Summer Olympics

Someone had to be the odd man out for Team USA in the 2024 Summer Olympics, and unfortunately for Boston Celtics star Jayson Tatum, that someone was him.

Tatum appeared in four of the United States' six games in Paris. He didn't see the floor in the semifinal win over Serbia and then logged just 11 minutes in the final against France.

On his Hoop Collective podcast, ESPN's Brian Windhorst laid out how tactical decisions for the U.S. "are not being made based on NBA framework" but instead on a "FIBA framework." To that end, head coach Steve Kerr determined a 10-man rotation worked best for the Olympics, and that meant diminishing Tatum's role.

"Steve Kerr decided he could play 10 guys. That's it," Windhorst said at the 43:05 mark. "He tried to play 11 a little bit and it didn't work. When he played 11, it didn't have good results. And their evaluation was that against Serbia, Jayson Tatum was the 11th man. Frankly, when they played against Brazil, Jayson Tatum was the 11th man."

Windhorst added later the Team USA coaching staff "evaluated" the roster and came to the conclusion "those players in the rotation against Serbia were ahead of Tatum."

Tatum's usage was a subplot throughout the United States' run to a fifth straight Olympic gold medal. The 26-year-old is fresh off another All-NBA season and one in which he helped the Boston Celtics win a title. He wound up playing the second-fewest minutes for the United States.

This continues to be the dilemma for USA Basketball and whoever is coaching the team.

The United States can't roll the ball out and coast on talent at the Olympics. Managing director Grant Hill and his coaching staff have to assemble a squad that works as a collective unit and then utilize a game plan to achieve the same goal. That inevitably risks pushing a star such as Tatum to the periphery.

This summer, the process was complicated further by the fact Anthony Edwards and Tyrese Haliburton were the only holdovers from the 2023 FIBA Basketball World Cup. Whereas other countries typically have multiple tournaments to help define the roles for their players, the U.S. pretty much had to start from scratch for the Paris Games.

Tatum declined to commit one way or the other regarding the 2028 Summer Olympics in Paris.

"It was a tough personal experience on the court, but I'm not going to be making any decision off emotions," he said, per The Athletic's Joe Vardon. "If you asked me right now if I was going to play in 2028, it is four years from now, and I would have to take time and think about that. So I'm not going to make any decision based off how this experience was or how I felt individually."

Based on how this month unfolded, Tatum may want to get some assurances about his playing time before he makes a final decision about returning to the national team.

Kevin Durant's status for the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles is uncertain, although the U.S. men's national team is reportedly interested in his return.

"I would not rule out KD playing, and I talked with Team USA officials, and they would give him a provisional yes right now," ESPN's Brian Windhorst revealed during Monday's episode of The Hoop Collective (49:50 mark).

Durant is already an Olympic legend, as his four gold medals are the most in men's basketball history. He's also Team USA's all-time leading scorer in the Olympics and has appeared on every U.S. squad at the Games since 2012.

The Phoenix Suns superstar was noncommittal when asked about returning to the national team, although he didn't rule it out entirely.

"We'll see," Durant told reporters on Saturday.

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The two-time NBA champion played a pivotal role off the bench for the United States during the team's latest run in Paris before eventually starting during the gold medal contest against France.

Through six appearances, Durant averaged 13.8 points and 3.2 rebounds per game while shooting 54.0 percent from the field and 51.9 percent from behind the arc.

He'll be 39 years old during the Los Angeles Olympics, and he could choose to skip the Games. Durant's health will also be a potential factor, as uncertainty initially surrounded his status for Paris after he missed Team USA's exhibition contests due to a calf strain.

However, it appears that the door is still open for the opportunity to his extend his gold medal record if he chooses to compete on the Olympic stage once again.

Don't expect to see Minnesota Timberwolves star Anthony Edwards representing Team USA at the next FIBA Basketball World Cup.

"Hell nah," he said when asked about competing in the tournament again after the United States won gold at the 2024 Summer Olympics, per The Athletic's Joe Vardon.

When it comes to Edwards' status for the 2028 Summer Games in Los Angeles, fans can read between the lines.

"I can't speak on that," he said, per NBA.com's Shaun Powell. "I can only speak on what I got around my neck right now. ... This was the most fun I ever had playing basketball."

