Kentucky leads the way with three former players on Team USA basketball for 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris

Though John Calipari’s perceived prioritization of NBA Draft picks over NCAA and SEC championships rankled Kentucky fans in the final years of what became an untenable marriage, the former Wildcats coach excelled at getting players to the next level and setting them up for success.

If any evidence was needed to back up that fact, one need not look further than the upcoming 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris.

On the Team USA basketball roster, which was officially revealed Wednesday morning, there are three former Kentucky players: Anthony Davis of the Los Angeles Lakers, Devin Booker of the Phoenix Suns and Bam Adebayo of the Miami Heat.

No other college has more than one player represented on the 11-man roster.

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Davis, Booker and Adebayo all played at Kentucky under Calipari, with each staying with the program for only one season before heading to the NBA. Davis was the most accomplished player of the trio, winning national player of the year while leading the Wildcats to their lone title under Calipari, in 2012.

It will be the second appearance on Team USA in the Olympics for each player. Davis, only about three months removed from his final game at Kentucky, was on the gold-medal-winning team at the 2012 Olympics while Booker and Adebayo were members of a team that won gold at the 2020 Olympics (which were held in 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic).

Under Calipari, who left to become the new head coach at Arkansas earlier this month, Kentucky had 35 NBA first-round draft picks and 10 players who went on to make at least one NBA all-star game.

The Wildcats’ 58 all-time first-round draft picks are the most of any college.

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Team USA basketball roster 2024

Here’s a look at the 2024 Team USA basketball roster for the 2024 Summer Olympics:

• LeBron James, Los Angeles Lakers

• Stephen Curry, Golden State Warriors (Davidson)

• Kevin Durant, Phoenix Suns (Texas)

• Joel Embiid, Philadelphia 76ers (Kansas)

• Anthony Davis, Los Angeles Lakers (Kentucky)

• Devin Booker, Phoenix Suns (Kentucky)

• Anthony Edwards, Minnesota Timberwolves (Georgia)

• Jayson Tatum, Boston Celtics (Duke)

• Bam Adebayo, Miami Heat (Kentucky)

• Tyrese Haliburton, Indiana Pacers (Iowa State)

• Jrue Holiday, Boston Celtics (UCLA)

This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: Kentucky has three former players on Team USA basketball for 2024 Olympics