USA Basketball fills the 12 available slots for the Paris Olympics roster, AP sources say

Phoenix Suns forward Kevin Durant gestures during warmups before an NBA basketball game against the Sacramento Kings Friday, April 12, 2024, in Sacramento, Calif. (AP Photo/Benjamin Fanjoy)

LeBron James plans to go back to the Olympics. Stephen Curry is planning on going for the first time. Kevin Durant will go there with his eye on history.

And they’re just part of a star-studded roster the Americans have assembled for the Paris Games.

USA Basketball has gotten confirmations from 12 players — James, Curry, Durant, Bam Adebayo, Devin Booker, Joel Embiid, Jayson Tatum, Anthony Davis, Jrue Holiday, Tyrese Haliburton, Anthony Edwards and Kawhi Leonard — that they will accept invitations to be on the Olympic roster, three people with knowledge of the decisions said. That group includes seven previous gold medalists.

Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry (30) shoots between New Orleans Pelicans guards Jose Alvarado, left, and Dyson Daniels during the first half of an NBA basketball game Friday, April 12, 2024, in San Francisco. (AP Photo/Godofredo A. Vásquez)

The people spoke on condition of anonymity to The Associated Press because it was believed USA Basketball was planning to release the names on Wednesday. Leonard — a finalist for each of the last two Olympic teams — was the last piece of the roster puzzle to be finalized, one of the people said.

Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (23) looks toward the Memphis Grizzlies’ bench during the second half of an NBA basketball game Friday, April 12, 2024, in Memphis, Tenn. (AP Photo/Brandon Dill)

The amount of talent on the U.S. roster is staggering. Of the 12 commits, seven finished the season ranked among the NBA’s top 15 scorers per game. James is the league’s all-time scoring leader, Curry the all-time leader in 3-pointers, Haliburton won the assist-per-game title this season and 10 were All-Stars this season as well.

Players around the NBA have been told of the decisions USA Basketball made over the past several days, one of the people said. USA Basketball managing director Grant Hill has led the task of assembling the roster for the past several months, and the plan all along was to put together the team well in advance of training camp starting at Las Vegas in early July. Tryouts were never part of the plan for this team.

Indiana Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton (0) celebrates after hitting a three-point basket against the Oklahoma City Thunder at the end of the third quarter in an NBA basketball game in Indianapolis, Friday, April 5, 2024. (AP Photo/Darron Cummings)

Durant has said since last year that he plans to play, which means he will pursue becoming the first men’s player in Olympic history with four basketball gold medals. He and Carmelo Anthony are the only men’s players with three Olympic golds; there are six women, all American, with at least four Olympic basketball golds. Sue Bird and Diana Taurasi each have five, while Teresa Edwards, Tamika Catchings, Sylvia Fowles and Lisa Leslie each won four.

Boston Celtics forward Jayson Tatum (0) drives toward the basket as New York Knicks forward OG Anunoby (8) defends during the first half of an NBA basketball game Thursday, April 11, 2024, in Boston. (AP Photo/Steven Senne)

James will seek a fourth medal, after winning bronze in 2004 and golds in 2008 and 2012. The other past gold medalists on the roster are Davis (2012), Adebayo (2020), Booker (2020), Tatum (2020) and Holiday (2020). The 2020 gold medals were won in 2021, since the COVID-19 pandemic forced a one-year delay of the Tokyo Games.

Curry will play in the Olympics for the first time, as will Embiid — who chose to play for the U.S. last year after becoming an American citizen. The Cameroon-born center also could have chosen to represent France at the Paris Games.

The other first-time Olympians on the current roster are Haliburton and Edwards, both of whom played for the U.S. team that finished fourth at the World Cup in Manila last year.

Many of the commitments are not surprises: Durant and Curry said in October that they wanted to play this summer, Adebayo said then that he had already committed to the team, and it’s been assumed for some time that if players like James want to play, then all they have to do is say so.

Boston Celtics’ Jrue Holiday gets past Milwaukee Bucks’ Giannis Antetokounmpo during the first half of an NBA basketball game Tuesday, April 9, 2024, in Milwaukee. (AP Photo/Morry Gash)

The U.S. men have competed in basketball at the Olympics 19 times, winning 19 medals — 16 gold, one silver and two bronze.

The Paris team will be coached by Steve Kerr, assisted by Erik Spoelstra, Tyronn Lue and Mark Few. It’s still possible that the roster changes before the summer, if injuries or deep runs in the NBA playoffs force players to change their minds about committing to the national team.

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AP Summer Olympics: https://apnews.com/hub/2024-paris-olympic-games

Los Angeles Clippers forward Kawhi Leonard (2) question a call by official Marc Davis (8) during the second half of an NBA basketball game against the Orlando Magic, Friday, March 29, 2024, in Orlando, Fla. (AP Photo/John Raoux)

Minnesota Timberwolves guard Anthony Edwards celebrates the win against the Washington Wizards after an NBA basketball game, Tuesday, April 9, 2024, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Matt Krohn)

Los Angeles Lakers forward Anthony Davis slam dunks in the first half of an NBA basketball game against the New Orleans Pelicans in New Orleans, Sunday, April 14, 2024. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)

Philadelphia 76ers’ Joel Embiid, left, looks to make his move against Orlando Magic’s Jonathan Isaac, right, during the second half of an NBA basketball game, Friday, April 12, 2024, in Philadelphia. The 76ers won 125-113. (AP Photo/Chris Szagola)

Phoenix Suns guard Devin Booker (1) gestures during the first half of an NBA basketball game against the Sacramento Kings Friday, April 12, 2024, in Sacramento, Calif. (AP Photo/Benjamin Fanjoy)

Miami Heat center Bam Adebayo (13) sits on the scorers table as he waits to enter the game during the second half of an NBA basketball game against the Washington Wizards, Sunday, March 31, 2024, in Washington. The Heat won 119-107. (AP Photo/Nick Wass)