Team USA ‘aggressively pursuing’ Celtics star for 2024 Olympics

Report: Team USA ‘aggressively pursuing’ Celtics star for 2024 Olympics originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston

The United States men’s basketball team at the 2024 Olympics in Paris likely will feature one of the most impressive rosters in the history of the sport.

LeBron James reportedly has strong interest in making his fourth and final Olympic appearance, The Athletic reported in September. The report also said James has spoken to several stars in an effort to recruit them to Team USA, including Boston Celtics forward Jayson Tatum.

Tatum might not be the only Celtics star who heads to France for the next Summer Olympics.

ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reported Sunday that USA Basketball is “aggressively pursuing” Celtics point guard Jrue Holiday.

Wojnarowski also reported that Team USA officials considered Holiday the “second-most-impactful player, after Kevin Durant, on the 2021 gold-medal-winning team.” Holiday has not yet made a final decision on whether he’ll participate in the next Olympics, per Woj.

Holiday was acquired from the Celtics in a trade with the Portland Trail Blazers last week. The Blazers moved him to Boston just a few days after they acquired him from the Milwaukee Bucks as part of the Damian Lillard trade.

The veteran point guard’s elite defense and championship experience from winning the 2021 NBA Finals and a 2020 Olympic gold medal make him an ideal candidate for the next Team USA roster.

The United States finished a disappointing fourth at the FIBA World Championships over the summer. The best way to re-establish Team USA’s dominance on the international stage would be to include players of Holiday’s caliber.

Holiday, Tatum and Celtics guard Jaylen Brown are all worthy candidates for the Olympic roster. Tatum, like Holiday, was on the Olympic gold medal team in Tokyo.