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Edwards was a clear bright spot for the United States at the 2023 World Cup, which saw the team finish fourth after losing the third-place game to Canada. He led the U.S. in scoring (18.9 points) across eight games.

Earning a spot on the Olympic squad was affirmation of how well he performed last summer. He suited up for all six games in Paris, averaging 12.8 points and 1.2 assists in 16.3 minutes per contest.

Edwards is theoretically someone USA Basketball builds around for the next Olympic cycle. At 23, he's just starting to enter his prime playing years, and that's in contrast to the likes of LeBron James, Kevin Durant, Anthony Davis and Joel Embiid, all of whom are 30 or older.

That's why it's less than ideal if the two-time All-Star removes himself from the mix for the 2027 World Cup. It points to how USA Basketball managing director Grant Hill could once again be forced to build one team for the World Cup and then an almost entirely different one for the Olympics.

Assembling the strongest roster possible remained a formula for success at this year's Olympics, but the lack of continuity within Team USA could prove its undoing down the road. The rest of the world is only getting better, and most countries benefit from having their best stars compete together across successive major tournaments.

Based on Edwards' comments, fans should already brace themselves for the handwringing that would result from the United States failing to medal in the World Cup.

The 2024 Paris Summer Olympics have officially come to a close.

The closing ceremony ended the athletic events of the competition, and also featured some legendary performances.

Actor Tom Cruise played a unique role in the event, flying into the ceremony after jumping from the roof of the stadium.

Team USA was well represented after taking home the most total medals in the event.

The U.S. flag bearers, Katie Ledecky and Nick Mead, showed out in style

The ceremony also paid homage to the upcoming 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles.

Viewers took to social media to express their joy at the spectacle.

2026 will be the next time the Olympics are held, although those will be the Winter Olympics. They will be held in Milan, Italy.

The 2028 Summer Olympics are set to begin July 14.

Even if Jordan Chiles has to give her bronze medal back, she will be receiving something to commemorate her Olympic performance.

The U.S. gymnast was requested to relinquish her bronze medal from the floor exercise by the IOC after a Romanian appeal deemed the inquiry filed by her coach to have come too late.

The USOPC is appealing the decision but rapper Flavor Flav is ensuring that Chiles performance is recognized. Flav posted on X about his plan to make Chiles a bronze clock necklace "that's something no one else has."

Chiles isn't the only athlete that Flav has helped this Olympic cycle.

The rapper notably donated to U.S. discus thrower Veronica Fraley after she had shared that she was struggling to pay rent. He also became a sponsor for the U.S. women's water polo team.

Chiles' situation is unique, as she earned the medal and was in the ceremony. USA Gymnastics said it was "devastated" by the IOC's decision and believed the inquiry was filed "in good faith."

Tom Cruise ended the 2024 Paris Olympics in style.

The movie star, famous for doing many of his own stunts, gave fans a show at Sunday's closing ceremony, lowering himself from the top of the stadium and into the crowd below. There were previous rumors that Cruise planned to pull of some sort of stunt, and he didn't disappoint.

Cruise's impressive stunt had the social media world hyped as many wondered what the legendary actor will pull off at the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles.

As the Olympics transition from Paris this year to Los Angeles in 2028, it only seems fitting that Cruise helped pass the torch. He's a perfect spokesperson for Hollywood and a great person to get the world hyped for the next Olympics.

Along with Cruise's stunt, Sunday's closing ceremony featured many notables from Los Angeles, including the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Billie Eilish, Dr. Dre and, of course, Snoop Dogg, who became a staple of NBC's coverage of the Olympics this year.

While the end of the Olympics is always somewhat bittersweet, Cruise's stunt gave fans one last exciting moment and helped build even more anticipation for Los Angeles in four years.

Brittney Griner was already a two-time gold medalist, but her newest triumph with Team USA might surpass what she previously achieved in the Summer Olympics.

"My emotions are all over the place," she said after the United States beat France 67-66 in Sunday's final, per ESPN's Brian Windhorst. "It means so much to me. My family didn't think I would be here, like I've said before, and then to be here and win and gold for my country, representing when my country fought for me so hard to even be standing here. Yeah, this gold medal is going to hold a special place."

