Third-year Houston Rockets forward Jabari Smith Jr. and second-year guard Amen Thompson will be part of the 2024 Select Team for USA Basketball, program officials announced Friday. As part of the Select group, Smith and Thompson will practice against the U.S. national team ahead of the Paris Olympics, which begin in late July.
“There’s a long history of players from the Select Team eventually joining the national team down the line… including current players Anthony Edwards and Tyrese Haliburton, who served in the role in 2021 before the Tokyo Olympics,” ESPN’s Brian Windhorst writes.
With training camp held from July 6-8, the news could indicate that neither will play for Houston’s 2024 NBA summer-league team. Both Smith and Thompson were on the 2023 summer Rockets.
“As a former member of the USA Select Team, I know how important and fun this opportunity is for each of these players,” former NBA player Grant Hill — who is currently managing director of the USA Basketball program — said in a statement.
“There is a tremendous amount of talent on this Select squad with the significant job of helping the 2024 national team as they begin their journey to the Olympics,” Hill added. “Each of these athletes will play a role in our preparation as we also develop the national team pipeline for the future.”
Beyond Thompson and Smith, other members of the 2024 USA Select Team include Payton Pritchard, Jaime Jaquez Jr., Jalen Duren, Jalen Suggs, Trayce Jackson-Davis, Brandin Podziemski, Brandon Miller, Trey Murphy, Keegan Murray, Micah Potter, Nigel Hayes-Davis, Langston Galloway, and collegiate prospect Cooper Flagg.
