Dallas Mavericks star Kyrie Irving recently shared his strong desire to compete in the upcoming Paris Olympics. But his main focus right now is on helping the Mavericks finish the NBA season strong alongside Luka Doncic.
Irving’s impressive performance this season, with less time on the bench, has been a key factor in the Mavericks’ dominance since the All-Star break. If he keeps up this level of play, he could be a valuable asset to Team USA as well.
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Irving revealed his “deep desire” to represent his nation
According to the Athletic’s senior NBA insider, Shams Charania, Mavs star Kyrie Irving has a deep desire to play for Team USA at the Paris Olympics. Charania revealed this information on the “Run it Back” show. “I am told that Kyrie Irving has a deep desire to represent his country, represent the USA at the Paris Olympics this summer. He wants to be a part of this team,” said Charania.
The revelation by Shams demonstrates the great patriotism of Kyrie for his country. He has represented his nation on the international stage many times and has been quite successful in doing so as well. He has won two gold medals with his national team, one at the 2014 FIBA World Cup and another at the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics. He had an excellent performance at the 2014 FIBA World Cup and was also named the MVP of the tournament.
How well does he Irving into the 2024 Paris Olympics Team USA?
Kyrie Irving may have expressed his desire to represent his nation at the upcoming grand tournament. However, his position on the final squad is a bit concerning. Kyrie is not as young as he was during his 2014 and 2016 international triumphs. In addition to that, the USA now has more options in the younger age pool who have great potential and promise a bright future.
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Kyrie has made it to the 41-player pool announced by USA Basketball earlier. However, his chances of making the final 12 are slim. The Mavs star has a great record in international tournaments but has become more injury-prone in recent years. He is in great form right now, averaging 25.4 points, 5.0 rebounds, and 5.2 assists in 45 games for the Mavs this season. However, younger players like Anthony Edwards or Austin Reaves have more chances to make it to the final 12 before Irving.
USA Basketball will evaluate all of its options before announcing the final 12 for the Paris Olympics. The performance of the players in the current NBA season will be a great deciding factor for that selection. If Kyrie wants to represent his country, he would have to prove himself by performing even better in his remaining games. He would also have to be careful about not getting injured, which is considered a viable option compared to the younger players.
What do you think of Kyrie Irving’s desire to represent his country at the Paris Olympics? Do you think Irving would make it to the final 12 of Team USA? We are eager to know your thoughts, so drop down in the comments and let us know.
