PARIS (AP) — The first practice for the U.S. men’s Olympic basketball team after arriving in Paris was one of those workouts that those who were there, watching behind closed doors, will talk about for a long time.
Players were split up evenly. Go play, they were told. What happened next set the tone for the rest of the team’s time at the Paris Games.
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From left to right, United States' Stephen Curry (4), Anthony Edwards (5) and LeBron James (6) celebrate after beating France to win the gold medal during a men's gold medal basketball game at Bercy Arena at the 2024 Summer Olympics, Sunday, Aug. 11, 2024, in Paris, France. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell)
United States' Jayson Tatum (10) knocks the ball from Victor Wembanyama (32), of France during a men's gold medal basketball game at Bercy Arena at the 2024 Summer Olympics, Saturday, Aug. 10, 2024, in Paris, France. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)
United States' Bam Adebayo (13) dunks during a men's gold medal basketball game at Bercy Arena at the 2024 Summer Olympics, Saturday, Aug. 10, 2024, in Paris, France. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill, Pool)
United States' Stephen Curry (4) reacts after a three-point basket against France in the men's gold medal basketball game at the 2024 Summer Olympics, Saturday, Aug. 10, 2024 in Paris, France. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)
United States' Stephen Curry, left, and United States' Kevin Durant hug after the the United States won the men's gold medal basketball game at Bercy Arena at the 2024 Summer Olympics, Saturday, Aug. 10, 2024, in Paris, France. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
“We warmed up and then it became competitive,” U.S. assistant coach Erik Spoelstra said. “And that’s when you realized, one, that this team really cares and that it felt the responsibility to play and compete at the highest level. And then secondly, the level of talent on that floor … we knew it could exceed all expectations.”
A couple weeks later, they won gold.
The mission was completed Saturday night when the U.S. won gold for the fifth consecutive Games, holding off France — in Paris, no less — 98-87. Stephen Curry scored 24 points, all on 3-pointers, while Kevin Durant won his fourth Olympic gold and LeBron James won his third gold and fourth medal overall.
And then the party started. Before long, it’ll be time to start thinking about how to do it again in 2028 when the Olympics return to Los Angeles. Grant Hill will be back as managing director for the men’s national team, and he’s already excited about what is looming.
“I’ve done a lot of things in my life,” Hill said. “And this is a thing that certainly consumes you, but it is incredibly rewarding.”
Especially when the team wins.
There will be changes between now and 2028. James will be 43 and likely retired by then (though with James, never say never). It might seem iffy for Curry and Durant to still be playing in four years, but again, who knows. Some players like Anthony Davis and Bam Adebayo already have said they want in; others like Anthony Edwards, Devin Booker, Jayson Tatum and Tyrese Haliburton seem to be locks if they want to continue.
No decisions are set, and that won’t change for a while. Hill is going to take a well-earned break. The next major international tournament is the World Cup at Qatar in 2027. It’s safe to say that it’ll be sometime in 2025 when he even starts getting serious about putting together a group for that.
“Over four years, a lot can and will happen,” Hill said. “Now, getting away from it a little bit, just letting things play out and see how guys continue to develop and see what kind of season guys have over the next year or so. And then, at some point, you start that process all over again.”
When he took over, Hill said he wanted a pipeline for both players and coaches. People leave the program, others move up. Steve Kerr made clear when he agreed to replace Gregg Popovich as U.S. coach, it would be for the 2023 World Cup and these Paris Olympics. It would seem likely that the next national team coach will be either Spoelstra or Tyronn Lue, given how both were assistants under Kerr the last two summers.
And already, the player candidate pool for the 2027 World Cup in Qatar and the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics has a slew of obvious candidates. Adebayo has said he wants to play and Davis — admittedly, with a new gold medal around his neck possibly swaying his mood — said Saturday night that he thinks he’ll play in 2028. Edwards, Haliburton, Tatum and Booker (who was incredible in these Olympics) will all be 31 or less when the Los Angeles Games roll around. Edwards will turn only 27 that summer.
Add some of the players from the World Cup team — Paolo Banchero, Jalen Brunson, Mikal Bridges and Josh Hart would all figure to be among the candidates from that list — and there’s already a slew of logical options. There will be more, many more.
“We love that, to have some of these young guys in the pipeline now and on the team so that they can be part of the next group,” Kerr said. “But really, we didn’t think of that when putting the team together. We just put the best group possible to win now and we’ll worry about 2028 in four years.”
USA Basketball announced in April 2021 that Hill would be the replacement for Jerry Colangelo as men’s national team managing director. Colangelo stepped down officially about four months later when the Tokyo Games ended, wrapping up a run of four Olympic gold medals and two world championships.
The job sounds simple, but it isn’t. The managing director is largely tasked with picking the best players and coaches to accept being part of a program where anything less than a gold medal will be considered failure.
“I don’t know if I fully understood what exactly all of it entailed when I was announced or even considering it,” Hill said. “It’s been a marathon — maybe an ultramarathon, one of those 100-mile races. But everything, the preparation, the game planning, strategy, logistics, there’s been some really great times and there’s been tough times. All of it has been absolutely incredible. It’s been more challenging and more rewarding and fulfilling than I could have imagined.”
