr could find himself leaving Tyrese Haliburton, Joel Embiid or Jayson Tatum on the bench for an entire game.
“You can't please everyone, but I think when you win a gold medal, everyone feels like they've contributed,” concludes the former Pistons player. “People will come out of this experience with a positive outlook on the whole thing. And you know, we'll have to reorganize everything and find solutions in four years, but right now my only goal is to win, to win that gold medal.”
