According to reports, at least two Boston Celtics players will compete for Team USA in the 2024 Summer Olympics.
It’s no surprise that Celtics standout Jayson Tatum would represent the red, white, and blue. His running buddy and fellow NBA All-Star Jaylen Brown, meanwhile, will not be accompanying him to Paris.
Instead, Shams Charania of The Athletic announced Wednesday that Jrue Holiday has been picked to join the renowned and exclusive group. Holiday and Tatum are anticipated to contribute to the team’s core, which also includes Devin Booker, Kevin Durant, LeBron James, Stephen Curry, and Joel Embiid. Charania went on to say that Team USA’s roster is still being finalized and that they want to have it completed by the spring.
Holiday, who is averaging 13 points, 5.7 rebounds, and 4.8 assists per game in his first season with the Celtics, isn’t in the same league as those NBA mega stars, but the 33-year-old was still a desired contender.
“Team USA has been pursuing Holiday for much of the NBA season, and Holiday has delivered his commitment to USAB officials in recent weeks, sources said,” Charania wrote in an email. “Team officials praised Holiday’s two-way ability, point-of-attack defense, and creative playmaking. Holiday was seen as Team USA’s second-most essential player behind Durant at the Tokyo Games in 2021.”
Brown and Derrick White were named to Team USA’s player pool last month, but neither will likely make the 12-man team.
Tatum and Holiday have previously played together in the Olympics, helping Team USA win gold in Tokyo three years ago.
It’s shaping up to be a monumental summer for Tatum and Holiday, as they have the opportunity to not only win a second gold medal, but also lead the Celtics to an NBA championship a month before the Games begin.
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