Kawhi Leonard Joins LeBron James, Team USA as Final Roster Revealed for 2024 Olympics
Joseph Zucker@@JosephZucker
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Los Angeles Clippers star Kawhi Leonard claimed the final spot for the United States men's basketball team at the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris, the team announced on Wednesday.
Jeff Zillgitt of USA Today first reported on Tuesday that Leonard would join the team.
"[Defense] was certainly an area where we needed to be better on and to improve upon, and we have guys that have that as a foundation," USA Basketball managing director Grant Hill told reporters on Wednesday. "... The game is much more physical than the NBA game. And so being aware of that, having guys whose games would translate on that level on the defensive side and offensive side was important. So yes, this is not a knock on any team that we've had in the past, but I'm really excited about the defensive potential of this group as we work together and prepare ourselves for Paris."
The Athletic's Shams Charania and Joe Vardon reported Monday that USA Basketball had nearly ironed out its Olympic roster with just one vacancy left.
Based on his reputation and performance this season, the 6'7" forward is an obvious choice for the Olympics. He averaged 23.7 points on a career-high 52.5 percent shooting along with 6.1 rebounds, 3.6 assists and 1.6 steals per game.
However, Leonard hasn't stepped onto the court since the Clippers' 130-118 win over the Charlotte Hornets on March 31 due to knee soreness, missing the final eight games of the regular season. His status for the start of the playoffs remains a bit murky.
If the 32-year-old is willing to commit to the 2024 Summer Olympics, then that may signal his knee injury isn't that serious. That can in turn be read as a positive sign regarding his postseason availability.
Assuming he's healthy enough to go, this will be Leonard's first crack at Olympic gold. He was a finalist in 2016 and 2021, withdrawing ahead of the Summer Games in Rio de Janeiro before not making the cut in Tokyo.
His inclusion reinforces the general hunger for Team USA to atone for a fourth-place finish in the 2023 FIBA Basketball World Cup. The Los Angeles Lakers' LeBron James, Golden State Warriors' Stephen Curry and Philadelphia 76ers' Joel Embiid are among the other headliners reportedly selected by USA Basketball.
Anything short of a gold medal for the U.S. will be considered a major disappointment.