Every Los Angeles Lakers player competing in the 2024 Olympic Games

When pondering whether the Los Angeles Lakers can contend in 2024-25, look no further than the Team USA roster. The team representing the U.S. at the 2024 Summer Olympics consists of some of the biggest names in the NBA, and the Lakers are well-represented among them.

Improvements are needed in Los Angeles, but hope can be found no further than the fact that Team USA is leaning on the Lakers to help deliver an Olympic gold medal.

Team USA will be headlined by former league MVPs such as Stephen Curry, Kevin Durant, and Joel Embiid. It will also feature reigning NBA champions Jrue Holiday, Jayson Tatum, and Derrick White, defensive stalwart Bam Adebayo, high-profile scorers Devin Booker and Anthony Edwards, and top-tier facilitator Tyrese Haliburton.

The widespread expectation is that Team USA will win yet another Olympic gold medal and continue its reign of dominance in international basketball.

For as great as that roster is, it's the two Lakers who seem to round it into form. That's been clear in the games leading up to the Olympics, and will likely continue to be true when Team USA takes the court in Paris, France.

If what we've seen already is a sign of things to come, then expect Los Angeles to have its fingerprints all over another golden summer.

Anthony Davis

Leading up to the 2024 Summer Olympics, an argument can be made that no Team USA player has been better than Anthony Davis. The Lakers superstar has been dominant on both ends of the floor, anchoring the defense and scoring at will on the other end.

The international game is flush with high-level big men, making Davis one of the most valuable and trusted players on Team USA.

The USA Basketball Showcase began when the Americans defeated Canada in a competitive 86-72 encounter. Davis played 19 minutes, recording 10 points, 11 rebounds, two assists, four blocks, and two steals as the squad's standout performer.

A game later, he put the U.S. on his back with team-high marks of 17 points, 14 rebounds, seven offensive boards, and two blocks in a 98-82 win over Australia.

It's a great sign for Lakers fans that Davis has been the most dominant player among the best roster in international basketball. He was named to the All-NBA Second Team and All-Defensive First Team in 2023-24, and is playing like an MVP this summer.

There's a long history of players thriving in the NBA after spending the summer with their fellow Olympians, and Davis looks like the most likely player to do exactly that.

LeBron James

LeBron James is in pursuit of his third career Olympic gold medal. It'd be yet another incredible feat by one of the greatest players in NBA history, and it appears as though the 39-year-old will play a significant role in that pursuit.

The epitome of longevity, James' endurance will be put to the test as he prepares for his age-40 season by spending the summer playing at the highest level of international basketball.

James has played relatively well thus far, even if he hasn't necessarily stolen the show at the USA Basketball Showcase. He filled the stat sheet with seven points, five rebounds, three assists, three steals, and one block in 19 minutes against Canada, impressing with his defensive intensity.

He provided 10 points, three rebounds, and three assists in 21 minutes during the win over Australia, burying two three-point field goals.

James has shot 6-of-15 through two games, committing six turnovers along the way. These games are meant to help the future Olympians get ready for the biggest stage, however, and James has taken that opportunity in stride.

Perhaps if Davis and James can win an Olympic gold medal this summer, the momentum created could lead them to a second NBA championship as a pairing in 2024-25.

It doesn't hurt to dream.