MIES (Switzerland) - The 2024 Summer Olympics are almost here. The excitement is growing, the Men's Olympic Basketball Tournament is set to be incredible and unpredictable, with nearly all 12 teams hoping they could climb the podium at the end of the event in Paris.
That's because they all have at least one major international basketball star on their roster. We narrowed the list down to 20 players - in no particular order - whose performances could make all the difference between winning or going back home empty handed.
Plus, these players are an absolute show by themselves, and their performances are a must-see.
Steph Curry - USA
An incredible career is about to get its Olympic chapter. As of July 21, Steph Curry is still unbeaten in the national team, 22-0, with two FIBA Basketball World Cups to his name already (2010 and 2014).
Now, he's highly motivated to add an Olympic gold medal to the trophy cabinet back home. Curry showed just how lethal he can get in that preparation game against Serbia, counting to 24 and knocking down six three-pointers.
Even if his numbers weren't at that level against South Sudan, the deep three-pointer he made late in the third quarter pushed the United States towards the win, after they had been down by 16 in that encounter.
Carlik Jones - South Sudan
Speaking of that USA v South Sudan game, Carlik Jones had a triple-double. The 26-year-old originally from Cincinnati, Ohio made his debut for the adopted homeland at the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2023, finishing the tournament as the assist leader, dishing out 10.4 per game.
He loves South Sudan, and the nation loves him back. How could they not, when he had 15 points, 11 rebounds and 11 assists against the United States, taking on LeBron James in direct one-on-one battles in front of the entire world.
Santi Aldama - Spain
Doesn't it feel like this guy is improving every single year? The 23-year-old Aldama had his first double-digit scoring NBA season, getting 10.7 points with 5.8 rebounds per game for the Memphis Grizzlies, and after making just 12.5 percent of his threes as a rookie, he's now up to 35 percent over the last two seasons.
He played his first big event with the national team last summer, averaging 11.2 points and 4.0 rebounds at the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2023, which was his way of warming up for 2024.
During the FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament 2024 Spain, Aldama went on to pick up the TISSOT MVP award, with averages of 17.0 points, 8.0 rebounds and 1.8 blocks per game.
Improvement after improvement after improvement.
Dennis Schroder - Germany
Putting on the national team jersey turns Dennis Schroder into a superhero. It happened back in 2017, when he averaged 23.7 points and 5.6 assists during the FIBA EuroBasket. It happened in 2022, with 22.1 points and 7.1 assists per game, and a bronze medal around his neck.
And yes, it happened in 2023, too, as the point guard led Germany to their first ever FIBA Basketball World Cup triumph, 17.9 points and 6.7 assists per game more than enough to earn him the TISSOT MVP of the event award in Manila.
He missed the 2020 Summer Olympics due to insurance issues. Expect him to make up for it with unreal games in 2024.
Rudy Gobert - France
Must watch players aren't necessarily just offensive masterminds. If you want to learn a thing or two about the defensive part of the game, you should follow Rudy Gobert's movement there.
The four-time NBA Defensive Player of the Year, seven-time NBA All-Defensive First Team member, three-time NBA All-Star, Rudy Gobert will go down in history as one of the best defensive players of all time when all is said and done.
Now, at 32, he's set to play the Olympics in front of 27,000 fans in stands of the Pierre Mauroy Stadium in Villeneuve-d'Ascq, just an hour's drive away from his hometown of Saint-Quentin. That must feel like a perfect circle moment for Rudy.
Bogdan Bogdanovic - Serbia
In 2023, Nikola Jokic became the first player in NBA history to get 500 points, 250 rebounds and 150 assists in a single NBA Playoffs run. He also led the Denver Nuggets to their first NBA championship, and it was of no surprise that he picked up the Finals MVP award, too.
So, what does this have to do with Bogdan Bogdanovic, you're probably wondering? Well, in 2023, even with Nikola Jokic doing incredible things in the NBA, it was Bogdan Bogdanovic who was named the best Serbian basketball player of the year, with 27 votes, compared to Jokic's 10.
That's how beloved Bogdan Bogdanovic is back home, that's how impressive his FIBA Basketball World Cup 2023 run was.
Anthony Edwards - USA
In 1992, Charles Barkley played for the national team in Barcelona, then returned to Phoenix to become the NBA MVP for the first (and only) time in his career, in 1993.
In 1996, Karl Malone played for the national team in Atlanta, then returned to Utah to become the NBA MVP for the first time in his career, in 1997.
In 2008, LeBron James played for the national team in Beijing, then returned to Cleveland to become the NBA MVP for the first time in his career, in 2009.
In 2010, Derrick Rose played for the national team in Istanbul at the FIBA Basketball World Cup, then returned to Chicago to become the NBA MVP for the first (and only) time in his career, in 2011.
In 2014, Steph Curry played for the national team in Spain at the World Cup, then returned to Golden State to become the NBA MVP for the first time in his career, in 2015.
Just keep that in mind in case Anthony Edwards becomes the NBA MVP in 2025.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander - Canada
The scouting reports back in 2018 emphasized the defense as his main selling point, while the crafty drives, footwork and body control were the talking points offensively. But not even the most optimistic experts around him expected SGA to grow into such a superstar.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander knew he had it in him the entire time. He's now had back-to-back NBA seasons with more than 30 points per game, he averaged 30.2 points, 7.2 rebounds and 6.4 assists during the NBA Playoffs this year, and he was the biggest reason why Canada got their first ever World Cup medal last summer, with 24.5 points, 6.4 rebounds and 6.4 assists per game.
With Gilgeous-Alexander on his game, it's easy to understand why so many people feel like Canada could go all the way in Paris.
Patty Mills - Australia
Oscar Schmidt is the only player with more than a thousand career points at the Olympics, scoring 1093 of them. Andrew Gaze is the runner up, with 789 points, followed by Pau Gasol (649), Luis Scola (591) and Manu Ginobili (523).
Just outside of the top five is Patty Mills. He's got 501 Olympic points so far, including the top scorer honors from 2012, and a 42-point performance to get Australia their first Olympic medal in the Bronze Medal Game in 2021.
The 2024 Olympics end on August 10. Patty celebrates his 36th birthday a day later. Yep, you know what would be a perfect birthday present.
Giannis Antetokounmpo - Greece
The MVP of everything, Giannis Antetokounmpo is now an Olympian. He was very emotional as 12,000 fans in the Peace and Friendship Stadium in Piraeus, Greece sang his last name, praising him for putting Greece back on the Olympic map for the first time in 16 years.
There were some questions about his fitness following a three-month long injury break, but they were quickly answered with exclamation marks, as Giannis picked up the TISSOT MVP of the FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament 2024 Greece award.
With coach Vasilis Spanoulis, it seems like the best version of Antetokounmpo in the national team has been unlocked. Don't be surprised if he ends up being the top scorer of the Olympics.
FIBA