By Johnny Askounis/ info@eurohoops.net
Examining the 12-player rosters across the men’s and women’s basketball tournaments of the 2024 Olympic Games, NBA revealed a new record on current and former NBA and WNBA players.
A total of 139 players with experience in the NBA and the WNBA are set to compete in the 2024 Paris Olympics.
Per the press release: “A record 139 current and former NBA and WNBA players are featured on national team rosters for the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris.
The men’s and women’s 5-on-5 competitions will feature a record 81 and record 51 current and former players, respectively. The men’s and women’s 3-on-3 competitions will include one former NBA player, three current WNBA players and three former WNBA players.
Olympic rosters feature a record 51 current NBA players and a record 31 current WNBA players. The previous records for players with NBA and WNBA experience (121), current NBA players (49) and current WNBA players (26) were set at the 2020 Olympics.
Outside of the U.S., Canada has the most current NBA players with 10, followed by Australia (nine) and France (five). Ten of the 12 teams in the men’s 5-on-5 competition have at least five players with NBA experience.
Among all teams outside of the U.S. in the women’s 5-on-5 competition, Australia has the most current WNBA players with six, followed by Canada (four) and Germany (three). Eight of the 12 teams in the women’s 5-on-5 competition have at least three players with WNBA experience.
Twenty-six NBA teams and 11 WNBA teams are represented in the 5-on-5 and 3-on-3 competitions. The Minnesota Timberwolves feature an NBA-high four current players, followed by the Boston Celtics, Houston Rockets and Los Angeles Lakers (three each). The Las Vegas Aces feature a WNBA-high six players, followed by the New York Liberty, Phoenix Mercury and Los Angeles Sparks (four each).
Below are additional NBA and WNBA stats and storylines around the 2024 Olympic Games:
- Flag Bearers: Giannis Antetokounmpo (Milwaukee Bucks), LeBron James (Los Angeles Lakers) and Dennis Schröder (Brooklyn Nets) will serve as the flag bearers during the Olympic Opening Ceremony for Greece, the U.S. and Germany, respectively.
- MVPs: There are six former Kia NBA Most Valuable Players (MVPs) on men’s national team rosters: Antetokounmpo, Stephen Curry (U.S.; Golden State Warriors), Kevin Durant (U.S.; Phoenix Suns), Joel Embiid (U.S.; Philadelphia 76ers), James and Nikola Jokić (Serbia; Denver Nuggets). There are four former Kia WNBA MVPs on women’s national team rosters: Lauren Jackson (Australia), Breanna Stewart (U.S.; New York Liberty), Diana Taurasi (U.S.; Phoenix Mercury) and A’ja Wilson (U.S.; Las Vegas Aces).
- Champions: There are 13 former NBA champions and 16 former WNBA champions on national team rosters.
- All-Stars: There are 15 former NBA All-Stars on men’s national team rosters and 20 former WNBA All-Stars on national team rosters.
- NBA G League: There are 19 players with NBA G League experience on national team rosters.
- Basketball Africa League: There are three players with Basketball Africa League (BAL) experience on men’s national team rosters, including 2023 BAL champion and MVP Nuni Omot, who helped South Sudan qualify for its first Olympic basketball appearance.
- NBA Academy: Four graduates of the NBA Academy program are on men’s national team rosters: Dyson Daniels (Australia; Atlanta Hawks; NBA Global Academy), Josh Giddey (Australia; Chicago Bulls; NBA Global Academy), Akira Jacobs (Japan; NBA Global Academy) and Khaman Maluach (South Sudan; NBA Academy Africa). Additionally, women’s national team rosters feature two NBA Academy Women’s Program alumni: Han Xu (China) and Aaliyah Edwards (Canada; Washington Mystics).
