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]]>Nobody would have guessed back in high school Steph Curry would thrill the world by making four incredible 3-pointers in the final 2:43 of the Gold Medal game to close out the victory in dramatic fashion. Curry finished with 24 points and went 17-of-27 from 3-point range in Team USA’s final two victories.
The
performance by Curry sealed his legacy as the best range shooter of all-time and as one of the game’s all-time greats. Nobody would have predicted a performance and career like the one Curry has had even from an all-time great high school player, but certainly not from the Golden State Warriors superstar.Nobody.
Before the Gold Medal game, we talked about what could be done to help the developmental process of USA Basketball as it relates to choosing Olympians and branding future stars and now that USA has won gold, we take a look at where each of the 13 players started from. All 13 players (Kawhi Leonard was selected but unable play) were certainly not elite high school players or All-Americans and each has a unique path to professional and Olympic success.
Below is a break down of Team USA's roster by our first and lasting impressions of them during their time in high school. Behind each impression is an important lesson that we still apply and use when evaluating up-and-coming players today. We will apply these lessons in the years to come as well.
Bam Adebayo, High Point Christian Academy (High Point, N.C.) 2016
Always worked so hard every time we evaluated him and had a terrific senior campaign to finish No. 7 in the HOOP SCOOP’s final rankings for 2016. He is a great example of knowing your role and maximizing it to carve out a terrific career.
Devin Booker, Moss Point (Miss.) 2014
The son of a CBA player who was highly regarded in college (Missouri’s Melvin Booker), Devin got great insight from his father on how not to rely on athleticism and to be a complete player using both his mind and physical attributes. Booker had a McDonald’s All-American talent level, but what struck us was how under control and poised he was as a high school prospect. This from our Mississippi correspondent Lavel Johnson: “He had the look of a high major prospect after seeing him the first game of his tenth grade year. I had alot of people mad around here because I said he I felt he had a higher ceiling than Malik Newman."
Stephen Curry, Charlotte Christian (Charlotte, N.C.) 2006
We saw Curry at the 2005 NBPA Top 100 Camp and he was there as a "legacy pick” as the son of a former NBA player. He wasn’t an elite prospect and even his father’s alma mater (Virginia Tech where Dell Curry played) didn’t have a scholarship to give him coming out of high school. Would the Hokies have loved him as a preferred walk-on? Sure. But Davidson turned out to be a great fit, he got physically stronger and better and most importantly, he went where he got the opportunity to play right away. In this era of NIL, playing right away is even a bigger factor for incoming freshmen. Back that it was perhaps not as important, but Curry used the scholarship snub it as motivation and kept honing his craft to become an all-time great. Curry’s story goes to show that development never stops and proves the point how the stars of USA Basketball’s youth programs won’t necessarily be the stars on the big Olympic stage.
Anthony Davis, Perspectives Charter (Chicago) 2011
Similar to Steph Curry, Davis was an ultimate late bloomer, but his blossom occurred while he was still in high school and not after he accepted a scholarship offer. For Davis, a growth spurt of 7-8 inches over a two-year period fueled his rise at a small charter school in the Chicago Public League. Prior to spring 2010, few outside of Chicago knew who Davis was, but by the first session of Nike EYBL at Boo Williams Sports Complex in Virginia for Meanstreets, Davis' name was quickly spreading across the country. He went from national obscurity in March 2010 to "he's a Top 5 national prospect" at the Bill Hensley Memorial Run-n-Slam All-Star Classic in Indiana in early May and ended as the best long term prospect in the class. He is now part of the NBA’s Top 75 all-time player list.
Kevin Durant, Montrose Christian (Rockville, Md.) 2006
One of the NBA’s all-time greatest scorers is a terrific example of hindsight. A great example of making bold statements after the fact. It was easy to say Portland royally screwed up by drafting Greg Oden before KD as the No. 1 pick in the 2007 NBA Draft. In reality, in real time and without the benefit of hindsight, Oden was a terrific prospect. It was a close call to keep the big man as the No. 1 player in the national class of 2006, but the HOOP SCOOP’s Clark Francis pointed out then at the end of the 2006 cycle that Durant had a chance to be an all-time great because of his work ethic and desire to be great. We questioned that logic just a bit at that time; we knew Durant was going to be a fine player, but Francis ended up being right. Durant has the necessary size and athleticism, but it was his work ethic that put him over the top. You can’t always measure or define work ethic is what he take from Durant’s remarkable career.
