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Trae Young wants to go for gold in 2028.
The Atlanta Hawks guard discussed his desire to be a part of Team USA when the Olympics are in Los Angeles in 2028 during an appearance on the Podcast P with Paul George presented by Wave Sports + Entertainment (45-minute mark).
“Cali Olympics in 2028, of course,” he said. “I mean of course nothing is given. Everything is earned. So we got a couple years that it’s just going to have to be earned and obviously USA has a lot of talent. We have a lot of players that could be a part of it, but of course, of course I want to, but we’ll see. I definitely will. It ain’t up to me, but if it was, I would definitely want to.”
Young was at least considered for the team for the 2024 Games as one of the 41 finalists but was not named to the 12-man roster.
There may be some spots opening up ahead of the 2028 Olympics, though, as LeBron James, Stephen Curry, Kevin Durant and Jrue Holiday are all 34 years old or older and may not play in four years.
Throw in 30-year-old Joel Embiid talking about potentially playing for Cameroon, Jayson Tatum being relegated to role player status on this year’s team and no guarantee for role players such as Derrick White, and Team USA could look drastically different at the next Olympics.
An opportunity will be there for Young and others to make a case for themselves in the immediate future, which he pointed out by saying “it’s just going to have to be earned.”
His desire to be a part of the team can also serve as a motivating factor as he looks to continue building on a resume that includes three All-Star Game selections and five straight seasons of averaging better than 25 points per game.
His Hawks haven’t enjoyed some of the sustained playoff success they surely hoped for after reaching the 2021 Eastern Conference Finals, but Young is still a game-changing playmaker who can handle the ball and stretch opposing defenses with his three-point shooting.
Team USA might need a long-range option if Curry isn’t playing in 2028, and Young fits the bill as someone who can hit from well beyond the arc and create additional spacing for his teammates on the wing and down low.
It will be up to him to prove as much to the Team USA coaches in the coming years.
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Publish date : 2024-08-12 11:27:00
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