Pacers' Tyrese Haliburton Poses with Dog, USA Olympic Gold Medal in Viral Photoshoot
Aug 18, 2024
PARIS, FRANCE - AUGUST 10: Tyrese Haliburton of the USA Men's National Team poses for portraits with the Gold Medal at the hotel on August 10, 2024 in Paris, France. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2024 NBAE (Photo by Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE via Getty Images)
Tyrese Haliburton's dog is joining in as Team USA celebrates a fifth straight Olympic gold medal in men's basketball.
The official Instagram account for Haliburton's goldendoodle, Ames, shared a photoshoot featuring the Indiana Pacers guard and his Olympic gold medal.
One of the photos features Ames, draped in an American flag, wearing the medal himself.
tyrese haliburton had a photoshoot with his gold medal and his dog & it’s the best thing you’ll see all day pic.twitter.com/U7vOaod0Nb
Ames is named after the city where Haliburton spent two seasons playing college basketball for Iowa State, the Pacers guard told Bally Sports Indiana last May.
Haliburton adopted the dog during his rookie NBA season in 2020-21.
Four years later, Haliburton was named to the 2024 USA Basketball Men's National Team roster to represent his country at the 2024 Paris Olympics.
Haliburton appeared in three of Team USA's six games in the Olympics. He joked on X about his limited participation in the tournament following the Americans' gold medal win over Team France.
This might not be the only chance Haliburton has to bring home a medal to Ames. After two straight All-Star seasons in Indiana, Haliburton could be set to make a bigger impact for Team USA at the 2028 Los Angeles Games.
Carmelo Anthony: Bogdan Bogdanović Was 'Showing Love' With USA-Serbia Celebrations
Aug 15, 2024
Serbia's #07 Bogdan Bogdanovic shakes hads with US basketball player Carmelo Anthony (L) after the men's Bronze Medal basketball match between Germany and Serbia during the Paris 2024 Olympic Games at the Bercy Arena in Paris on August 10, 2024. (Photo by Paul ELLIS / AFP) (Photo by PAUL ELLIS/AFP via Getty Images)
10-time NBA All-Star and USA Basketball legend Carmelo Anthony confirmed that there isn't any animosity between himself and Bogdan Bogdanović following a heated semifinal clash between Serbia and Team USA in the Paris Olympics.
With Anthony in attendance, Bogdanović used his signature celebration after hitting a three-pointer against the United States.
"He was showing love," Anthony explained on his podcast, 7PM in Brooklyn. "I really wanted to cheer, he knocked that three down like that. I'm like, I can't show no emotion."
“That was probably one of the best games I’ve ever been to.”
Melo reveals how it really went down at the USA vs Serbia matchup and his moment with Bogdan Bogdanović 👀
While the gesture was ultimately complimentary, the U.S. men's basketball team didn't take it lightly at the time. LeBron James seemed to discuss the celebration with Bogdanović, while Devin Booker gave a shoutout to Anthony on his Instagram story after the United States stormed back to earn a 95-91 victory.
Devin Booker posted this on his IG story after Bogdan Bogdanovic kept hitting Carmelo Anthony’s celebration 😅
However, the mutual respect between Anthony and Bogdanović was revealed when the Atlanta Hawks guard posted a shoutout from the former scoring champion. Anthony was also in attendance during Serbia's victory over Germany in the bronze medal game, congratulating Bogdanović afterwards.
While they previously faced off in Olympic competition during the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Games, it doesn't appear that there is any lingering hostility between the two.
USA Tops FIBA Rankings After Gold Medal at 2024 Summer Olympics; Serbia No. 2
Aug 15, 2024
Gold medallists (From L) USA's #04 Stephen Curry, USA's #06 LeBron James and USA's #07 Kevin Durant pose after the men's Gold Medal basketball match between France and USA during the Paris 2024 Olympic Games at the Bercy Arena in Paris on August 10, 2024. (Photo by Damien MEYER / AFP) (Photo by DAMIEN MEYER/AFP via Getty Images)
After winning a fifth consecutive Olympic gold medal at the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris this month, the United States remained atop the latest FIBA rankings released Thursday.
While Team USA is clearly still the standard, both Serbia and France made significant leaps thanks to their performances in Paris.
Serbia, which won the bronze medal, moved up from fourth in the last rankings to second in the current ones, while France had a bigger come-up than any other country, going from No. 9 to No. 4 after winning silver.
Led by Denver Nuggets superstar center and three-time NBA MVP Nikola Jokić, Serbia nearly ended Team USA's gold medal hopes in Paris.
In the semifinals of the Olympic tournament, Serbia led the United States by as much as 17 and entered the fourth quarter with a 13-point lead, but the American trio of Stephen Curry, LeBron James and Kevin Durant put the team on their back in the fourth.
