What does a player have to do to be a lock for the Team USA men’s basketball team in the 2028 Summer Olympics? Well, apparently being a two-time gold medalist in prior Olympic games is no longer enough of a resume.
At least that’s the case according to Max Kellerman of The Ringer’s “Game Over with Max Kellerman and Rich Paul” podcast.
While musing about which NBA players should be on Team USA’s Olympic basketball roster in 2028, Paul suggested Devin Booker, a two-time gold medalist with plenty of Olympics experience who’s shown time and time again that he’s willing to make the sacrifices needed to succeed on a team loaded with stars. Book has no problem being the “do-everything” role player in those situations. Just look at this year’s All-Star festivities — Booker’s fifth — in which he was scoring, rebounding and dishing out assists to make his teammates shine.
That suggestion was met with a “maybe” from Kellerman.
“Booker and Tyrese (Maxey of the Philadelphia 76ers) are bubble to me,” he said.
“How could you say Booker’s on the bubble when the man just played and won another gold medal?” Paul asked in response. He echoed the above by saying Booker “played every which way, the right way…”
Kellerman interjected to say, “Because Rich, I’m just saying, we have so many names to go through. When I hear one that can’t not be on the team, I’ll say it.”
Kellerman had already said Minnesota Timberwolves star guard Anthony Edwards has to be on the team. Sounds a lot like a Booker snub, provided both of those shooting guards were on the 2024 gold medal-winning squad in Paris.
Paul again came to Booker’s defense by saying players who made the previous Team USA roster should or perhaps will get preference when deciding who suits up for 2028.
It’s worth noting that Paul does not represent Booker as his agent. Booker is represented by Jessica Holtz, the Co-Head of Basketball at CAA Sports (Creative Artists Agency), so it’s not as if Paul is simply going to bat for one of his clients here.
Still, Kellerman has Booker as being “on the bubble” for Team USA — a familiar refrain for those who’ve been keeping track of who felt Booker deserved his fifth All-Star nod this year.
The 2024 gold medal men’s Olympic basketball team — coined “The Avengers” due to its star-laden roster put together as a way to avenge the 2023 U.S. World Cup team that failed to medal — was constructed as follows.
What was the 2024 Team USA men's basketball roster?
- LeBron James
- Steph Curry
- Kevin Durant
- Joel Embiid
- Jayson Tatum
- Anthony Edwards
- Devin Booker
- Derrick White
- Tyrese Haliburton
- Jrue Holiday
- Bam Adebayo
Based on age alone, it’s unlikely that LeBron will be suiting up again in 2028. James is already on the wrong side of 40 and will be 43 years old by the time the 2028 Olympics roll around.
If he wants a fourth Olympic gold, the 2024 team captain would more likely get a roster spot at the end of the bench, but getting younger should be the goal for Team USA.
Curry will also be pushing age 40, so it will be interesting to see if either of those guys want to suit up again.
Booker, on the other hand, won’t turn 30 until October of this year.
As a two-time gold medalist in his early 30s with plenty of Olympic experience, who’s also guided a Phoenix Suns team to the NBA Finals, leaving him off the roster is something that should only happen if Booker himself requests it.
Kellerman, however, doesn’t see Book as a lock.
Even if you’re high on NBA draft prospects AJ Dybantsa or Darryn Peterson earning an Olympic roster spot in 2028, Booker would still be an odd choice to leave out.
Now, we’ll just have to wait and see. But Suns fans have to hope the Olympic committee in charge of building Team USA's roster don't share Kellerman's viewpoint.