One of the most watched events in the Summer Olympics is basketball. The U.S. men's and women's teams have dominated the sport historically, winning 25 out of 32 gold medals. However, this summer, the United States' dominance may be coming to an end.
NBC2 sports reporter Jaron May sat down with NBC Sports play-by-play broadcaster Noah Eagle to preview the basketball tournaments in the 2024 Paris Olympics. Eagle will be broadcasting all of the hoops games this summer.
Eagle says there is more parody in this year's games than ever before. Especially on the men's side, he says the world has begun to catch up to the U.S., and some countries have just as talented players.
"I think now you can make an argument that there are a ton of other teams outside of the United States that could argue they have the best player on the floor," Eagle said. "I’m excited because I think there is more parody than there’s been maybe ever in an Olympic Games. I think that makes this a little different, makes it certainly more special and more intriguing."
As for the women's tournament, Eagle says it is the United States' gold to lose. Despite not having one of the biggest names in the game right now, Caitlin Clark, on its roster, the U.S. team is loaded with WNBA talent and will be looking for its eighth-straight gold.
"At the end of the day, this is the United States’ gold to lose," Eagle said. "They know that. So the story for me is, who can challenge them?"
Basketball in the 2024 Paris Olympics begins on July 27 and runs until Aug. 11.