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Former NBA superstar discusses LaMelo Ball's '28 Olympics shot

Can the Hornets guard represent Team USA?
Zach Roberts|
Mar 12, 2025; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Charlotte Hornets guard LaMelo Ball (1) warms up on the court before the game against the Atlanta Hawks at State Farm Arena. Mandatory Credit: Mady Mertens-Imagn Images
Mar 12, 2025; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Charlotte Hornets guard LaMelo Ball (1) warms up on the court before the game against the Atlanta Hawks at State Farm Arena. Mandatory Credit: Mady Mertens-Imagn Images | Mady Mertens-Imagn Images

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Charlotte Hornets

When the Olympics come to the United States, the USA will be the defending champion in basketball after a thrilling run through Paris in 2024. They will, in all likelihood, be without several members of that team, like LeBron James, Steph Curry, Kevin Durant, and maybe Anthony Davis, Joel Embiid, and Jrue Holiday.

That's going to open up a lot of roster spots. Would Charlotte Hornets guard LaMelo Ball be up for one of them? That all depends on how the next couple of seasons go. Former NBA star Gilbert Arenas believes Ball discussed the possibility.

On his podcast, a co-host said, "There is one American hooper that y'all are overlooking... with international experience. And he's from LA." Arenas and the rest of the podcast seemed to like the idea. Arenas said, "And we're going to have the Olympic boys that kind of played this year, maybe, some of them will make it and be the young boys."

The prospect of those existing Team USA players, as well as some like Ball joining for the first time in 2028 in Los Angeles, has Arenas thinking Team USA is going to be "all right." He did add, "Put it like this, if we win bronze or don't win, none of us is going to be surprised."

The American roster will be a little bit depleted, but there is also a nice reserve of American players who could join the existing players, giving Team USA a potentially solid lineup that just might include the Hornets guard.

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Zach Roberts
ZACH ROBERTS

Zachary Roberts is a journalist with a wide variety of experience covering basketball, golf, entertainment, video games, music, football, baseball, and hockey. He currently covers Charlotte sports teams and has been featured on Sportskeeda, Yardbarker, MSN, and On SI

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