© Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports
Snubbed: Grant Hills Dodges Knicks' Jalen Brunson Question
New York Knicks point guard Jalen Brunson has widely been viewed as the most glaring snub of Team USA's Olympic roster.
Jalen Brunson is about to embark on the potential championship quest of a liftime, but many are viewing the New York Knicks point guard as red, white, and screwed after this week's Olympic revelations.
Brunson is perhaps the most glaring snub from the 12-man roster the United States' men's national basketball team plans to field at the upcoming Summer Games in Paris. Monday's announcement of 11 men was headlined by what will likely be LeBron James' (LA Lakers) final run at Olympic gold and Kawhi Leonard (LA Clippers) was the last addition unveiled a day later.
The lack of Brunson was brought up in a conference call with Team USA men's team managing director Grant Hill on Wednesday, but the Hall-of-Famer mostly dodged directly addressing it, preferring to center on the group assembled instead.
Feb 1, 2024; New York, New York, USA; New York Knicks guard Jalen Brunson (11) controls the ball
Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports
“I think it’s important for me to really honor and celebrate the 12 that are on the team and not get caught up in why this person or that person," Hill said, per Ian Begley of SNY. "There were some really difficult decisions that were to be made. You have players who are incredible, players who have helped us in years past, helped us win gold medals. You have players who are having current seasons that are just off the charts. The job was putting together a team, and a team that we felt and ultimately, I felt, the pieces fit."
Brunson is certainly part of the "current seasons" category ... which makes his absence even more glaring. He ends his second season with the Knicks as the leading scorer among American shooters at 28.7 points per game, fourth in the NBA behind Luka Doncic (Slovenia), Giannis Antetokounmpo (Greece), and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (Canada).
One could argue that Brunson's role in the Americans' disappointing showing in last summer's FIBA Basketball World Cup might've played a role in his rejection, but didn't stop Anthony Edwards (Minnesota), Tyrese Haliburton (Indiana), and Jrue Holiday (Boston) from getting invited back.
"This (roster) is not an indictment on anyone else," Hill continued. "There were some great, great players and we’re so grateful that they were interested and they were willing to be a part of this. You wish you could’ve had three or four more (spots) because there are so many incredibly talented players and incredibly talented people. That was tough. It was tough having to say no to certain people who I respect and admire. Certainly, (Brunson) was one of them."
For his part, Brunson is hardly concerned about international affairs, choosing only to focus on the domestic challenge ahead: New York is seeded second on the Eastern Conference playoff bracket and opens the postseason on Saturday evening against the Philadelphia 76ers (6 p.m. ET, MSG/ESPN).
“I was just focused on the playoffs,” Brunson said on Tuesday, per Steve Popper of Newsday. “I didn’t look at the list.”
Team USA is looking to secure its fifth consecutive men's gold medal at the Olympics and will be led by Golden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr. Despite Brunson's snub, metropolitan basketball is set to be well-represented on the women's American side, as New York Liberty stars Sabrina Ionescu and Breanna Stewart are projected to get an invite to the quest for an eighth straight gold.
