Did Dillon 'The Villain' Brooks trigger USA superstars to join forces?

PHOENIX (USA) - In their announced roster for the upcoming Olympic Games, USA have two players - Tyrese Haliburton and Anthony Edwards - that return from last year's team that finished fourth at the FIBA Basketball World Cup in Manila.

The Americans fell in a 113-111 Semi-Final thriller to eventual champions Germany and then lost after overtime to Canada, who got 39 points from NBA standout Dillon Brooks.

Soon after that setback to Canada, LeBron James and and Stephen Curry said they wanted to play, leaving some wondering if Brooks' performance had been a useful recruiting tool for USA coach Steve Kerr.

Other greats like Kawhi Leonard also committed. Brooks was, indeed, one of the more noteworthy characters of the last World Cup. 

Kevin Durant, however, doesn't see Brooks as the reason why America's best want to play. From personal experience, he knows there's plenty more to gain from playing at the Olympics than just exacting revenge.

"(Durant laughs) I wouldn't say it because of Dillon Brooks," he said to digital content creator Leigh Ellis. "A lot of guys don't have that (Olympics) on their resume. Steph (has) never done it. Kawhi never done it. You get to travel around the world with the best and play against the best of the best.

"All athletes all around the world, every different sport. It's incredible, man. I think about my time in 2012, 16 and 20 ('21) all the time. I tell all my teammates, and friends as much as I can about those experiences and look forward to making new ones."

Durant is one of the headline names on the USA team that was announced this week and for good reason.

The 2010 FIBA Basketball World Cup MVP and three-time Olympic champion is the USA's all-time statistical leader at the Summer Games in total points (435), scoring average (19.8 ppg), field goals (146), 3-point field goals (74) and free throws (69). 

He has also declared that four-time defending champions USA are going to have such a dynamic, mesmerizing team at the Olympics that Paris needs to "just keep the camera rolling."

There is a glittering array of players that he will have as teammates.

James is returning to the Olympic fold for the first time since he won his second gold medal, at the 2012 London Games, and two-time World Cup winner and four-time NBA champions Curry is on board for the first time. 

Every player on the roster is going to be worth the price of admission, from Durant's Phoenix Suns teammate, Devin Booker, to first-timer Joel Embiid.

"It's an opportunity for us to go over to Paris and make a statement with the team that we're trying put together, and assert our talent over there, so I'm looking forward to that," Durant said.

"It's an opportunity to go win my fourth gold, play with some of the best players ever to play - Bron, Steph, Book, everybody. When we start moving around, when you get that group together, just keep the camera rolling, man. It's an amazing group of players. 

FIBA