Team USA Wants Future Superstar To Play In 2028 LA Olympics
Although the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics are still four years away, Team USA managing director Grant Hill is already planning a potential roster for the competition in their homeland.
Barring a significant drop-off in their play, the three youngest players on the 2024 Olympic team— Minnesota Timberwolves guard Anthony Edwards, Indiana Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton, and Boston Celtics forward Jayson Tatum—are likely shoo-ins for the 2028 team.
Hill also wants to include Orlando Magic forward Paolo Banchero in the next Summer Games. According to Joe Vardon of The Athletic, the 21-year-old was reportedly seriously considered for the Paris Olympics squad when they were building the roster.
Banchero is one of the league's rising stars, selected as the first overall pick in the 2022 NBA Draft. After winning Rookie of the Year honors last year, the 6-foot-10 forward made a tremendous jump in his sophomore season.
Banchero recently made his first NBA All-Star appearance, leading the Magic to their first playoff berth since 2020. He averaged 22.6 points, 6.9 rebounds, and 5.4 assists in the 2023-24 regular season.
Paolo Banchero's Dispute With Italy
Banchero has Italian heritage through his father and has previously expressed a willingness to represent Italy in international basketball. He didn't suit up for the country when invited to the EuroBasket 2022 qualification games in 2020.
The former Duke Blue Devil eventually decided to represent the United States, playing his first tournament for America in the 2023 FIBA Basketball World Cup in Manila. Italian Basketball Federation president Gianni Petrucci was clearly displeased with his choice, even calling it a betrayal after the Seattle native had verbally committed to representing Italy.
"Betrayal, especially in basketball, is a strong word. Situations like this happen, and personally, I'm used to it. But he fooled us; we were planning a great commercial strategy for him," the 79-year-old executive said.
Rest Of The World Is Catching Up To The USA
While the United States men's national basketball team won their fifth consecutive and 17th overall gold medal in men's basketball during the 2024 Summer Olympics, it became evident that the rest of the world is catching up in talent. Team USA's games in Paris proved much more competitive compared to the blowouts of the past.
They could face a challenge in maintaining their top spot in Olympic basketball as proven veteran players like LeBron James, Stephen Curry, and Kevin Durant are unlikely to play in the next edition of the Summer Olympics.
The Americans still have young talent such as Anthony Edwards, but the best players in the NBA are increasingly coming from foreign lands.
This trend is evident with four non-Americans on the 2023-24 All-NBA First Team: reigning NBA MVP and Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic from Serbia, Dallas Mavericks guard Luka Doncic from Slovenia, Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander from Canada, and Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo from Greece.
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