Looking at the NBA All-Star rosters , it is clear that the NBA went out of its way to create three completely different rosters. Shaquille O’Neal chose all the veterans, Kenny Smith went with the young stars, and Charles Barkley went with the international stars. One might say that the NBA All-Star game between Kenny and Chuck’s teams will be a prequel to what happens in the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.
NBA All-Star Game a Prequel to Los Angeles 2028 Olympics
The 2024 Paris Olympics were likely the last one for LeBron James , Kevin Durant, and Steph Curry. KD hinted that he would love to play in Los Angeles if he can, but all things considered, it is time for the US basketball team to get younger. Young stars have to contribute more to the US basketball program, and they will get a chance at the All-Star weekend to see how they fare against international competition.
The game will be played according to NBA rules, which are a lot different from international rules. Of course, all of these international players on the All-Star team come from different countries. But what fans might look to see is how these young players will go against international competition. Many of the players on Kenny’s team will be asked to carry the USA basketball team to the gold medal in Los Angeles in 2028.
Projecting All-Stars on the Los Angeles 2028 Team
All things considered, Kenny might have six players who can make the 2028 Los Angeles Roster. Anthony Edwards is already part of the US basketball program, and Jalen Brunson played in the World Cup. The US will need big men like Jaren Jackson Jr and Evan Mobley , and then we have guards like Cade Cunningham . Jalen Williams is a Swiss army knife player who will probably make the US Olympic team at some point. Think of him as the Derrick White of the 2024 team. Ant will be in the spotlight for sure. Fans, coaches, and everyone in between expect Ant to be the next big star to lead the USA basketball team to glory. He couldn’t deliver at the World Cup in 2023 but played well at the Olympics.
Desperate Move to Get Players to Compete?
We can look at the semi-final between Kenny and Chuck’s team as a desperate move by the NBA to encourage players to be more competitive. Their reputation is on the line in this one, and the American players should definitely bring their A-game.
The international team by Chuck has two of the most competitive players even in an All-Star setting: Victor Wembanyama and Giannis Antetokounmpo . Sadly, Giannis will miss the game due to injury, but we all remember how competitive Wemby was last year during the Skills Challenge. Expect him to try and go get it this time.
Kenny’s team will go against three of the biggest competitors to the USA for the 2028 Olympic gold. Nikola Jokic and Serbia almost beat the Americans in Paris. Wemby’s France made the game competitive to the last second. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Canada didn’t play the Americans in Paris, but they beat them at the World Cup in 2023. All three of them will probably be back in 2028 for another round. This is the chance young Americans have to prove they can compete with the biggest international stars.
Photo credit: © Scott Wachter-Imagn Images
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