The 2024 Paris Olympics are officially over, but there are some major questions that still remain in its aftermath. One of those big topics is whether or not players like Jaylen Brown or Jayson Tatum will join the team in 2028 – especially with LeBron James, Steph Curry, and Kevin Durant at the ends of their careers by then.
Former 3x NBA All-Star and Memphis Grizzlies guard Gilbert Arenas believes that Brown won’t be a member of the 2028 Olympic basketball team unless he switches his shoe brand to Nike.
“He’s not gonna make the 2028 Olympic team unless he signs with Nike, which that will be the conversation that they having because he doesn’t have a shoe,” Arenas said on The Gil’s Arena show.
In Arenas’ eyes, Brown’s shoe deal is a major factor when it comes to his eligibility to be a member of Team USA. Arenas claims he’s seen the bias firsthand when he was cut from the 2006 FIBA USA Basketball team.
“I was a part of it, I was there in real-time where me and Dwight [Howard] are the only Adidas people on the team,” Arenas said. “They’re sitting there running the Nike stuff, and then they’re sitting there hiding Dwight’s shoes because you could see the Adidas logo… Dwight Howard’s there and you gotta block his shoe up and all that stuff, and I’m sitting there like why am I not getting no time?”
Jaylen Brown will be 31 years old in 2028. Meanwhile, Steph Curry will be 40, LeBron James will be 43, and Kevin Durant will be 39. The fact of the matter is, that Team USA will need someone of Jaylen Brown’s caliber in four years.
