The 2024 Paris Olympics have finally concluded this past Sunday. We saw Team USA get its fifth consecutive Gold Medal defeating France 98-87. Steph Curry, LeBron James, and Kevin Durant were big factors in securing Gold for the US. Now, everyone is looking forward to the 2028 Olympics that will be held in L.A. An Olympics that is going to look very different for Team USA with them having multiple players deep in their 30s playing this year, in four years there could be six to eight new players for Team USA. From those new players, the Oklahoma City Thunder have the potential to have two of them for the Olympics in 2028.
Those two players are Jalen Williams and Chet Holmgren. If they can make the cut for Team USA in 2028. They will join their teammates Lu Dort and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander who play for Team Canada in 2028. That would make the Thunder have four players competing in the Olympics. This year we saw teams like the Boston Celtics and Minnesota Timberwolves have three players in the Olympics. However, no team had four rotational players in this year’s Olympics.
How The Thunder Could Dominate The Olympics in 2028
Jalen Williams and Chet Holmgren for Team USA
Chet Holmgren will be 26 in 2028 and has a great chance to make the Team USA roster. He could be playing at an All-Star level by then and hopefully, he will have his frame mostly filled out. Team USA will most likely be replacing both Anthony Davis and Joel Embiid in 2028. With that being said, Holmgren should be one of the front-runners with him most likely being a top-five center by then. To go along with that, he may also be the US’s best option for guarding Victor Wembanyama who could be a top-five player in the world at that point.
Whereas Jalen Williams will be 27 and have a harder path to make it compared to Holmgren. Williams just like Holmgren should be playing at an All-Star level by then and one of the better players in the league. However, since he is playing on the wing it will be harder for him to make the cut compared to Holmgren who plays center. Even still, he could be very enticing for Team USA to have just like Derrick White was this year. He will play his role and won’t force his touches. In addition to that, he will bring great defense with what he can do on the offensive end as well. Both Willams and Holmgren should have a great chance of representing the Thunder in the 2028 Olympics.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Lu Dort for Team Canada
Shai will be 30 in 2028 and should still be a top-five player in the NBA and Canada’s best player. He should be on Canada’s team without a doubt. This Olympics he played extremely well for them averaging close to 20 points a game. Even though they were unable to medal this year, Shai was a big reason why they had a chance too. Four years from now Shai could be a lot better and bring that much more to Canada.
Whereas Lu Dort will be 29 and should be on the team as well. He was Canada’s point-of-attack defender and played extremely well for them this year. Dort posted one of the best plus/minus ratings not only for Team Canada but for everyone. What he brings on the defensive side of the ball is irreplaceable. So, even if he isn’t the best scorer that Canada could bring he should be on the team just based on his defense.
The Thunder could Dominate The NBA and The Olympics
Finally, not only could the Thunder dominate the NBA they also have the potential to dominate the Olympics. The Thunder have positioned themselves to win multiple NBA Championship in the next four to six years with the team they have constructed. Then you add that to what they could do in the Olympics with both Canada and the USA having a good chance to medal in 2028. Which if both teams do, the Thunder will have the potential to have four players coming home with medals during the 2028 Olympics. If by 2028 the Thunder have at least one if not more NBA championships and have four players walk away with a medal in the Olympics. We could be looking back and saying that the 2024-2028 stretch by the Thunder was one of the best four-year stretches by any team.
