How Chet Holmgren Could Earn a Roster Spot in the 2024 Olympics

For the second consecutive FIBA World Cup Tournament, Team USA finished outside of the top three.

After falling to Lithuania, Germany and Canada, the Americas finished the 2023 FIBA World Cup in fourth place. In 2019, Team USA finished in seventh place, which was seen as an embarrassment for a country that was viewed as the pinnacle of the basketball world for so long.

In recent years, however, international players have begun to dominate the NBA, making the rest of the nations around the world much more competitive during international play.

Slovenia is a great example, as Luka Doncic led a team with almost no additional NBA players to the tournament quarterfinals. Serbia managed to get all the way to the FIBA championship despite being without NBA talents Aleksej Pokusevski, Vasilije Micic and two-time NBA MVP and 2023 NBA Champion Nikola Jokic.

Canada, one of the teams who beat the USA this summer, is another international team on the rise. Led by Thunder guard and All-NBA honoree Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and a number of other notable NBA players, Team Canada earned its first ever FIBA World Cup medal in 2023, taking home the bronze.

Even Greece is a competitive international team when Giannis Antetokounmpo is on the roster.

With so many other countries around the world rapidly improving their basketball talent pool, the USA will have to once again start sending its top players to represent America if the nation wants to continue to dominate international basketball as it did for many years.

This year, only four of Team USA's 12 players have earned an All-Star bid in their professional career. With the lackluster performance by the last two FIBA World Cup squads, it appears that the USA is planning to return to dominance in the 2024 Olympic basketball competition.

LeBron wants to represent Team USA at 2024 Paris Olympics and is leading a group of players including Steph, KD, Anthony Davis, Jayson Tatum and Draymond per @ShamsCharania, @joevardon

Devin Booker, Dame, De'Aaron Fox, and Kyrie also have "serious interest" pic.twitter.com/IDOEOSOP1s
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) September 11, 2023

According to reports, multiple NBA superstars such, as LeBron James and Stephen Curry, are leading the charge to bring a gold medal back to the states next summer.

With America once again putting their best foot forward in international play, the team will need a solid group of centers to battle players like Jokic, Jonas Valanciunas, Victor Wembanyama and potentially Joel Embiid down low.

Per Bleacher Report, Anthony Davis has already expressed interest in playing for America, leaving the US a few solid options at the center position. If OKC Thunder rookie Chet Holmgren has a solid rookie season and is dominant on defense, it would not be shocking to see the versatile big man get the Team USA nod in 2024.

After performing well with the Team USA Select Team this summer, Holmgren has familiarity with how USA Basketball organization and how it operates. Additionally, Holmgren played in multiple international tournaments as a junior basketball player, taking down France and Wembanyama in the 2021 FIBA U19 World Cup.

Holmgren was named the MVP of the 2021 FIBA U19 World Cup, averaging 11.9 points, 6.1 rebounds, 3.3 assists, and 2.7 blocks while shooting 62.0% from the field including 53.8% on 3-pointer attempts in just 21 minutes per game.

In the 2023 FIBA World Cup, Paolo Banchero, Jaren Jackson Jr. and Walker Kessler were Team USA's big men. While these three are a very solid group, Holmgren could likely usurp Kessler if the Gonzaga product makes the same impact on defense that Oklahoma City fans are expecting.

While Kessler was very good on defense as a rookie, which earned him a spot on the 2023 roster, Holmgren, in theory, provides the same level of rim protection with more versatility as a defender of the paint and a much more advanced offensive skill set.

If Holmgren is able to put together a solid rookie season that see's the Thunder big man contribute on both ends of the floor, he will certainly have a chance to find himself on Team USA's Olympic Roster in 2024.

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