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Anthony Edwards could be Team USA's leader at the LA Olympics in 2028

A new era of USA men's basketball is on its way. Ant might be the one at the head of it all.

Will Ragatz

Aug 6, 2024; Paris, France; United States guard Anthony Edwards (5) reacts in the fourth quarter against Brazil in a men’s basketball quarterfinal game during the Paris 2024 Olympic Summer Games at Accor Arena.
Aug 6, 2024; Paris, France; United States guard Anthony Edwards (5) reacts in the fourth quarter against Brazil in a men’s basketball quarterfinal game during the Paris 2024 Olympic Summer Games at Accor Arena. / Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports
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Anthony Edwards got his first taste of Olympic basketball this summer and loved it. His next one could look a lot different.

Edwards, the Timberwolves' 23-year-old superstar, came off the bench for Team USA in Paris. He provided a major scoring punch during exhibition games and the group stage, but ultimately played a smaller role in the semifinal against Serbia and the final against France. It was the older icons of this generation of basketball — LeBron James, Steph Curry, and Kevin Durant — who led the Americans to their fifth consecutive gold medal in thrilling fashion.

The hierarchy will inevitably change for the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles. James will be 43. Curry will be 40. Durant will be 39. They're almost certainly going to move on and let the next generation of USA men's basketball stars step up and carry the torch forward.

Four years is a long time, but there's plenty of reason to believe Edwards could be at the forefront of the next era. The LA Olympics will take place right before his 27th birthday, meaning he'll be right in his prime. His astonishing athleticism will still be there, and if Edwards continues improving like he has over the four years since he was drafted, he'll be a more well-rounded basketball player.

Edwards has all of the tools to be the leader — the alpha — of Team USA in 2028. He's a prodigious three-level scorer with the physicality to be an elite on-ball defender when he locks in. Already, in his age-22 season, he made the All-NBA second team and finished seventh in MVP voting while averaging 26, 5, and 5. He also goes to another level when it matters most, averaging 28, 6, and 6 in 27 career playoff games. On the court, the sky is the limit for Edwards, who still has room to grow with his playmaking, shot selection, and off-ball movement within a team structure.

He also has the personality and off-the-court aura to be one of the faces of not just the NBA, but global basketball moving forward. Edwards is a natural leader who is beloved by teammates and is constantly going viral for authentically being himself.

Regardless of how it turns out, there will be tons of talent on the American roster in LA. Other returning players from Paris could include Devin Booker, Jayson Tatum, Bam Adebayo, Tyrese Haliburton, and perhaps Anthony Davis or Joel Embiid as elder statesmen. The list of potential newcomers is also long and star-studded: Ja Morant, Jalen Brunson, Jaylen Brown, Paolo Banchero, Zion Williamson, LaMelo Ball, Cade Cunningham, Cooper Flagg. It goes on and on.

And yet, arguably no one is better positioned than Ant to be the guy on the 2028 team. He got the taste of what it's like in Paris while surrounded by greatness. He has the skill, the athleticism, and the stardom. And at 23 years old, he's still just getting started.

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Will Ragatz

WILL RAGATZ

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