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Chris Paul has reportedly become another NBA star to express his interest to play for Team USA in the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris.
The Golden State Warriors guard joined a plethora of NBA stars who are allegedly ready to commit to the national team.
Paul's desire to play for Team USA didn't get much appreciation from fans, who made fun of him and wrote, among other things, that he will not be invited to the team next summer.
"He wants to create a shameful legacy," a user wrote on Twitter. "Team USA isn’t interested in having Chris Paul on the team next Summer," a user tweeted. "Who’s gonna tell him.. lol," another one wrote.
"The interest isn’t mutual," another tweeted. "Chris Paul winning gold medal with Team USA next summer," another user tweeted, posting a photo of Jeff Teague winning the NBA championship. "Hes gonna be benched," another wrote. "He’s not invited," a user tweeted. "I thought we wanted to win," another tweeted.
If Chris Paul joins Team USA, he will bring some firepower to the team's backourt, as the Americans aim to return to the top after finishing fourth in the FIBA World Cup 2023.
Chris Paul allegedly considering return to Team USA after 11 years
If Chris Paul does play next summer, the star point guard will make his return to the national team after almost 12 years.
He has appeared in three major FIBA tournaments, starting with the FIBA World Cup 2006, where Team USA finished third after losing to Greece in the semifinals.
Two years later, he was part of the Redeem Team that won the gold medal in the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing. This was the first of four straight Olympic gold medals for USA, which brought all its stars to China to claim gold undefeated (8-0).
After skipping the 2010 FIBA World Cup, Chris Paul re-joined Team USA for the 2012 Olympic Games in London. He was a starter and averaged 8.2 ppg, 5.1 apg and 1.6 spg, as the Americans successfully defended their 2008 gold medal.
Chris Paul has not played for Team USA ever since. This is common for NBA stars, who prefer to take time off instead of playing in FIBA competitions.
After what happened in the Philippines, though, it looks like the elite stars are getting ready for one "Last Dance."
Starting with LeBron James, who is reportedly ready to play for the national team one more time. Similarly, Kevin Durant, Steph Curry, Anthony Davis and Draymond Green are also expected to be good to go.
According to reports, Damian Lillard, Devin Booker, Jayson Tatum and James Harden should be available as well. The status of Joel Embiid (eligible to play for both Team USA and France) remains unclear.
This development came only a few days after Team USA's fourth-place finish in the 2023 FIBA World Cup. This was the second straight World Cup where the Americans finish outside the podium (seventh in 2019). They have won the FIBA World Cup only twice over the past 21 years (2010, 2014).
