Selecting the perfect 12-man USA men's basketball roster to guarantee Olympic gold  

Forwards: LeBron James, Kevin Durant, Kawhi Leonard, and Jayson Tatum

Talk about star-studded. James, Durant, and Leonard have been the NBA’s three best forwards for the better part of a decade. Tatum has been one of the game’s rising stars and is on his way to elite status. There are not many countries that would have an answer for these four.

James has not played in the last two Olympics. However, he has expressed a desire to represent his country one more time before he likely retires in a couple seasons. The case for him is clear. He’s won two gold medals. In Team USA history, he is in the in the top five in points, rebounds, assists, field goals made, and three pointers made. This is a no-brainer.

The same goes for Kevin Durant, the leading scorer in Team USA history. Durant has dealt with injuries the past few years, but he is without a doubt one of the best scorers in the NBA, if not the world. He’s won gold three times, so he knows what it takes to win at the international level. Having even more experience along with James will be vital for this group.

Tatum has only played in one Olympics, but he came away with gold and was impressive in doing so. Tatum was the team’s second-leading scorer behind Durant and shot 44 percent from 3-point range as well. There will probably be more scoring on the team than there was in 2021, but nonetheless, Tatum’s versatility on both ends makes him a lock.

As for Kawhi Leonard, he has not played in the Olympics. Injuries are a reason to blame for that, but Leonard is the healthiest he’s been in a few years this season. Leonard brings more efficient scoring, as he’s never shot lower than 47 percent from the field in his career. However, his calling card is on the defensive end and he, along with Jrue Holiday, would wreak havoc for opponents on that end of the floor.