When playing for Team USA in the Olympics, it can feel like a no-win situation for a professional basketball player. Though it was invented by Canadian James Naismith, the sport has become the quintessential American global game. The United States men’s team has won the dominant share of gold medals in the competition, taking home the top prize 16 times, silver once in 1972 and bronze twice in 1988 and 2004. But ever since America brought the pros in to play in 1992, beginning with star-studded Dream Team, it has been more pressurized. If Team USA wins, it’s expected. If they lose, it’s a failure. That is the same for the women’s side, too, though they’ve been even more dominant than the men through the decades.
Nevertheless, Team USA continues to draw the biggest names in hoops every four years to compete. And the forthcoming 2024 Games in Paris is no different, with LeBron James, Steph Curry and Kevin Durant set to suit up for the men’s team and Breanna Stewart and Diana Taurasi for the women. But what should newcomers like Anthony Edwards or Sabrina Ionescu expect this year when playing for their country? “International basketball,” says two-time NBA champion coach Rudy Tomjanovich, who led Team USA’s men’s squad to gold in 2000, “the pressure is elevated to a level that is really high, especially for Americans.”
