The 25 best NBA players competing at the 2024 Paris Olympics, ranked
With the 2024 Olympics set to begin in Paris, some of the best basketball players in the world will compete for a gold medal.
The qualified nations, including the United States, typically send their top competitors for this event. As such, there is a ton of star power across the 12 teams vying for a chance to call themselves the best on the planet.
Some notable players (Lithuania's Domantas Sabonis, Latvia's Kristaps Porzingis, Finland's Lauri Markannen, Dominican Republic's Karl-Anthony Towns, and Turkey's Alperen Sengun) from the 2023 FIBA World Cup did not qualify for the tournament.
But otherwise, there are plenty of amazing players who will take the courts in this tournament.
What this is: For our list, we ranked these players based on how impactful they are in the NBA. Basically, if you are a casual NBA fan, these are the names you are most likely to recognize based on how well they played during the 2023-24 season. We looked at several advanced metrics to reach our conclusion.
What this is not: These are not projections that factor in playing time or their roles for each nation. For example, José Alvarado will have a bigger usage rate with Puerto Rico than he does with the Pelicans. Similarly, Boston's Derrick White will have a smaller role with the United States than he does with the Celtics. This does not account for FIBA rules or recent struggles (e.g. Joel Embiid for Team USA) during exhibition play, either.
Honorable Mentions: Rui Hachimura (Japan), Jose Alvarado (Puerto Rico), Dante Exum (Australia), Dyson Daniels (Australia), RJ Barrett (Canada), Dennis Schroder (Germany), Jock Landale (Australia), and Nikola Jovic (Serbia)
Nikola Jokic
NATION: Serbia
POSITION: Center
NBA TEAM: Denver Nuggets
Giannis Antetokounmpo
NATION: Greece
POSITION: Forward
NBA TEAM: Milwaukee Bucks
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander
NATION: Canada
POSITION: Guard
NBA TEAM: Oklahoma City Thunder
Joel Embiid
NATION: United States
POSITION: Center
NBA TEAM: Philadelphia 76ers
Anthony Davis
NATION: United States
POSITION: Center
NBA TEAM: Los Angeles Lakers
Jayson Tatum
NATION: United States
POSITION: Forward
NBA TEAM: Boston Celtics
LeBron James
NATION: United States
POSITION: Forward
NBA TEAM: Los Angeles Lakers
Devin Booker
NATION: United States
POSITION: Guard
NBA TEAM: Phoenix Suns
Kevin Durant
NATION: United States
POSITION: Forward
NBA TEAM: Phoenix Suns
Tyrese Haliburton
NATION: United States
POSITION: Guard
NBA TEAM: Indiana Pacers
Stephen Curry
NATION: United States
POSITION: Guard
NBA TEAM: Golden State Warriors
Victor Wembanyama
NATION: France
POSITION: Center
NBA TEAM: San Antonio Spurs
Rudy Gobert
NATION: France
POSITION: Center
NBA TEAM: Minnesota Timberwolves
Anthony Edwards
NATION: United States
POSITION: Guard
NBA TEAM: Minnesota Timberwolves
Derrick White
NATION: United States
POSITION: Guard
NBA TEAM: Boston Celtics
Bam Adebayo
NATION: United States
POSITION: Center
NBA TEAM: Miami Heat
Jamal Murray
NATION: Canada
POSITION: Guard
NBA TEAM: Denver Nuggets
Franz Wagner
NATION: Germany
POSITION: Forward
NBA TEAM: Orlando Magic
Jrue Holiday
NATION: United States
POSITION: Guard
NBA TEAM: Boston Celtics
Bogdan Bogdanovic
NATION: Serbia
POSITION: Guard
NBA TEAM: Atlanta Hawks
Moritz Wagner
NATION: Germany
POSITION: Center
NBA TEAM: Orlando Magic
Kelly Olynyk
NATION: Canada
POSITION: Center
NBA TEAM: Toronto Raptors
Josh Giddey
NATION: Australia
POSITION: Guard
NBA TEAM: Chicago Bulls
Nickeil Alexander-Walker
NATION: Canada
POSITION: Guard
NBA TEAM: Minnesota Timberwolves
Luguentz Dort
NATION: Canada
POSITION: Forward
NBA TEAM: Oklahoma City Thunder
This article originally appeared on For The Win: The 25 best NBA players competing at the 2024 Paris Olympics, ranked
