As with every Olympic Games, the US basketball teams do not reside in the athletes’ village.

A major American media outlet has conducted its investigation and has just revealed the amount spent to house all these great people.

We are obviously talking about millions of dollars.

The Olympic Games are not just a simple sports competition, they are also a huge breeding ground and the temple of equality.

The athletes’ village is the best representation of this, since all the delegations and their representatives are housed in the same way.

Same beds, same canteen, same rooms… On paper there are no exceptions, even for legends like Rafael Nadal.

The problem, and this is the case with every edition, is that some people do not find what they are looking for there.

Dennis Schröder for example, who went to the village before the opening ceremony, deplored the quality of the food provided to the Olympians.

Similarly, the Spanish tennis player complained about the lack of towels in the rooms, and therefore the lack of comfort.

The mind-boggling cost of Team USA’s accommodation in Paris
LeBron James and his Team USA teammates don’t have this problem, since they decided to get a palace in Paris, very close to what they can experience throughout the NBA season.

They will stay there until the end of the fortnight if they go to the final, which will cost the American committee a pharaonic sum.

Forbes details all this:

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Accommodating 24 NBA and WNBA superstars, plus staff and families, in around 700 rooms is never easy, nor cheap.

Between the contribution from the US Federation and the other resources provided by the Olympic Committee, we estimate that they spent more than $15 million on the basketball teams alone.

An astronomical sum compared to other disciplines.

According to Phil Andrews, head of the fencing federation, sending his 20 athletes to Paris cost “only” $300,000 or $400,000.

But Team USA has different needs, especially in terms of security, with some of the most popular athletes on the planet in the squad.

By leaving the Olympic Village, the teams also have better control over their schedules, their nutrition and family visits.

The Olympic Games are not just about sports, they are also about big money. What country other than the United States can spend $15 million to house its basketball teams in a palace? But does the American committee have a choice? Not really, because it’s hard to imagine Joel Embiid and his 2m13 in the cardboard beds of the village.

Too bad, because Kevin Durant would have liked to test them.

For years and years, the basketball teams of the American delegation have resided elsewhere than in the Olympic village.

A question of comfort for such imposing athletes, but also of security.