Led by Curry's 36 points on 12-of-19 shooting from the field and 9-of-14 shooting from downtown, Team USA outscored Serbia 32-15 in the fourth quarter to win 95-91 and send Serbia to the bronze medal game.
Despite the disappointment that came along with blowing such a big lead to the Americans, Serbia regrouped and took care of business against Germany, taking the bronze medal in a 93-83 win.
In the gold medal game, the United States took on a French team that had the home crowd firmly in its corner.
Three years after Team USA beat France in the gold medal game at the previous Olympics in Tokyo, the United States pulled off the feat again, beating France 98-87 in Paris.
The final score did not depict how close the game was throughout, though, as Victor Wembanyama scored a game-high 26 points and gave Team USA fits from start to finish.
However, Curry was the hero for Team USA once again, leading the team with 24 points and hitting numerous huge shots down the stretch, including a fadeaway three that essentially put the game on ice.
Elsewhere in the rankings, Canada moved up two spots from seventh to fifth despite a somewhat disappointing result in Paris.
Led by Oklahoma City Thunder star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, the Canadians were expected to vie for their first medal in Olympic men's basketball since 1936, but after going a perfect 3-0 in group play, they fell 82-73 to France in the quarterfinals.
The biggest drop of any top-10 team in the FIBA rankings belonged to Spain, which went from second to sixth.
Once an international power that won Olympic silver in 2008 and 2012, and bronze in 2016, Spain went 1-2 in group play and failed to make it to the knockout stage in Paris.
Video: Joel Embiid Surprised with Custom Skechers Shoes After Olympic Gold Medal
Aug 14, 2024
Basketball: 2024 Summer Olympics: USA Joel Embiid (11) in action, victorious with medal vs France during Gold Medal Game at Bercy Arena.
Paris, France 8/10/2024
CREDIT: Erick W. Rasco (Photo by Erick W. Rasco /Sports Illustrated via Getty Images)
(Set Number: X164583 TK1)
After winning a gold medal at the Paris Olympics with Team USA, star center Joel Embiid received a surprise when he returned home.
Skechers gifted Embiid a pair of special edition sneakers to honor his first career Olympic gold medal:
Skechers surprised Joel Embiid with special edition sneakers to celebrate his Olympic Gold Medal: pic.twitter.com/x55lSfBSKn
Embiid averaged 11.2 points and 3.8 rebounds during Team USA's march to the gold medal. His best performance came in a semifinal matchup against a Serbia team led by reigning three-time NBA MVP Nikola Jokic when he scored 19 points to help lead Team USA to a comeback victory.
The 30-year-old will now turn his attention to leading the Philadelphia 76ers to title contention this year.
It can be expected that Embiid will be donning his new signature shoes from Skechers when the 2024-25 season begins this fall.
Kevin Durant, Devin Booker Celebrate USA Olympic Gold Medal on Yacht in Viral Photos
Aug 13, 2024
PARIS, FRANCE - AUGUST 10: Kevin Durant #7 and Devin Booker #15 of Team United States celebrate after their victory against Team France during the Men's Gold Medal game between Team France and Team United States on day fifteen of the Olympic Games Paris 2024 at Bercy Arena on August 10, 2024 in Paris, France. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)
Team USA stars and Phoenix Suns teammates Kevin Durant and Devin Booker are celebrating their gold medal win at the 2024 Paris Olympics in style.
Deuxmoi on Monday shared photos of Durant and Booker on a yacht in Saint-Tropez, France.
DEUXMOI EXCLUSIVE…Olympic basketball champions Kevin Durant and Devin Booker enjoying their vacation in style, relaxing on a luxurious yacht in Saint-Tropez 📸 @backgrid_usa pic.twitter.com/Jl4pWZjOG2
One of the photos showed Durant sliding down the yacht's inflatable waterslide.
obsessed with kevin durant going down the water slide with his hands raised in the air while everyone else chills in the water. this man continues to be the most relatable NBA player pic.twitter.com/EZhF9FggAY
Durant made men's basketball history with the fourth Olympic gold of his career, while Booker earned his second Olympic championship, with Saturday's 98-87 win over Team France.
Both Durant and Booker played key roles in Team USA's run to the gold medal game.
Both veterans adjusted to new roles, with Durant coming off the bench as Team USA's sixth man and Booker often being asked to contribute in ways that didn't always stand out on the stat sheet, ultimately helping the Americans claim a fifth straight gold medal in the event.
Their influence was most obvious during a narrow semifinal win against Serbia when the pair's late burst of offense helped spark an American comeback and send Team USA to the gold medal game.
Booker and Durant then contributed a combined 30 points and 10 rebounds for Team USA during the gold medal game against France.
