LeBron James and Steph Curry headline USA Basketball player pool for Olympics

LeBron James, aged 39, and Stephen Curry, aged 35, were the prominent figures among the 41-player pool unveiled by USA Basketball on Tuesday. This marks the initial phase in the formation of the team that will strive for the coveted gold medal in the men's basketball tournament at the 2024 Paris Olympics.

The pool consists of 28 players who have represented the United States at either the Olympics or the FIBA Basketball World Cup. These players have a combined total of 23 Olympic or World Cup gold medals.

The United States recently secured their fourth consecutive Olympic title at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, and they finished fourth at the Basketball World Cup last year.

Grant Hill, the managing director of Team USA, expressed his excitement about the interest shown by many of the game's superstars in representing the country at the 2024 Olympic Summer Games.

He considers it a privilege to select the team that will strive to reclaim the top spot on the Olympic podium. The process of selecting the team will unfold over the next few months as national team activities commence.

LeBron James, a four-time NBA champion, has not played for Team USA since winning a gold medal at the 2012 London Olympics. On the other hand, Stephen Curry, the NBA's all-time leader in three-pointers, has never represented the United States at an Olympics.

The list of players also includes Kevin Durant, Anthony Davis, Jimmy Butler, Paul George, Kyrie Irving, and Joel Embiid.

Embiid recently set a franchise record for the Philadelphia 76ers by scoring 70 points in a game. The national team will be led by head coach Steve Kerr, who also holds the same position with the NBA's Golden State Warriors.