Anthony Edwards, Holy Spirit Prep (Atlanta, Ga.) 2019
Ant Man has always been a great soundbite and a great prospect. It was evident right away within the first half of his first game at the 2018 Pangos All-American Camp that he was the best prospect there and had a chance to be a terrific NBA player. He eventually re-classed to the 2019 class and went on to be the first pick of the 2020 NBA Draft. Will he be the leader of the 2028 US Olympic team?
Joel Embiid, The Rock School (Gainesville, Fla.) 2013
The big man was discovered at the 2011 Basketball Without Borders (BWB) event in South Africa and was guided to attend Montverde Academy in Florida for the 2011-12 high school season. He didn’t play much meaningful minutes for the No. 9 team in the FAB 50 that lost in overtime to Findlay Prep in the Chipotle Nationals (then NHSI) title game. Embiid made the decision to leave Montverde and he blossomed into a second team All-American Elite team choice as a senior. Had Embiid been part of the American high school and grassroots system earlier, he might of earned even more honors and been ranked higher than No. 6 by ESPN and No. 13 by 247Sports.com. Who know what happens if he never attends the BWB event or leaves MVA to get more guaranteed playing time at The Rock School. Since Embiid developed into a NBA MVP, his story speaks to the global expansion of the game and how making a sound decision on what high school to attend is paramount.
Tyrese Haliburton, Oshkosh North (Oshkosh, Wis.) 2018
We first saw this combo guard at the 2015 Pangos All-Midwest Frosh/Soph Camp. He was a good prospect, but not considered one of the better performers at the event. The camp for rising ninth and tenth-graders was dominated by names such as Tyler Herro, Talen Horton-Tucker, Patrick McCaffery and Jeremiah Robinson-Earl. At the end of the day, Haliburton wasn’t chosen for either one of the camp’s All-Star Games. What is an oversight? Perhaps, but the lessons here is one camp setting is never the end-all to a final evaluation, players don’t have to be discouraged by how scouts feel in a camp setting if they are getting better and what players take from a camp. Haliburton later thanked camp director Dinos Trigonis for the motivation in not selecting him, as he used that motivation to keep betting better and now is a two-time NBA All-Star and Olympic Gold Medalist.
Jrue Holiday, Campbell Hall (North Hollywood, Calif.) 2008
He came from an athletic family, and looked like a future big timer right away in his high school career. What he did was get better every season and developed into the Gatorade National Player of the Year and a top three national recruit. What Holiday possessed was probably the best body control of any guard we have evaluated in the last 30 years. He fits his role perfectly on winning teams and may be a shoo-in for the NBA Hall of Fame one day.
LeBron James, St. Vincent-St Mary (Akron, Ohio) 2003
James has become exactly what we thought in real time; an all-time great. It was evident right from the beginning as he was a great youth player on the national AAU level and our national freshman of the year. James’ public image has take some slight dings in his time with the Lakers, but he’s been a terrific ambassador and a great role model for over 20 years.
Kawhi Leonard, ML King (Riverside, Calif.) 2009
He was a part-time starter as a sophomore at Canyon Springs (Moreno Valley, Calif.), but by halfway through his senior year it was clear he was the best player in California and a top 15 national prospect. It was too late to make him a McDonald’s All-American and too late from some of the big-time schools that wanted to get in on him late, as he stayed loyal to the San Diego State staff. Not making an early judgement on a prospect is the lesson here. Players do get better.
Jayson Tatum, Chaminade (St. Louis, Mo.) 2016
HOOP SCOOP ranked him No. 4 in the national class and he was third in the Mr. Basketball USA voting behind honoree Lonzo Ball and Josh Jackson. He was a steady prospect and we thought he would have been the wiser choice for the Lakers at No. 2 in the 2017 NBA Draft. Los Angeles went for the hometown star from UCLA and Celtics fans couldn’t be happier.
