Tom Brady‘s remarkable success as a quarterback is often attributed to his deep understanding of the game and his ability to maximize his teammates’ potential.

Recently, the seven-time Super Bowl champion was tasked with an unconventional challenge: to build an NFL team using players from the Team USA basketball squad.

Despite the unusual requirement, Brady approached the task with ease, beginning with a surprising first pick.

Jayson Tatum selected as Brady‘s Quarterback

Brady’s first pick was Jayson Tatum, choosing the Boston Celtics star as his quarterback, a position pivotal in football. This choice, while unexpected, reflects Brady‘s fondness for the Celtics.

Tatum’s selection as the leader of the offense highlights Brady‘s confidence in his athletic abilities, despite Tatum‘s limited exposure in Olympic basketball.

LeBron James was an obvious pick for Brady, given James’ history as one of the top high school football players. Initially, Brady selected James as a tight end but later shifted him to wide receiver to leverage his explosive athleticism.

To complement James, Brady picked Devin Booker as the second wide receiver, citing firsthand experience with Booker‘s skills on the field.

For the running back position, Brady chose Anthony Edwards, valuing his agility and confidence.

When it came to filling the tight end role, Brady turned to two towering seven-footers, Anthony Davis and Joel Embiid.

Their size and physicality made them ideal candidates to handle the demanding position, reminiscent of Brady’s former Patriots teammate, Rob Gronkowski.

Why were Stephen Curry and Kevin Durant left out?

One of the most surprising omissions from Brady‘s team was Stephen Curry.

Despite Curry‘s impressive basketball resume, Brady left him out, possibly due to his size or the fact that Curry‘s Warriors defeated the Celtics in the 2022 NBA Finals.

Another notable snub was Kevin Durant, despite his demonstrated versatility on the football field during the 2011 NBA lockout season.

During the 2011 lockout, Durant showcased his football skills by playing quarterback and defense in an invited game, where he threw four touchdowns and earned the match ball.

His performance led to a memorable matchup with LeBron James in Akron, where Durant held his own against his basketball rival.

Despite his love for football and his impressive display, Durant did not make Brady‘s final team roster.

In the end, Tom Brady was satisfied with the team he assembled, despite leaving out big names like Curry and Durant.

“That’s a squad,” Brady declared confidently.