Jaren Jackson Jr. and Desmond Bane will compete for a chance to represent Team USA.
The Grizzlies pair are two of 41 players that will compete for 12 roster spots on Team USA for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, Team USA announced Tuesday.
The player pool was selected by Grant Hill, USA Basketball Men’s National Team managing director, and could change. The final roster will be announced closer to this summer.
28 of the 41 players in the pool have represented Team USA before, Jackson Jr. among them. On top of Bane and Jackson, the pool includes players like Kevin Durant, Devin Booker, Damian Lillard and Joel Embiid.
“The United States boasts unbelievable basketball talent, and I am thrilled that many of the game’s superstars have expressed interest in representing our country at the 2024 Olympic Summer Games,” Hill said. “It is a privilege to select the team that will help us toward the goal of once again standing atop the Olympic podium. This challenging process will unfold over the next several months as we eagerly anticipate the start of national team activity."
Jackson Jr. spent the summer of 2023 on Team USA's FIBA World Cup Team and averaged 8.1 points and 2.9 rebounds per game. Bane has elevated his game over the last year. Prepping for an increased role due to Ja Morant's absence, he's averaging career highs of 24.4 points and 5.3 assists per game in the NBA.
Morant was left off the list of eligible players, likely because of the shoulder injury and subsequent surgery he underwent in early January.
