NBA Hall of Famer Tracy McGrady believes Team USA basketball might not win gold in the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.
“[Team] USA is in trouble next Olympics. I’m afraid that gold might be going somewhere else,” McGrady said in a video posted to his Instagram. “I love Ant-Man’s game. Who knows what Jayson Tatum’s going to do? So what Americans [are] coming up? Paolo Banchero might be a guy that we could throw in there because he’s a young up and coming player. Cooper Flagg may be guy, he’ll probably be in his third, entering his fourth year. I’m looking for guys that are on Steph Curry and KD [Kevin Durant] and Bron’s [LeBron James] level, and I don’t see that coming up. We might struggle in the next Olympics.”
The up-and-coming generation of NBA stars like Banchero and Flagg aren’t competing anywhere near the level NBA greats such as Steph Curry, Kevin Durant, and LeBron James play at. Although it’s hard to replicate their impact on the court, Team USA doesn’t have a distinct leader for the 2028 Los Angeles Games.
PARIS, FRANCE – AUGUST 08: LeBron James #6, Kevin Durant #7, and Stephen Curry #4 of Team United States celebrate after their team’s win against Team Serbia during a Men’s basketball semifinals match between Team United States and Team Serbia on day thirteen of the Olympic Games Paris 2024 at Bercy Arena on August 08, 2024 in Paris, France. Without the Team USA super star trio in LeBron James, Kevin Durant and Steph Curry, will the Americans be able fill the holes left in the roster?
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Devin Booker, Anthony Edwards, Jayson Tatum and Anthony Davis may be the core four the next time Team USA takes the floor. Each player has their strengths, but would they be able to fill the holes of high-impact players like James?
Other countries have already put rosters on the rise on display in international competition. Canada’s team at the Paris Olympics featured a slew of NBA players including Jamal Murray, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Dillon Brooks, and RJ Barrett.
Despite losing to Team USA in the gold-medal round, France proved how far its national team could go against the best teams around the globe.
“I think Canada has a great chance. I think France, obviously they have a great chance because they have Wemby [Victor Wembanyama] and they produce great talent over there,” McGrady continued. “You just don’t know what some of these other countries are producing.”
As evidenced by the Paris Games, countries like Canada, France and Serbia are all competing at a high level. Serbia, led by three-time NBA MVP Nikola Jokic, almost routed the Americans in the semifinals.
McGrady fears that Team USA may not be able to match the global talent by the next Olympics and he certainly has a point.
Team USA barely got by against Serbia — and that was with arguably the greatest basketball player ever in James and the greatest shooter of all time in Curry on the court.
In light of the looming retirements of James, Curry and Durant, Team USA will be without its three best players on the roster in the near future.
The days of Team USA’s dominance are numbered. Who will the Americans rely on to rebuild the roster into the best in the world?
