NBA legend Carmelo Anthony believes Bam Adebayo should remain as one of the core pieces for Team USA in the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.
In an episode of “7 PM in Brooklyn Podcast with Carmelo Anthony & Kid Mero,” released on YouTube on August 18, Melo predicted the composition of Team USA that will defend the gold medal in Olympic Men’s Basketball in Los Angeles in 2028.
Anthony believes Miami Heat star big man Bam Adebayo, Los Angeles Lakers’ Anthony Davis, and Boston Celtics’ Jayson Taytum should be among the holdovers from the 2024 Team USA.
He thinks these three players (Tatum, Davis, and Adebayo) can play the roles of LeBron James, Kevin Durant, and Stephen Curry on the recent reincarnation of Team USA, acting as the floor leaders and stabilizers in close-game situations.
“AD can be the older statesman of the team,” Anthony stated. “AD, Bam, those are the core guys, barring that they remain injury-proof at the time of the Olympics.”
Bam Adebayo’s Impact on Team USA
Adebayo captured his second career gold medal after Team USA survived France in the most exciting Olympic men’s basketball championship game in recent memory.
Adebayo scored just 2 points in 9 minutes of that final game, but his contributions to Team USA throughout the tournament had been immense.
Apart from the physicality and ability to stretch the floor at the center position, Adebayo also had memorable games in which Team USA relied on his scoring.
The Heat’s best game came against the tall and lanky South Sudan in the group stages, when he muscled his way to 18 points and 7 rebounds while shooting 80 percent from the floor.