The Suns stars initially celebrated the win with the rest of their Team USA teammates:
Durant finished the Olympics having averaged 13.8 points on 54 percent shooting from the field, while Booker averaged 11.7 points on 56.8 percent shooting.
Both players could potentially represent Team USA again during the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics. Durant, who will be 39 years old during the tournament, has not ruled out another appearance at the Games.
Luckily, NBA fans won't have to wait that long to watch the star duo play together again. Booker and Durant are currently signed with the Suns through the 2025-26 season, with Booker's contract stretching through the 2027-28 campaign.
Before NBA action resumes, it looks like Booker and Durant will be focused on celebrating their Olympic victory in France.
Topps Reveals Ultra Rare LeBron James, Steph Curry, Kevin Durant Autograph Card
Aug 12, 2024
Gold medallists (From L) USA's #04 Stephen Curry, USA's #06 LeBron James and USA's #07 Kevin Durant pose after the men's Gold Medal basketball match between France and USA during the Paris 2024 Olympic Games at the Bercy Arena in Paris on August 10, 2024. (Photo by Damien MEYER / AFP) (Photo by DAMIEN MEYER/AFP via Getty Images)
After a gold-medal performance at the Paris Olympics, one of the best trios in Team USA history is getting a signature card.
On Saturday, Topps announced a new one-of-one basketball card featuring stars LeBron James, Steph Curry and Kevin Durant. The card also features autographs from all three players, making it even more historic.
It's the first Topps card ever to feature an autograph from James and the first Curry, James and Durant triple.
𝗕𝗥𝗘𝗔𝗞𝗜𝗡𝗚: Someone who buys a Topps Now base card from today’s Team USA Gold Medal game will receive this 1/1 Steph, LeBron, KD triple auto.
This card is the first ever: - LeBron Topps auto - LeBron & Curry auto on the same card - Steph/KD/LeBron triple
"In celebration of an incredible gold medal performance – Topps Now is releasing an ultra-rare redemption for a 1/1 triple on-card autograph featuring the signatures of Team USA men's basketball superstars LeBron James, Steph Curry and Kevin Durant," Topps noted. "It's the first-ever Topps autographed card from James -- and the first time all three have had an auto'd card together."
The redemption for the rare card will be randomly inserted into orders of the 2024 Olympic Games Topps Now Card 26. Topps Now is different than traditional card collecting, as the cards are printed and released in succession with moments in sports history rather than being released in packs.
"The Topps Now program kind of has revolutionized the way we do trading cards, and a lot of it had to do with technology and digital printing," said Clay Luraschi, senior vice president of product at Topps, per ESPN's Dave McMenamin. "So you're able to do these products on demand and you're able to deliver them to the consumer much faster. So it makes the moments super relevant."
While only one lucky collector will receive the autographed card, fans can still purchase the base card for $11.99 between now and Aug. 13.
It's not uncommon for rare cards to be sold for tens of thousands of dollars, and it wouldn't be surprising if James, Curry and Durant's card skyrocketed in price. Ken Goldin, founder and CEO of Goldin Auctions, explained that since the card is sold individually rather than in a pack, it could have a lesser value.
"I think the card is easily six figures," Ken Goldin said, per McMenamin. "However, the fact it is not a [pack] pulled card caps its value."
Topps also released individual cards from the Paris Olympics. One features James during the Opening Ceremony, and it has already sold nearly 14,000 cards, according to Topps. Curry's card commemorating his 36-point outing against Serbia has sold more than 88,000 and Durant's card has sold more than 11,500.
Report: Jayson Tatum Evaluated as '11th Man' for Multiple Games by Kerr, USA Coaches
Aug 12, 2024
PARIS, FRANCE - AUGUST 06: Jayson Tatum of USA in action during the quarterfinal between USA and Brazil on day eleven of the Olympic Games Paris 2024 at Bercy Arena on August 06, 2024 in Paris, France. (Photo by Mehmet Murat Onel/Anadolu via Getty Images)
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.
ESPN: USA 'Would Give' Kevin Durant 'Provisional Yes Right Now' for 2028 LA Olympics
Aug 12, 2024
PARIS, FRANCE - AUGUST 10: Kevin Durant of United States celebrates after his team's victory during the Men's Gold Medal game between France and United States on day fifteen of the Olympic Games Paris 2024 at Bercy Arena on August 10, 2024 in Paris, France. (Photo by Christina Pahnke - sampics/Getty Images)
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.
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.
Anthony Edwards Says 'Hell Nah' to Playing in FIBA World Cup After Olympic Gold Medal
Aug 12, 2024
PARIS, FRANCE - AUGUST 8: Anthony Edwards #5 of the USA Men's National Team looks on during the game during the Men's Semi-Finals on August 8, 2024 at the AccorHotels Arena in Paris, France. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2024 NBAE (Photo by Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE via Getty Images)
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."
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.