Derrick White, Legend (Parker, Col.) 2012
He was lightly recruited out of high school and was an honorable mention all-state choice. We don’t recall him off hand at any major grassroots events or being in consideration for any of our honors based teams. Not only was he not in consideration for any All-American honors, but he wasn’t even in the rather large pool of players considered. There are tons of players that aspire to play at the next level, but only one NAIA school (Johnson & Wales University in Denver) took a serious look at White and even then it was a non-scholarship institution. White got a break when its head coach, Jeff Culver, took a job at Colorado–Colorado Springs, a D2 program, and offered him a stipend to attend. The non-scholarship player got a shot and what Culver did know was White was likely to keep growing and fill out and that’s exactly what happened. White keep growing even as his high school career was finishing, and he became an immediate freshman D2 starter. He eventually became UCCS’s all-time leading scorer and transferred to Colorado for his final season of eligibility. White is another clear example of why accurately projecting where a player will end up down the line is so vital to the recruiting process and needing only one coach to believe in you and give you a shot is reality. White got that one shot and had that one coach and took full advantage.
Ronnie Flores is the national Grassroots editor of www.ebooksnet.com. He can be reached at?[email protected]. Don't forget to follow him on Twitter:?@RonMFlores
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Jrue Holiday is anticipated to be a part of the 2024 Olympic team following his pivotal role as a player during the Tokyo Olympics. Due to the Covid 19 Pandemic, the official Tokyo games were held in 2021.
The USA Men's Basketball team is aiming for redemption following a disappointing 4th place in the FIBA World Cup. Despite being ranked no.1 by FIBA globally, the team suffered defeats against Germany and Canada. Shams Charania, an NBA insider for The Athletic, reports that Jrue Holiday and Devin Booker are anticipated to be among the 12 core members of the forthcoming Olympic team.
Holiday, 33 was traded from the Milwaukee Bucks to the Boston Celtics in a surprising move following the Damian Lillard trade. Renowned as one of the premier two-way players in basketball, Holiday excels as an elite perimeter defender and has been integral to the Celtics' success this season.
Across 53 games, the guard has maintained averages of 13 points, 5.7 rebounds, and 4.8 assists. Impressively, Holiday ranks 9th overall in three-point shooting with a 44.3 percent success rate, having made 108 shots from beyond the arc this season. Notably, he leads the NBA with an outstanding 63% accuracy rate from corner threes.
With 15 years of experience in the NBA and a championship title under his belt, Holiday has established himself as a seasoned veteran. He was a key figure in the 2020 Olympic team, contributing significantly to their gold medal triumph in Tokyo. Throughout the six matchups, spanning the group phase, quarter-finals, semi-finals, and finals, Holiday maintained averages of 11.9 points, 3.8 assists, 1.7 steals, and 4.8 rebounds.
Jrue Holiday played a pivotal role on the Tokyo Gold Medal-winning roster
JRUE HOLIDAY
— www.ebooksnet.com (@Ballislife) August 7, 2021
One of the most valuable players on the Bucks & Team USA pic.twitter.com/Kyoz1bV0Yl
His shooting prowess was evident, with a commendable 48.8% accuracy from the floor, with 55% of his shots being two-pointers. This impressive performance solidified his status as an Olympic gold medalist. A vital part of the 2020 squad, Holiday excelled as a reliable contributor on offense and defense, making crucial defensive stops during matchups.
Amongst a roster brimming with stars, Holiday stood out by finishing third in both scoring and rebounds, while also leading in assists. Hypothetically, if Boston were to embark on a serious championship pursuit and reach the Finals, Holiday would seamlessly transition into Olympic preparation and practice immediately thereafter.
With his exceptional playmaking skills and basketball IQ, Holiday is among the first players to commit to the 2024 Paris USA Olympic team.
Devin Booker and Jrue Holiday were both core members of the Tokyo USA Olympic team
Devin Booker is a problem #ballislife pic.twitter.com/DAIwqtljs5
— www.ebooksnet.com (@Ballislife) July 28, 2018
Although the USA men's basketball roster is not finalized, Devin Booker seems to be the second player committed to participating in the Olympics, as reported by The Athletic.
In his ninth season, all with the Phoenix Suns, Devin Booker is averaging 27.5 points, a career-high 7.0 assists, and 4.6 rebounds. With Bradley Beal sidelined for much of the season, Booker has assumed additional responsibilities alongside Kevin Durant. He's shooting a career-high 49.6 percent from the field and 37.1 percent from beyond the arc.
