FIBA AmeriCup 2025 – Team profile: United States

MIAMI (United States) – The reigning Olympic champion and No. 1 team in the FIBA World Ranking will aim to add another crown to maintain its superiority. The team missed out on a medal after finishing 4th at the FIBA Basketball World Cup in 2023 with several emerging NBA stars. The USA then called upon the very best— LeBron James, Stephen Curry, Kevin Durant, and company— to secure its fifth consecutive Olympic gold medal in Paris 2024. As in recent AmeriCups, the Americans will field an alternate roster, but they remain one of the toughest opponents thanks to the country’s deep talent pool. They proved it in the Qualifiers, dominating Group D with a 5-1 record with a squad made up of mostly G League and European-based players.

Tournament history

This will be the USA’s 12th appearance in the tournament. Under the old competition system, the reigning world champion qualified directly to the Olympic Games and vice versa. This means the USA was not required to participate in the AmeriCup. The nation has won a record seven titles (1992, 1993, 1997, 1999, 2003, 2007, and 2017) and is the most successful in the competition’s history. USA also has one silver medal (1989) and one bronze (2022).

Players to watch

Javonte Smart and Jahmi’us Ramsey, the team’s leaders during the Qualifiers, are back! They are expected to play key roles offensively again in the tournament, with both players coming from G League action. During the Qualifiers, Smart averaged 18.3 points per game, while Ramsey followed with 15.7.

The roster will also feature eight players who saw action in European leagues. One standout name is Jerian Grant, a defensive specialist and reliable three-point shooter (43 percent from beyond the arc). He plays for Greek powerhouse Panathinaikos, one of the EuroLeague’s top clubs. Veteran guard Langston Galloway will also suit up. During the 2023 World Cup Qualifiers, he averaged 15.9 points over 10 games.

Head coach: Stephen Silas

Silas, a former NBA head coach, will lead the team. He was called upon for the last two Qualifier windows and posted a 4-0 record during that span. Silas spent nearly two decades as an assistant coach in the NBA before being named head coach of the Houston Rockets for the 2020–21 season, a role he held for three full seasons. He is also the son of the late NBA head coach Paul Silas.

Outlook

While this is not a roster stacked with NBA superstars, it has the tools to contend for the title. The players bring plenty of experience and are well-versed in the style and rules of the international game. U.S. teams often need time to adjust to FIBA’s physical style, but this group should be ready from the start. The USA will compete in Group A alongside the Bahamas, Brazil and Uruguay. They enter as co-favorites with Brazil to top the group. Their matchup against the Brazilians could be an early final.

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