Tyrese Haliburton’s Olympic Journey: A Quest for Gold with Team USA

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Tyrese Haliburton

His point was clear: If other nations are getting better, then the U.S. must find ways to improve as well.

“Maybe we’ll show that one to the guys,” Kerr said. “I love that. And it has to be our attitude this summer.”

After months of planning, it’s time for the U.S. Olympic team to take the floor. They aim to secure a fifth consecutive gold medal at the Paris Games later this month. The first practice is scheduled for Saturday, kicking off a four-day training camp before their exhibition opener against Canada on Wednesday.

Players began arriving in Las Vegas on Thursday, with Stephen Curry being the first to check in, highlighting his eagerness for what will be his first Olympics. While the 12 players have known each other for years, the real task of becoming a cohesive team starts on Saturday.

“I feel like it starts when we get there because that’s when you really see each other eye-to-eye,” said Bam Adebayo, who is seeking his second gold medal after winning one at the Tokyo Games three years ago. “You have those conversations, you have those many conversations about what we’re going through, what we’re trying to do. And that’s when it’s time to really be honest about what we want to do.”

That part is easy: Win gold.

The how-to-do-it part, that’s the key.

Last year brought another humbling World Cup experience for the U.S.; after finishing seventh in 2019, the Americans placed fourth in Manila. But the argument — or justification — for those stumbles was that the U.S. wasn’t sending the best possible roster to those tournaments. Getting big names like Kevin Durant and LeBron James for the Olympics is one thing. Getting them for the World Cup and asking them to represent their country in back-to-back summers is something else entirely.

Tyrese Haliburton and Anthony Edwards were on that World Cup team last summer and were also picked for this Olympic team.

“Obviously, last year we didn’t do what we wanted to do,” Haliburton said. “And that was frustrating because any time you get to represent USA Basketball, the expectation is to win. And we weren’t able to do that.”

This team was assembled with a very different outcome in mind. James is back on the Olympic team for the first time since 2012, seeking his third gold. Durant is aiming for a record fourth basketball gold, and five other players — Adebayo, Devin Booker, Jrue Holiday, Jayson Tatum, and Anthony Davis — each have one. The first-time Olympians include Haliburton, Edwards, Curry, Kawhi Leonard, and Joel Embiid, who the U.S. convinced to play despite a strong push by France for the Philadelphia star to represent the host nation in Paris.

As for choosing a starting lineup, Kerr acknowledges the challenge.

“It’s a good problem to have,” Kerr said. “I’m guessing that all 12 players on this roster will be in the Hall of Fame someday. So, how do you pick five out of 12? The idea is to find combinations that click and two-way lineups that can be effective at both ends. Our big job in Las Vegas is to find five-man combinations that fit and to just ask all 12 guys to fully commit to the goal of winning a gold medal no matter what it looks like, no matter who’s playing.”

The Americans’ first exhibition is against Canada in Las Vegas, followed by games in Abu Dhabi (against Australia and Serbia) and London (against South Sudan and Germany) before the Paris Games begin. The U.S. opens Olympic play on July 28 against Serbia and will also have group games against South Sudan and the winner of Sunday’s qualifier in Puerto Rico — either Mexico, Lithuania, Italy, or Puerto Rico.

“We’ve got 39 days or so to get locked in to go get this gold medal, 12 amazing, talented guys ready to come together for one goal,” Curry said when he arrived at camp. “I’m hyped for it all.”