Appearing in 48 games this season, Booker has been a cornerstone of the Suns team, which currently holds the No. 5 seed in the Western Conference with a record of 34-24. Known for his elite mid-range jumpers, Booker has been a core member in the team's resurgence over the last couple of years. Similar to Holiday, Booker was a member of the 2020 Tokyo USA Olympic team and is a gold medalist.
Participating in all six games of the 2020 Olympics, Booker ranked 5th in points with 9.3 per game. Additionally, the guard finished second on the team in steals per game (1.5) and averaged 20.6 minutes per game. Booker is a seasoned veteran known for his exceptional versatility and elite scoring ability on the offensive end of the court.
Team USA is the reigning four-time Olympic gold medalist in men’s basketball
The USA Men's Basketball team boasts an unblemished record in the Olympics over the past 16 years. During this remarkable streak, the team has secured gold medals in the 2008 Beijing Olympics, 2012 London Olympics, 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics, and 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
As training camp commences in July, emerging news will reveal the members of the 12-man roster for Team USA. Taking into account factors such as health and prior commitments, Team USA initially released a list of 41 players who could serve as replacements if needed.
As the 2024 Paris Olympics are scheduled to kick off in late July, the USA Men's National Team will be under the guidance of Warriors head coach Steve Kerr.
Additional details regarding both the Men's and Women's Olympic teams will be disseminated as the event draws nearer.
RELATED: USA WOMEN'S NATIONAL BASKETBALL TEAM HOLDS MINI CAMP IN BROOKLYN
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Sara Jane Gamelli is a full-time Sportswriter, Content Creator and Social Media Manager for Ballislife Bets.?She has a focus on the NBA, WNBA, NCAA Basketball, and the NFL. Sara Jane currently resides in Connecticut/NYC area with her Cat and Dog. SJ has her undergraduate degree from the?University?of Connecticut in Economics, with a minor in business administration.
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BROOKLYN-- Following a three day training camp at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York, the USA Women's National Basketball announced their 12-player roster for the FIBA qualifying tournament. With the lineup set, the USA team will compete in the tournament on Feb. 8-11, in Antwerp, Belgium.
Already qualified in the 2024 Paris Olympics, USA will compete against Belgium, Nigeria, and Senegal. The first matchup vs. Belgium will take place on Feb. 8 at 2:45 p.m. ET. USA will face Nigeria on Feb. 9, starting at 12:15 p.m. ET.
Over the weekend, the 18-roster mini camp roster included the following athletes: Allisha Gray, Aliyah Boston, Alyssa Thomas, Ariel Atkins, Arike Ogunbowale, A'ja Wilson, Betnijah Laney, Breanna Stewart, Brittney Griner, Chelsea Gray, Diana Taurasi, Jackie Young, Jewell Loyd, Kahleah Copper, Kelsey Plum, Napheesa Collier, Rhyne Howard, and Sabrina Ionescu.
Throughout training camp, all players were divided into two teams, one sporting grey jerseys, and the other, red scrimmage vests. In the intense practice, the athletes were seen competing 5 vs. 5 against male basketball players, and each other. In attendance was WNBA Commissioner, Cathy Engelbert, Chicago Sky head coach Teresa?Weatherspoon, among several high-profile coaches and general managers.
So much talent here. Love the defensive matchup with Betnijah Laney on Jackie Young. Great screen by Aliyah Boston and defense by A’ja Wilson.
— Sara Jane Gamelli (@SaraJGamelli) February 3, 2024
Alyssa Thomas doing what she does best-rebounding & getting the ball out. Kelsey Plum finds her in transition at @usabasketball camp pic.twitter.com/17Tyhmhl74
After the 5 vs. 5 scrimmage matchups, the players were seen working on their shots in individual and group settings.
Although all of these players are exceptional athletes, unfortunately six of them were cut before this weekend's qualifying tournament. Noticeably absent is Aces star, A'ja Wilson, who has prior commitments, and Brittney Griner. It seems the rookies are being given a chance to compete in Belgium coming up.
