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USA basketball lost to Lithuania 110-104 on Sunday. However, they are not eliminated from the 2024 Olympics next summer despite the loss.
The USA qualified for the 2024 Paris Olympics in the men’s tournament by finishing as one of the top two teams from the Americas. Team USA alongside Canada has qualified and won't have to participate in the Olympics qualifying tournaments.
Team USA will be going for its fifth straight Olympic gold medal in men’s basketball. At the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, the team stumbled out of the gates with a loss to France before going unbeaten the rest of the way. It got revenge against France in the final with an 87-82 win.
The USA has been the dominant force in the Olympics since losing in the semifinals of the 2004 Athens Olympics. That team settled for bronze and caused a realignment of USA basketball.
The best players in the NBA came out with fire to return the team to glory at the 2008 Beijing Olympics. That team led by Kobe Bryant and LeBron James won the gold medal, starting its current streak.
The USA will be the favorite in 2024 to claim gold again. It will have stiff competition from the host France. Canada will also bring a team loaded with NBA talent.
Was USA basketball eliminated from the World Cup?
Team USA lost to Lithuania on Sunday in the second round of the 2023 FIBA World Cup. However, it still advanced to the next round as the second-placed team in the group.
The USA will face off against Italy in the quarterfinals. It will be favored in that matchup. Italy has looked strong of late as it beat Serbia and Puerto Rico in the second round to advance.
If the U.S. wins, it will take on the winner of Germany and Latvia. Germany has been the best team in the tournament so far, running through the competition. It is yet to lose. Latvia has been one of the pleasant surprises of the tournament. It advanced after picking up shock wins against France, Spain and Brazil.
It will be a tough road for the United States. It will need to win at least one game to avoid finishing in seventh place like it did in the 2019 FIBA World Cup.
