Jayson Tatum had an unforgettable summer filled with professional and personal milestones—a championship with the Boston Celtics, a $314-million contract extension, the birth of his second child, and a second gold medal in the Olympics as a member of the greatest team ever assembled. The Summer of Tatum was often weighed by his more unusual role on the fringe of Team USA’s rotation and the controversy of him missing two games during the Olympics. Despite Tatum’s personal disappointment, the collective triumph of Team USA made it clear: it was more important that they won the gold medal than anything else.
U.S. coach Steve Kerr faced criticism for not giving Tatum a bigger role on the team, although these arguments have largely dissipated with Team USA’s victory. However, the emotional experience for Tatum has left him uncertain about his future participation in the Olympics. Tatum emphasized the importance of not making decisions based on his emotions, but the personal experience was undeniably tough. The next summer Olympics will be on American soil in Los Angeles, and Tatum’s disposition towards participating will greatly influence the team’s construction.
The strategy employed by the USA executives to focus on All-Stars rather than role players will significantly affect the future teams for USA Men’s Basketball. Indubitably, the positive experience and the crucial victory were not only a win for the present team but will also fundamentally shape the future of the USA basketball team on the international stage. The nature of the next team and its visibility will heavily depend on the tale that unfolded in Paris during this summer’s Olympics.
The question of who will participate in the summer Olympics in Los Angeles will dominate discussions within USA Men’s Basketball. Many of the current players will have aged considerably by then—LeBron James will be 43 and unlikely to participate, while Stephen Curry and Kevin Durant will be 40 and 39 respectively. Others, like Joel Embiid, might decide to represent another country. The likes of Devin Booker, Bam Adebayo, and Jayson Tatum may be in a prime position to carry forward the baton for Team USA.
Roster building for countries is usually a singular, holistic approach of forming a national team for significant tournaments, including Olympics and FIBA World Cups. However, the challenge for Grant Hill and USA Basketball will be getting the superstars to play consecutive summers. Therefore, it is believed that they might have to piece different rosters of younger rising stars for the World Cup and the Olympic team, an endeavor that would involve complex decisions and evaluations.
Despite the celebratory and nearly triumphant mood that veils Team USA’s victory, there is an imminent concern. Teams worldwide are evolving and becoming more powerful, thereby posing an increasing challenge for the Americans in securing gold medals every four years. These new and improved teams, including France, can pose a substantial challenge, which only escalates the pressure Team USA will be under to win at home in Los Angeles in 2028.
