USA Basketball doctor shares what it's like to treat athletes at the Olympics

Behind every Olympian is an ensemble of coaches, physiotherapists, nutritionists and doctors who help keep the athlete on top of their game.

In particular, physicians at a major international comPetition face a unique set of challenges — such as quickly responding to injuries mid-event and supporting athletes' recovery afterward.

Dr. Thomas Kremen is one of the physicians currently at the 2024 Paris Olympics supporting the USA Basketball men's team. The job involves caring for a roster of the world's most famous basketball players, including Stephen Curry, LeBron James and Anthony Edwards.

Kremen is an orthopedic surgeon and sports medicine specialist at University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) Health, as well as a former collegiate competitive swimmer. Before supporting USA Basketball, Kremen worked as a physician with USA Swimming for 10 years, traveling with the team to the Tokyo Games. He works with UCLA intercollegiate athletics, as well as the Los Angeles Lakers basketball team and Los Angeles Chargers football team.

Live Science spoke with Kremen about what it is like to be a doctor at the Olympics, how physicians like himself prepare for the Games and what he is most looking forward to in Paris.

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EC: How is it decided which team you're going to be working with?