The following is a complete list of current NBA players on 2024 Olympic 5-on-5 rosters*:
Country | First Name | Last Name | NBA Team |
Australia | Dyson | Daniels | Atlanta Hawks |
Australia | Danté | Exum | Dallas Mavericks |
Australia | Josh | Giddey | Chicago Bulls |
Australia | Josh | Green | Charlotte Hornets |
Australia | Joe | Ingles | Minnesota Timberwolves |
Australia | Jock | Landale | Houston Rockets |
Australia | Jack | McVeigh | Houston Rockets |
Australia | Patty | Mills | Most recently with the Miami Heat** |
Australia | Duop | Reath | Portland Trail Blazers |
Brazil | Gui | Santos | Golden State Warriors |
Canada | Nickeil | Alexander-Walker | Minnesota Timberwolves |
Canada | RJ | Barrett | Toronto Raptors |
Canada | Dillon | Brooks | Houston Rockets |
Canada | Luguentz | Dort | Oklahoma City Thunder |
Canada | Shai | Gilgeous-Alexander | Oklahoma City Thunder |
Canada | Trey | Lyles | Sacramento Kings |
Canada | Jamal | Murray | Denver Nuggets |
Canada | Andrew | Nembhard | Indiana Pacers |
Canada | Kelly | Olynyk | Toronto Raptors |
Canada | Dwight | Powell | Dallas Mavericks |
France | Nicolas | Batum | LA Clippers |
France | Bilal | Coulibaly | Washington Wizards |
France | Evan | Fournier | Most recently with the Detroit Pistons** |
France | Rudy | Gobert | Minnesota Timberwolves |
France | Victor | Wembanyama | San Antonio Spurs |
Germany | Dennis | Schröder | Brooklyn Nets |
Germany | Daniel | Theis | New Orleans Pelicans |
Germany | Franz | Wagner | Orlando Magic |
Germany | Moritz | Wagner | Orlando Magic |
Greece | Giannis | Antetokounmpo | Milwaukee Bucks |
Japan | Rui | Hachimura | Los Angeles Lakers |
Puerto Rico | José | Alvarado | New Orleans Pelicans |
Serbia | Bogdan | Bogdanović | Atlanta Hawks |
Serbia | Nikola | Jokić | Denver Nuggets |
Serbia | Nikola | Jović | Miami Heat |
Serbia | Vasilije | Micić | Charlotte Hornets |
South Sudan | JT | Thor | Most recently with the Charlotte Hornets** |
Spain | Santi | Aldama | Memphis Grizzlies |
Spain | Usman | Garuba | Most recently with the Golden State Warriors** |
United States | Bam | Adebayo | Miami Heat |
United States | Devin | Booker | Phoenix Suns |
United States | Stephen | Curry | Golden State Warriors |
United States | Anthony | Davis | Los Angeles Lakers |
United States | Kevin | Durant | Phoenix Suns |
United States | Anthony | Edwards | Minnesota Timberwolves |
United States | Joel | Embiid | Philadelphia 76ers |
United States | Tyrese | Haliburton | Indiana Pacers |
United States | Jrue | Holiday | Boston Celtics |
United States | LeBron | James | Los Angeles Lakers |
United States | Jayson | Tatum | Boston Celtics |
United States | Derrick | White | Boston Celtics |
**Currently a free agent; was on an NBA roster at the end of the 2023-24 season
The following is a complete list of players with prior NBA experience on 2024 Olympic 5-on-5 rosters*:
Country | First Name | Last Name |
Australia | Matthew | Dellavedova |
Australia | Will | Magnay |
Brazil | Bruno | Caboclo |
Brazil | Cristiano | Felício |
Brazil | Marcelo | Huertas |
Brazil | Didi | Louzada |
Brazil | Raul | Neto |
Canada | Khem | Birch |
France | Nando | De Colo |
France | Frank | Ntilikina |
France | Guerschon | Yabusele |
Germany | Isaac | Bonga |
Greece | Kostas | Antetokounmpo |
Greece | Nick | Calathes |
Greece | Georgios | Papagiannis |
Greece | Kostas | Papanikolaou |
Japan | Yuta | Watanabe |
