Stephen Curry has waited a long time, but his Olympic debut may be coming in just a matter of months.
The Warriors star has been named to the United States’ initial 41-player pool for the Paris Games, set to tip off this July. Joining him on that list, which will be trimmed to a 12-player roster, is fellow Golden State veteran Chris Paul.
Curry will turn 36 in March, but he has never played in the Olympics. In 2016, he pulled out of the running for the Rio Games, citing knee and ankle injuries and an extended run in the postseason leading up to the NBA Finals that June. For the Tokyo 2020 Games played in 2021, he was coming off a grueling NBA schedule condensed by the coronavirus pandemic.
The two-time MVP has played before for Team USA in the 2010 FIBA World Championship tournament and in the 2014 FIBA World Cup.
Paul will be 39 when the Olympics start and has played for Team USA on the biggest stage before: He earned gold as a member of the 2008 (Beijing) and 2012 (London) teams.
Absent from the national team’s initial roster are Draymond Green, a 2016 and 2020 gold medalist with Team USA, and Klay Thompson, a member of the 2016 gold-medal team and 2014 World Cup-winning team.
Several NBA stars — headlined by Curry and LeBron James of the Lakers — have announced their intentions to play in Paris. For both Curry and James, a gold medal would be a crowning achievement on the international stage in their careers’ twilight.
Former Warrior Kevin Durant, a hero of the team that won gold in Tokyo, is among the player pool, too. Team USA will be led by Warriors coach Steve Kerr, who coached the Americans to gold in those games.
Here is the full list of 41 finalists for the 12-player roster: Bam Adebayo, Jarrett Allen, Paolo Banchero, Desmond Bane, Scottie Barnes, Devin Booker, Mikal Bridges, Jaylen Brown, Jalen Brunson, Jimmy Butler, Alex Caruso, Stephen Curry, Anthony Davis, Kevin Durant, Anthony Edwards, Joel Embiid, De’Aaron Fox, Paul George, Aaron Gordon, Tyrese Haliburton, James Harden, Josh Hart, Tyler Herro, Jrue Holiday, Chet Holmgren, Brandon Ingram, Kyrie Irving, Jaren Jackson Jr., LeBron James, Cam Johnson, Walker Kessler, Kawhi Leonard, Damian Lillard, Donovan Mitchell, Chris Paul, Bobby Portis, Austin Reaves, Duncan Robinson, Jayson Tatum, Derrick White and Trae Young.