AP Summer Olympics: https://apnews.com/hub/2024-paris-olympic-games
From left to right, United States' Stephen Curry (4), Anthony Edwards (5) and LeBron James (6) celebrate after beating France to win the gold medal during a men's gold medal basketball game at Bercy Arena at the 2024 Summer Olympics, Sunday, Aug. 11, 2024, in Paris, France. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell)
United States' Jayson Tatum (10) knocks the ball from Victor Wembanyama (32), of France during a men's gold medal basketball game at Bercy Arena at the 2024 Summer Olympics, Saturday, Aug. 10, 2024, in Paris, France. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)
United States' Bam Adebayo (13) dunks during a men's gold medal basketball game at Bercy Arena at the 2024 Summer Olympics, Saturday, Aug. 10, 2024, in Paris, France. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill, Pool)
United States' Stephen Curry (4) reacts after a three-point basket against France in the men's gold medal basketball game at the 2024 Summer Olympics, Saturday, Aug. 10, 2024 in Paris, France. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)
United States' Stephen Curry, left, and United States' Kevin Durant hug after the the United States won the men's gold medal basketball game at Bercy Arena at the 2024 Summer Olympics, Saturday, Aug. 10, 2024, in Paris, France. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Senate quickly confirmed Marco Rubio as secretary of state Monday, voting unanimously to give President Donald Trump the first member of his new Cabinet on Inauguration Day.
Rubio, the Republican senator from Florida, is among the least controversial of Trump’s nominees and vote was decisive, 99-0. Another pick, John Ratcliffe for CIA director, is also expected to have a swift vote, as soon as Tuesday. Action on others, including former combat veteran and Fox News host Pete Hegseth for defense secretary, is possible later in the week.
“Marco Rubio is a very intelligent man with a remarkable understanding of American foreign policy,” Sen. Chuck Grassley of Iowa, the senior-most Republican, said as the chamber opened.
It’s often tradition for the Senate to convene immediately after the ceremonial pomp of the inauguration to begin putting the new president’s team in place, particularly the national security officials. During Trump’s first term, the Senate swiftly confirmed his defense and homeland security secretaries on day one, and President Joe Biden’s choice for director of national intelligence was confirmed on his own Inauguration Day.
With Trump’s return to the White House, and his Republican Party controlling majorities in Congress, his outsider Cabinet choices are more clearly falling into place, despite initial skepticism and opposition from both sides of the aisle.
Rubio, who was surrounded by colleagues in the Senate chamber, said afterward he feels “good, but there’s a lot of work ahead.”
“It’s an important job in an important time, and I’m honored by it,” Rubio said.
Senate Majority Leader John Thune moved quickly Monday, announcing he expected voting to begin “imminently” on Trump’s nominees.
Democrats have calculated it's better for them to be seen as more willing to work with Trump, rather than simply mounting a blockade to his nominees. They're holding their opposition for some of his other picks who have less support, including Tulsi Gabbard for director of national intelligence and vaccine skeptic Robert F. Kennedy Jr. for health secretary.
Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer said his party will “neither rubber-stamp nominees we feel are grossly unqualified, nor oppose nominees that deserve serious consideration.”
Rubio, he said, is an example of "a qualified nominee we think should be confirmed quickly."
Senate committees have been holding lengthy confirmation hearings on more than a dozen of the Cabinet nominees, with more to come this week. And several panels are expected to meet late Monday to begin voting to advance the nominees to the full Senate for confirmation.
The Senate Foreign Relations Committee unanimously advanced Rubio's nomination late Monday. The Senate Armed Services Committee and Senate Intelligence Committee, respectively, voted to move the nominations of Hegseth and Ratcliffe. And the Homeland Security and Government Affairs Committee advanced nominees Kristi Noem as homeland security secretary and Russell Vought as director of the Office of Management and Budget, but with opposition.
Rubio, a well-liked senator and former Trump rival during the 2016 presidential race, has drawn closer to the president in recent years. He appeared last week to answer questions before the Foreign Relations Committee, where he has spent more than a decade as a member.
As secretary of state, Rubio would be the nation’s top diplomat, and the first Latino to hold the position. Born in Miami to Cuban immigrants, he has long been involved in foreign affairs, particularly in South America, and has emerged as a hawk on China’s rise.
During his confirmation hearing last week, Rubio warned of the consequences of America’s “unbalanced relationship” with China. While he echoes Trump’s anti-globalist rhetoric, Rubio is also seen as an internationalist who understands the power of U.S. involvement on the global stage.
Rubio cultivated bipartisan support from across the aisle, both Republicans and Democrats. He takes over for outgoing Secretary of State Antony Blinken, who has said he hopes the Trump administration continues Biden's policies in the Middle East to end the war in Gaza and to help Ukraine counter Russian nomination.
The Senate is split 53-47, but the resignation of Vice President JD Vance and, soon, Rubio drops the GOP majority further until their successors arrive. Republicans need almost all every party member in line to overcome Democratic opposition to nominees.
Objection from any one senator, as is expected with Hegseth and several other choices, would force the Senate into procedural steps that would drag voting later into the week.
Associated Press writers Farnoush Amiri and Mary Clare Jalonick contributed to this report.
President-elect Donald Trump's Cabinet picks, other nominees and appointments, pose for a photo at the National Gallery of Art in Washington, Saturday, Jan. 18, 2025. First row from left, Elise Stefanik, John Ratcliffe, Lori Chavez-DeRemer, Howard Lutnick, Pete Hegseth, Doug Burgum, Brooke L. Rollins, Marco Rubio and Robert F. Kennedy Jr.; second row from left, Scott Turner, Tulsi Gabbard, Sean Duffy, Linda McMahon, Lee Zeldin, Kristi Noem, Chris Wright, Doug Collins, Kelly Loeffler and Scott Bessent; and third row from left, Stephen Miran, Jamieson Greer, Kevin Hassett, Kash Patel and Russell Vought. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)
Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., a nominee for Secretary of State, attends the 60th Presidential Inauguration in the Rotunda of the U.S. Capitol in Washington, Monday, Jan. 20, 2025. (Kevin Lamarque/Pool Photo via AP)