Uncomfortable Paris Accommodation? US Basketball Team Rents Entire Luxury Hotel for 20.8 Billion Won

Since the 1992 Dream Team, self-preparation outside the athletes' village
Sometimes using a luxury cruise ship as accommodation

The U.S. basketball team participating in the 2024 Paris Olympics reportedly spent about $15 million (approximately 20.8 billion KRW) on living expenses during the Olympic period.

On the 28th (Korean time), Forbes cited key insiders and reported that the U.S. basketball team rented an entire luxury hotel in Paris with 800 rooms. This accommodation was large enough to house not only the athletes but also support staff, team executives, NBA officials, and players' families.

Forbes explained, "Reviewing the budgets and related documents of the United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee and USA Basketball shows that the U.S. basketball team's lodging expenses during the Olympics are around $15 million," adding, "This is an enormous amount compared to other sports that spend between $300,000 and $400,000."

The U.S. basketball team, composed of NBA players known as the 'Dream Team,' has been preparing for the Olympics independently, staying in luxury hotels instead of the Olympic Village since the 1992 Barcelona Olympics. In the 2004 Athens Olympics and 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics, they even used luxury cruise ships as accommodations.

American basketball team players taking a commemorative photo before boarding the Eurostar from London, UK to Paris on the 24th [Image source=Yonhap News]

This Paris Olympic team consists of NBA superstars such as LeBron James (Los Angeles Lakers), Stephen Curry (Golden State Warriors), and Kevin Durant (Phoenix Suns). Their combined income last year exceeded $600 million (831.3 billion KRW).

Forbes stated, "USA Basketball prepares accommodations isolated from the outside to ensure players' security and condition management," adding, "External accommodations provide the best diets for players and allow for family visits and room assignment issues to be resolved."

The U.S. basketball team is also known to offer rooms to athletes from other U.S. teams if there are extra rooms available. At the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, U.S. golf players stayed at the basketball team's hotel.

Forbes added, "At the 2008 Beijing Olympics, the athletes' accommodations were open to the public, leading to numerous fans camping out in front of the hotel to see top star Kobe Bryant," and noted, "Since then, security has been tightened significantly."