Puerto Rico | Gian | Clavell |
Puerto Rico | Aleem | Ford |
Puerto Rico | Davon | Reed |
Puerto Rico | Tremont | Waters |
Serbia | Marko | Gudurić |
Serbia | Filip | Petrušev |
South Sudan | Wenyen | Gabriel |
South Sudan | Carlik | Jones |
Spain | Álex | Abrines |
Spain | Lorenzo | Brown |
Spain | Rudy | Fernández |
Spain | Juancho | Hernangómez |
Spain | Willy | Hernangómez |
The following is a complete list of players with prior NBA experience on 2024 Olympic 3-on-3 rosters*:
Country | First Name | Last Name |
United States | Jimmer | Fredette |
The following is a complete list of current WNBA players on 2024 Olympic 5-on-5 rosters*:
Country | First Name | Last Name | WNBA Team |
Australia | Ezi | Magbegor | Seattle Storm |
Australia | Jade | Melbourne | Washington Mystics |
Australia | Alanna | Smith | Minnesota Lynx |
Australia | Stephanie | Talbot | Los Angeles Sparks |
Australia | Kristy | Wallace | Indiana Fever |
Australia | Sami | Whitcomb | Seattle Storm |
Belgium | Julie | Vanloo | Washington Mystics |
Canada | Laeticia | Amihere | Atlanta Dream |
Canada | Bridget | Carleton | Minnesota Lynx |
Canada | Aaliyah | Edwards | Washington Mystics |
Canada | Kia | Nurse | Los Angeles Sparks |
China | Li | Yueru | Los Angeles Sparks |
Germany | Leonie | Fiebich | New York Liberty |
Germany | Nyara | Sabally | New York Liberty |
Germany | Satou | Sabally | Dallas Wings |
Spain | Megan | Gustafson | Las Vegas Aces |
United States | Napheesa | Collier | Minnesota Lynx |
United States | Kahleah | Copper | Pheonix Mercury |
United States | Chelsea | Gray | Las Vegas Aces |
United States | Brittney | Griner | Pheonix Mercury |
United States | Sabrina | Ionescu | New York Liberty |
United States | Jewell | Loyd | Seattle Storm |
United States | Kelsey | Plum | Las Vegas Aces |
United States | Breanna | Stewart | New York Liberty |
United States | Diana | Taurasi | Phoenix Mercury |
United States | Alyssa | Thomas | Connecticut Sun |
United States | A’ja | Wilson | Las Vegas Aces |
United States | Jackie | Young | Las Vegas Aces |
The following is a complete list of players with prior WNBA experience on 2024 Olympic 5-on-5 rosters*:
Country | First Name | Last Name |
Australia | Amy | Atwell |
Australia | Cayla | George |
Australia | Lauren | Jackson |
Australia | Tess | Madgen |
Australia | Marianna | Tolo |
Belgium | Emma | Meesseman |
Canada | Natalie | Achonwa |
Canada | Kayla | Alexander |
Canada | Nirra | Fields |
China | Li | Meng |
China | Han | Xu |
France | Valeriane | Ayayi |
France | Marine | Johannès |
France | Iliana | Rupert |
France | Gabby | Williams |
Germany | Marie | Gülich |
Germany | Alexis | Peterson |
Japan | Rui | Machida |
Puerto Rico | Arella | Guirantes |
Serbia | Yvonne | Anderson |
Serbia | Tina | Krajišnik |
Spain | Maite | Cazorla |
Spain | Leticia | Romero |
The following is a complete list of current WNBA players on 2024 Olympic 3-on-3 rosters*:
Country | First Name | Last Name | WNBA Team |
Azerbaijan | Tiffany | Hayes | Las Vegas Aces |
United States | Dearica | Hamby | Los Angeles Sparks |
United States | Rhyne | Howard | Atlanta Dream |
The following is a complete list of players with prior WNBA experience on 2024 Olympic 3-on-3 rosters*:
Country | First Name | Last Name |
Australia | Anneli | Maley |
Azerbaijan | Marcedes | Walker |
United States | Cierra | Burdick |
*As of July 25, 2024 (all rosters subject to change)”
Photo Credit: FIBA.BASKETBALL