Team USA’s performance at the 2024 Paris Olympics will go down as one of the best in the country’s basketball history. We were spoiled to watch Stephen Curry, Kevin Durant and LeBron James all play for the same cause in a competitive sense. But this might have been an exception.
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Past tournaments have shown that overwhelming talent doesn’t necessarily equate to team success. James was at the forefront of one of Team USA’s failures and ensured that come Paris Olympics, the team would have evolved for the better.
This was a long time coming as well. Following Team USA’s shortcomings at the 2004 Athens Olympics, the team management realized they couldn’t rely exclusively on star power. It takes much more than big names to create a competent team on the international stage. Plenty of opposing nations consist of rosters of players who grew up playing together.
Team USA general manager Grant Hill made sure to emphasize a balanced roster when constructing this team. That is why they reached out to Jrue Holiday and Derrick White for their services. White was the only member of the team who wasn’t an All-Star but that didn’t mean his impact was minor.
White became a staple in head coach Steve Kerr’s rotation, even over All-NBA Boston Celtics teammate Jayson Tatum. In 15.8 minutes of action, White averaged 3.8 points, 1.6 assists and a team-high 1.4 steals per game.
The two-time All-Defensive Team member has played alongside some talented players, but nothing like his tenure with Team USA. One of the most memorable moments came from witnessing LeBron James’ leadership ahead of the tournament.
“LeBron was like, ‘We’ve got 12 of the coldest players in the NBA, that it doesn’t matter if you have 30 points or 5 points,” White said on the White Noise Podcast. “We need to just win this gold medal. That’s the mindset that we all had going into it.”
White has never been a prolific scorer, so it was easy for him to assume the role of a glue guy. Phoenix Suns star Devin Booker is the best example of a player who followed James’ instructions. Booker transitioned from a score-first mindset to an elite 3-and-D wing. Ego was the last thing on everyone’s mind. All that mattered was winning. At times, White couldn’t believe the type of team he was a part of.
“Look at the lineup we have out there. We got Steph, we got KD, LeBron, Book and Joel. I’m like, ‘This is ridiculous,'” he proclaimed.
Team USA set out to win gold, and that is exactly what they did. However, their run to the top of the world wasn’t a walk in the park. They were pushed to the brink of elimination by Serbia in the semifinal and France in the finals. As everyone knows, Stephen Curry strung together all-time performances to lead the Americans to victory.
Each member of that team contributed to history, which is a bond that no one could break.
“I think the coolest part for me was getting to know them outside of basketball,” White said. “Who they are as people, how they talk and what they’re about.”
Time will tell if White receives the opportunity to represent his country on the international stage once more. If he doesn’t, he can live peacefully knowing he was able to achieve something only a select few people in history have been able to do.
