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The USA potentially won't have the chance to rely on a Steph Curry, LeBron James, or Kevin Durant masterclass when they play the 2028 Olympics in LA. Their pursuit of defending their gold medal for a sixth consecutive time will rest in the hands of the league's young superstars, who will be in their primes four years later.
The USA basketball team already has some names in mind. According to The Athletic's Joe Vardon, a member of the organization named Ja Morant and Zion Williamson as two players they hope to get into the mix.
“We will still have a great chance to win gold, but it won’t be easy. Ja and Zion need to be in the mix. Moving forward, hopefully they can get on track and stay on track.”
The 2019 NBA draftees are terrific talents but have been limited by injuries or off-court troubles in their young careers. Morant has been suspended twice for flashing guns on Instagram Live, while Williamson has missed 298 of 482 regular-season and playoff games combined.
Nevertheless, 25-year-old Ja Morant and 24-year-old Zion Williamson have age on their side to still build great careers and show that they can be relied upon. The USA could use explosive players like them on an international stage, especially with the rising competition that has prompted the Americans to field their absolute best lineups.
Team USA Basketball will have an uphill battle to reclaim gold in 2028
Team USA Men's Basketball barely won the 2024 Paris Olympics after facing tough competition from Serbia in the semis and France in the finals despite playing LeBron James, Steph Curry and Kevin Durant. The Serbians led the USA by 17 points in the first half and held a double-digit lead entering the fourth quarter.
It took a 36-point effort from Curry and a few clutch plays from LeBron, KD and Joel Embiid to get the job done. The USA looked more comfortable against France, but even that game got too close towards the end. Curry stepped up again with 24 points, including 12 in the fourth quarter.
Both games could have gone either way. The USA won the gold medal, but the major takeaway was that they aren't the sole powerhouse anymore at the FIBA level. Their rival counterparts have only improved gradually, and it's clear that the USA must prepare a program with their rising stars to remain ahead of the curve.
