US Olympic Basketball Team Prediction for LA in 2028

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Former #1 draft pick Paolo Banchero almost represented Italy in FIBA ​​competitions, even saying once that he was “excited” to play for the country that had issued him a passport allowing him to play for the national team:

“It kept growing in me, you know, this interest in Italy and the love that I feel for the country. So I’m excited to play for Italy, to represent Italy and to eventually get there,” Banchero said.

Instead, Team USA came knocking, and Banchero ended up playing for his native country, playing for the Americans at the 2023 FIBA ​​World Cup. (Incidentally, Italy’s basketball president called Banchero’s decision a betrayal, but that’s besides the point.) It’s also highly unlikely that this was a one-off, as Banchero has enormous potential and the team will be short on star players if this is to be James and Durant’s last Olympics.

Banchero had a relatively lackluster run at the 2023 World Cup for Team USA, but followed up his Rookie of the Year campaign in the NBA with an All-Star season in 2023-24 and appears on track for superstardom.

If the former Duke Blue Devil reaches that level, it would be hugely important to Team USA’s chances of winning a sixth consecutive gold medal at the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles, as his combination of size, athleticism and skill borders on generational.

All in all, it is almost certain that Banchero has been added to the program with an eye to the future, a move that could pay off as early as 2028.