One of the highlights of this NBA offseason was Olympic basketball.
Although Team USA defeated France to win the gold medal, they faced various controversies involving NBA players.
During a recent interview with GQ Sports, New York Knicks point guard Jalen Brunson was asked if he believes he should have been a part of USA’s roster.
“Yeah, for sure,” Brunson said. “The way I played last year, I thought I was deserving. I thought I could have fit in. I’ve played many roles throughout my career; I could play another. But obviously, it just wasn’t in the cards at that time. And so, you move on and you find ways to get better. You keep having goals, and that’s a goal of mine. I want to play next time.”
Stepping up to Superstardom
The Knicks were one of the most intriguing teams last year. When the season began, power forward Julius Randle was projected to be the team’s leader. After playing 46 games, however, he missed the remainder of the season due to shoulder surgery.
Once Randle became inactive, Brunson proved he had what it took to guide the Knicks. In the 33 games without Randle, he averaged 31.5 points, 3.3 rebounds and 7.1 assists per game. On Mar. 29, he scored a career-high 61 points against the San Antonio Spurs, one point shy of Carmelo Anthony’s 62-point franchise record.
Brunson finished the season with career-high averages of 28.7 points and 6.7 assists. He made the All-NBA Second Team and even finished fifth in voting for the Most Valuable Player award.
His tremendous performances led the Knicks to the playoffs for a second straight time. Despite losing to the Indiana Pacers in the Eastern Conference Semifinals, he posted outstanding numbers. Not only did he average playoff career-highs 32.4 points and 7.5 assists per game, but also recorded five 40-point-plus games.
Though he failed to make the 2024 Olympic USA basketball roster, there’s a possibility he could earn the honor in the future. The next time the Olympics occur will be in 2028 when Brunson will be 30 years old. Even though he will be older, veterans such as LeBron James and Kevin Durant proved they could still perform.
With the way Brunson has been performing and only seems to get better, it could become an Olympian shortly.
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