Griner was on Team USA for the Rio and Tokyo Games, and she was part of the U.S. when it won gold at the 2014 and 2018 FIBA Women's Basketball World Cup. Leading up to the 2024 Summer Olympics, though, she reflected on how this run felt different given the ordeal she experienced in Russia.

The nine-time WNBA All-Star was wrongfully detained for more than nine months in 2022. While in prison, she dealt with living conditions that made her feel "less than a human."

Griner returned to the United States in December 2022.

Suiting up for the Phoenix Mercury the following May was an achievement all on its own. The 6'9" center has continued to astound fans by hardly missing a beat on the court. She has averaged 17.9 points, 6.3 rebounds and 1.5 blocks in 46 games with Phoenix since coming back.

The combined presence of A'ja Wilson and Breanna Stewart meant Griner no longer needed to shoulder a heavy load for the United States. Still, she appeared in all six of Team USA's games in Paris and averaged 7.3 points and 4.2 boards per contest.

Given her age (33), this was in all likelihood Griner's last Olympic go-round, and she made the most of it.

Breanna Stewart took the sentimental route to celebrate her gold medal in women's basketball.

The U.S. star posted a now-vs-then photo on Instagram with teammate A'ja Wilson that showed the two of them sporting gold medals for Team USA during a youth international tournament.

The U.S. defeated France 67-66 to earn the medal. It was the program's eighth consecutive gold medal.

This was Stewart's third Olympic gold medal and Wilson's second.

Stewart had eight points, three rebounds and an assist in the title game. Wilson had 21 points and 13 rebounds in the victory. Stewart averaged 16.3 points, 5.3 rebounds and 2.8 assists across the Olympic slate while Wilson averaged 18.7 10.2 and 1.8.

The U.S. women have won nine overall Olympic golds and have not lost a game at the Olympics since 1992. Sunday's victory was the squad's 61st consecutive victory.

Many wondered why Team USA point guard Tyrese Haliburton spent most of his time at the Paris Olympics riding the bench, and it turns out he was a little banged up.

ESPN's Brian Windhorst reported that Haliburton suffered "a minor leg injury" during the Olympics that kept him off the floor.

"Team USA didn't announce it, but he had an MRI, sources said," Windhorst stated.

Haliburton didn't play in Team USA's semifinal game against Serbia or Saturday's gold-medal matchup against France. He saw action in three out of the six games in the Olympic tournament and totaled eight points and two assists in just over 26 minutes on the floor.

Despite the lack of playing time, Haliburton didn't let that ruin the experience of his first Olympics. After Team USA defeated France 98-87 to win the gold medal, he even poked fun at himself on social media:

It would have been difficult for Haliburton to see time on the floor even if he were healthy, as the Team USA roster was crowded with stars and needed some players to sacrifice for the greater good. Jayson Tatum, who was thought to be an important piece after leading the Boston Celtics to the 2024 NBA championship, struggled to earn playing time and had multiple DNPs that surprised many.

Haliburton's quiet showing in Paris won't affect his standing with USA Basketball going forward. Windhorst stated that the 24-year-old was simply "caught in a numbers game," and he "still has a future with the program." It can be expected that he will have a bigger role with the team at the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles.

A flurry of three-pointers by star point guard Stephen Curry helped put the game away for Team USA in Saturday's gold-medal matchup against France at the Paris Olympics, and he called for a specific play down the stretch that played a part in securing the victory.

Per Ben Golliver of the Washington Post, Team USA head coach Steve Kerr said after Saturday's 98-87 win that Curry requested during a timeout to run a pick-and-roll with star forward LeBron James that helped set up one of his dagger triples.

Curry finished with a team-high 24 points in Saturday's win, all of which came from his eight three-pointers. He totaled 17 threes between the semifinal against Serbia and the final against France.

The 36-year-old relished the opportunity to play alongside James in an extended setting for the first time, so it's only right that the two of them take part in one of the winning plays that earned Team USA its fifth straight gold medal. James was named MVP of the Olympic tournament.

As Curry and James approach the twilight of their respective legendary careers, perhaps they will have the itch to share the floor with one another again before they hang it up and we'll get to see them connect for more winning plays.