Head in the air Mikal Bridges? That's the least we can say. Present at the moment in Paris to arrive the Cavs this evening, Nets player says he had… “ forget », before being reminded that the Olympic Games were going to be held in the French capital.
An admission that is all the more improbable given that the member of “Team USA” during the last World Cup made his presence at the Olympics a personal objective. Former Suns player confided to The Athletic think he deserves his place based on his performances in Asia last summer. “ I feel like we all (from the 2023 team) we won it », he adds despite the meager 4th place recovered by his team.
Survivors of the World Cup fiasco?
It will be up to the managers to decide, but according to the American media, several players could actually be renewed. In addition to the Nets player, Anthony Edwards and Tyrese Haliburton, who were announced among the first selected last June, seem to be in pole position.
And unlike last year's selection process, “Team USA” did not send a formal invitation for its 12-player roster for Paris. Decision-makers are expected to begin contacting potential players before the end of January, looking at between 35 and 40 names on a master list of players.
On this list, mostly Olympic or World Cup veterans, many (but not all) of whom are stars, with a potential spot for a few players who may not check any of those boxes.
Superstars galore
The Americans would then return to the logic of a large group of invited players, of which Grant Hill and Steve Kerr had nevertheless suggested the elimination, before pruning to obtain the final team. Which does not seem surprising as the number of big name candidates seems numerous: LeBron James, Kevin Durant, Stephen Curry, Jayson Tatum, Devin Booker, Joel Embiid…
Such a strategy makes it possible to keep a greater number of players engaged, and therefore in competition, until the deadline. And should allow a more natural selection process, depending on events in the playoffs and the fatigue levels of some at the end of the season.
