DALLAS — Kyrie Irving, along with Luka Doncic, is committed to leading the Dallas Mavericks to a strong end to the 2023-24 NBA season as they head into a first-round playoff series against the Los Angeles Clippers. Irving was eager to join Team USA for the Paris Olympics competition, but he was reportedly left off the final 11-man roster.
According to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski, U.S. basketball stars Stephen Curry, LeBron James, Kevin Durant, Jayson Tatum, Joel Embiid, Devin Booker, Tyrese Haliburton, Anthony Edwards, The 2024 Paris Olympic squad is said to be nearing completion, including star athletes such as Jrue Holiday, Bam Adebayo, and Anthony Davis. The team is initially considering keeping one spot open. Irving was removed from the list.
April 10, 2024. Miami, Florida, USA.Dallas Mavericks guard Kyrie Irving (11) reacts to the game against Miami
Sam Navarro-USA TODAY Sports
On March 11, Shams Charania reported on her show “Run It Back” that Irving has a “deep desire” to represent the United States at this summer's Olympics in Paris.
“I've heard that Kyrie Irving has a strong desire to represent his country and represent the United States at the Paris Olympics this summer. He wants to be a part of this team,” Charania said. reported.
Irving has a strong history of leading USA Basketball to victory, most notably winning gold medals at the 2014 FIBA World Cup and the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro. He also won the MVP title at the 2014 FIBA World Cup. As his NBA champion in 2016, he will be able to further enhance his illustrious career by competing in the Olympics again.
Despite appearing in 58 games and averaging 25.6 points, 5.2 assists, and 5.0 rebounds in a nearly 50-40-90 season, Irving was not selected to USA Basketball's final roster. He is shooting 49.7 percent from the floor, 41.1 percent from beyond the arc, and 90.5 percent from free throws.
It's always difficult to narrow down such a vast player pool to just 11 or 12 players. Irving wasn't the only one left off the list of controversial guards, as was former Mavs guard and current New York Knicks star Jalen Brunson.
