For the fifth Summer Olympics in a row, the United States Men’s National Basketball Team walked away with gold medals. This time, they were out to avenge the U.S.’s disappointing showing at the 2023 FIBA World Cup, in which they failed to medal. Due to the USAB’s FIBA shortcomings, the country assembled its biggest guns to bring home gold from Paris, and they accomplished exactly that.
At the spearhead of the U.S.’s basketball “Avengers” were three elder statesmen: LeBron James, Stephen Curry, and Kevin Durant. Between the three of them, they hold nine NBA championships and enough individual hardware to fill a jewelry store. This summer, they each added a gold medal to the collection, a first-time honor for Curry.
While the USAB accomplished its goal for 2024, uncertainty lies ahead for the national team. James, 39, and Curry, 36, are likely to call it wraps on their international careers after reaching the pinnacle in Paris. KD will be 39 by the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles. They aren’t the only ones unlikely to return, either. It wouldn’t be shocking if Joel Embiid, Anthony Davis, Jrue Holiday, and Derrick White have played their last game for Team USA, as well.
The basketball world has been busy speculating over who will represent the States in L.A. in 2028. Some names, like Anthony Edwards, Tyrese Haliburton, and Paolo Banchero, have popped up numerous times in these discussions. One name that hasn’t been mentioned nearly as much as it should is Zion Williamson.
Still only 24 years old, Zion is often overlooked as one of the most talented young players in the league, and he’s certainly been under-discussed as the next potential torch-bearer for Team USA. There are countless reasons why he’d be a perfect fit for the U.S.’s next iteration, but three stick out.
1. Star Power
On top of actual on-court talent, the United States will undoubtedly be looking to fill the void of star power left by the exits of LeBron, Curry, KD, and Embiid. Among the likely returners for 2028, there aren’t any players that truly elicit “must-see TV” like those guys outside of Anthony Edwards.
Jayson Tatum could help fill in the gaps, but his recent campaign to call out his lack of playing time in Paris will leave a bad taste in the mouths of most Americans. Even if he was a happy soldier this summer, his game and personality don’t carry the electric quality that LeBron and those other veterans embody. The same goes for Tyrese Haliburton, Devin Booker, Bam Adebayo, and any other potential veterans for Team USA’s 2028 edition.
Zion, on the other hand, has proven to be a major draw. He’s been a household name since high school, absolutely dominated media markets during his time with the Duke Blue Devils, and continues to be one of the sport’s most magnetic players, even after multiple career-threatening injuries.
Team USA’s superiority extends beyond the lines of the basketball court. Since the Dream Team debuted in 1992, the world has been in awe of the U.S.’s sheer amount of talent and celebrity. To strike that level of fear in the hearts of their opponents in L.A. in 2028, they’ll need Zion to be one of the team’s leaders next Summer Olympics.
2. Relentless Rim Pressure
A lot of basketball fans observes and admired the differences between the NBA and FIBA’s products this past summer. Many rushed to Twitter and other platforms to praise the officiating and pace of the international game, in turn critiquing the NBA’s oftentimes sluggish style of play.
Between their 10-minute quarters, shorter 3-point line, and various other rule differences, the recipe for successful roster-building for FIBA varies wildly from the formula in the NBA. Outside shooting is just as important in the Olympics as it is in the NBA, but, with the shorter arc and defenders grouped closer together to help on drives, FIBA really underscores the importance of having a consistent driving threat who can finish in traffic.
The U.S. filled that role with the best possible candidate in LeBron James. His ability to get to the rim at will and finish over strong contests turned out to be the difference against a lot of teams in Paris. With James unlikely to return in 2028 — he’d be 43 years old even if he were to come back — the U.S. desperately needs someone who can provide the same level of rim pressure. Paolo Banchero could theoretically fill this role in L.A., but his concerning at-rim efficiency is a major cause for concern when he could be the only creation threat on the team.
Like Banchero, Zion gets to the rim with ease, using his unique blend of size, strength, and agility to bully his way to the cup. The U.S. saw firsthand how devastating an inside scorer can be after nearly falling to Guerschon Yabusele in the Gold Medal game. Adding Zion to the roster in 2028 will ensure that the U.S. has a player capable of withstanding the physicality of the international game while also using the flexible officiating to their advantage. Zion Williamson is the perfect candidate for that role.
3. Lack of Better Options
Zion Williamson should be a top target for Team USA’s 2028 campaign no matter what, but it certainly doesn’t hurt that he’s not up against much competition in today’s age. There’s a reason that they had to call in the old-heads for Paris: there just weren’t many established young stars available.
There are plenty of American-born prospects with potential, but most of them have failed to prove that they’ve ever been better than Joel Embiid, let alone LeBron, KD, and steph. There are a few players, like Cade Cunningham, Chet Holmgren, and Tyrese Maxey, that can be expected to grow into future multiple-time All-Star, but the pickings get extremely slim after them extremely quick.
Finding a better talent and fit than Zion for 2028 is an impossible task. Once his skill set is factored in as a jumbo playmaker who can consistently punish defenses inside, there’s hardly anyone left. Banchero could grow into his great expectations by the next Summer Olympics, but, aside from him, there aren’t many players who can replicate Zion’s two-way impact. Hopefully, the U.S. won’t have to work very hard to replicate his game, because Zion is a clear perfect pick for the 2028 Summer Olympics.