Team USA was still soaked in champagne Saturday night — after capturing its fifth consecutive Olympic gold medal — when chatter began about the next iteration of the U.S. men’s basketball team.
Who will replace the aging trio of LeBron James, Stephen Curry and Kevin Durant when the Olympiad returns to Los Angeles in 2028? Will Jaylen Brown mend fences with USAB and make the team? Will Jayson Tatum — who warmed the bench for most of his time in Paris — turn down an invite for 2028?
The debate led to one youngster vowing to make the Team USA squad in four years. Warriors sophomore Brandin Podziemski expressed disappointment that a fan’s X account left him out of their projected 15-man pool of Team USA members for 2028.
🤷🏽♂️📝 https://t.co/ztHRi28oxS
— Brandin Podziemski (@brandinpodziem2) August 13, 2024
Podziemski already has a head start when it comes to Team USA hoops. The 21-year-old was part of the Select Team that helped the Paris-bound squad prepare for the Olympics earlier in the summer.
His inclusion came after many coaches and players raved about his rookie campaign with the Warriors, which saw him average 9.2 points, 5.8 rebounds and 3.7 assists and earn a place on the All-Rookie First Team.
The 21-year-old guard does not lack confidence. In February, he vowed to make a future All-Star team barely minutes after playing in the Rising Stars Challenge. He even referred to himself as the heir apparent of Curry in a Warriors uniform.
The confident youngster has earned a lot of fans within the Warriors organization, including owner Joe Lacob, who reportedly blocked his front office from trading Podziemski to the Jazz for All-Star Lauri Markkanen.
During the Summer League, Lacob declared Podziemski “a future All-Star” and a franchise cornerstone.
While Podziemski is a viable candidate for L.A. 2028, the one youngster who is almost a lock to make Team USA in four years is rising Magic All-Star Paolo Banchero. According to The Athletic’s Joe Vardon, Banchero was under “serious consideration” for the Paris Games but didn’t make the final 12-man cut.
The only certainty about the next iteration of Team USA is that it won’t include LeBron James, who made it clear after the Paris Games that he won’t be available for L.A. 2028.
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