Diana Taurasi is competing for her sixth Olympic gold medal
The 12-roster finalists include five-time Olympic Gold Medalist Diana Taurasi. The UConn legend has spent all 16 years of her WNBA career with the Phoenix Mercury. She received a gold medal in 2004, 2008, 2012, 2016, and 2020.
Present at training camp, Taurasi shed light on competing for her country, and the younger generation taking over as the new faces of women's basketball.
The legend herself Diana Taurasi speaks highly of Aliyah Boston at @usabasketball pic.twitter.com/o2QrAujD0U
— Sara Jane Gamelli (@SaraJGamelli) February 3, 2024
"It's always been something that we've taken seriously," Taurasi told the media after practice. "These camps happen for a reason, obviously it's an Olympic year. They are hind in the intensity and pressure, but coach Reeves, she does a good job of making it very simple. You come out here, you play hard, you play for your teammate, you play for your country."
Considering the Olympics are every four years, at age 41, this could very well be Taurasi's last Olympics of her professional career. Even at her age, Taurasi still loves competing at a high level.
"It's no secret, it's ground and pound," said Taurasi. "Everyone is always trying to ask-- you want to do it every single day when you're 40. It hurts a little bit more, it takes a little bit longer, but it's sweeter when the day's over. I still love to compete. I still love to play. "
Rookies are getting a shot this upcoming weekend
Former rookies of the year Aliyah Boston, and Atlanta Dream guard Rhyne Howard, are both finalists for the 12-person roster. Although they have prior USA basketball experience, they will make their senior debuts this weekend in Belgium. Boston, the former No.1 pick in the 2023 WNBA Draft, became the first rookie to start an All-Star game since 2014. Howard, a 2x WNBA All-Star, has blossomed into a star in just two seasons.
"Sweet feet, she's got sweet feet." said Taurasi on Aliyah Boston. "What a great kid. I've spent some time her in the last camp. She's such a brilliant, intelligent, young woman. You don't get to know how good someone is until you pay with them. Aliyah [Boston] is the future of not only the WNBA, but of USA Basketball."
As Taurasi competes for her sixth Olympic gold medal, the Mercury star says it's been fun to play with the younger generation of players, and the game of basketball has evolved over the years. Although she's accustomed to certain levels of comfortability, she's open to achieving the same goal of winning a gold medal despite differences levels of experience.
"It's funny, sometimes experience is an Achilles heel," Taurasi told the media. "You've been through it so many times. You feel like there's a certain way of doing it. Being around these kids not only in USA Basketball, the WNBA, it's a whole new generation of kids. They learn different, they think different, the play different. It's been really fun to see how they go about it, and there's more than one way to skin a cat."
Turning defense
— Ballislife Womens Basketball (@ballislifewbb_) February 3, 2024offense at @usabasketball training camp
Jewell Loyd locking down on defense leads to a smooth dime from Betnijah Laney to Alyssa Thomas!
There 18 finalists that are competing for one of 12 roster spots on the USA Women's Basketball National Team. pic.twitter.com/0su6u2e1Dn
The final 12-person roster for the FIBA qualifying tournament
The other qualifying athletes include Ariel Atkins, Napheesa Collier, Kahleah Copper, Sabrina Ionescu, Jewell Loyd, Kelsey Plum, Breanna Stewart, Alyssa Thomas, and Jackie Young. Seeking their eight consecutive Gold Medal, Atkins, Collier, Loyd, Plum, Stewart, and Young were all participants in the 2020 Olympics. A core part of the 3x3 2020 Olympic team, Plum and Young are once again headed to Paris. Copper and Thomas were both members of the 2022 USA Women's World Cup roster.
As the team heads over seas, Cheryl Reeve, head coach of the Minnesota Lynx, was named the USA Women's Basketball Head Coach for the training camp and qualifying tournaments.
There will be another training camp in April, where the team can make its final roster changes before heading to Paris this summer. The reigning champions, the USA National Women's basketball team hasn't lost since the 1992 Olympics, where they earned a bronze medal.
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Sara Jane Gamelli is a full-time Sportswriter, Content Creator and Social Media Manager for Ballislife Bets.?She has a focus on the NBA, WNBA, NCAA Basketball, and the NFL. Sara Jane currently resides in Connecticut/NYC area with her Cat and Dog. SJ has her undergraduate degree from the?University?of Connecticut in Economics, with a minor in business administration.
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