LeBron James, Stephen Curry, and all members of the U.S Olympic basketball team face harsh criticism over age concerns

One of the most memorable performances in Olympic basketball history may have come during the 2024 Games, where the United States claimed the gold medal with a roster headlined by NBA players LeBron James, Stephen Curry, and Kevin Durant. Despite their triumph, the team has faced criticism—centered not on their play, but on their age.

Dallas Mavericks minority owner Mark Cuban voiced strong opposition to NBA stars participating in the Olympics during a recent interview on SiriusXM NBA Radio. Cuban argued that the tournament should be limited to players 21 years old and younger.

“I hated it,” Cuban said. “I complained about it every single year because, with my attitude, guys going to play in the Olympics… Comcast NBC is making billions, right? The IOC is making billions, even FIBA is making a lot.”

Cuban’s main concern is the lack of compensation and the injury risk taken on by the league and its teams when NBA players compete internationally. “And we’re giving all these guys for free and taking all the injury risk,” he said. “Now there haven’t been dramatic injuries, but all you need to know is if a guy is a free agent and hurt, he ain’t playing.”

His comments follow a string of injuries to key Team USA players who competed in the 2024 Paris Olympics. While the United States captured gold without incident during the tournament itself, several stars sustained major injuries during the NBA season. Jayson Tatum tore his Achilles in the second round of the playoffs. Tyrese Haliburton suffered the same injury during Game 7 of the NBA Finals and Curry suffered a injury against Timberwolves. Joel Embiid, who had dealt with knee issues all year, played in only 19 regular-season games.

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Still, questions remain: were those injuries truly a consequence of Olympic participation, or simply the product of an increasingly demanding NBA schedule? Some argue that the league’s year-round intensity plays a larger role in player health than a brief Olympic stint every four years.

Critics have also pointed to age as a concern, especially given that the 2024 Team USA roster featured several veterans nearing the end of their careers. But Cuban’s case weakens when you consider that two of the injured stars—Tatum and Haliburton—are still in the early stages of their primes and are expected to be franchise cornerstones for years to come.

Whether or not the Olympics directly contributed to those injuries remains up for debate, but Cuban’s comments have reignited a long-standing discussion about balancing national team pride with NBA career longevity—especially as global tournaments continue to grow in importance and visibility.