Gilbert Arenas Thinks Team USA Will Start Ja Morant Over Stephen Curry For The 2024 Olympics Because Of Nike

After his take on Anthony Edwards' not starting in the FIBA 2023 World Cup games, Gilbert Arenas had another bold point to make.

4 Min Read

Credit: Fadeaway World

  • Gil’s Arena’s latest episode had quite a few bold takes
  • Arenas believed Ja Morant would make the starting five over Stephen Curry
  • The Wizards’ star believed sneaker deals play a huge role in player selections

The latest episode of Gilbert Arenas’ podcast saw the former Washington Wizard make a bold claim about Ja Morant starting over Stephen Curry in the 2024 Olympics. And it’s because of their shoe deals.

Gil’s Arena’s latest chapter was all about the USA’s FIBA 2023 World Cup run so far, and in his take about Anthony Edwards coming off the bench, Arenas felt it had to do with his shoe sponsor. With Nike sponsoring Team USA, Arenas believed the brand wanted the five starters on the court to wear Nike, as opposed to a different brand.

To which the discussion drifted to whether Curry would come off the bench in the next year’s Olympics because he is an Under Armour athlete.

“Yeah, they will bring him off the bench. They will try. They’ll put Ja Morant in front. Let’s take it out of basketball… and say this is your company. This is your shoe brand, this is who you’re promoting. Would you promote Steph Under Armour, or Ja Morant Nike, if you’re Nike?”

[Starts 1:55 onwards]

This surely comes as a bold statement, and a bit controversial. Nike has continued to stand by Morant even after he was suspended for 25 games for the next season following his gun-flashing incident. And for Arenas, that meant the still-sponsored Nike athlete will take the floor over Curry.

Should Curry indeed take part in the 2024 Olympics, there’s no doubt that he would start. Some of the best of the best make the cut to represent the country, and while Morant is a rising phenom, the side would definitely not relegate Curry to the bench, even if he rocks those Curry Flow 10s.


Gilbert Arenas Has Had His Share Of Slamming Team USA

Not for the first time has Arenas been one to take it easy on Team USA that’s set to play the 2023 FIBA World Cup. From team selections to grading the exhibition games, Arenas has been taking shots at the roster.

And while on the topic of sneakers, he even went as far as saying Trae Young’s exclusion from the side was due to his Adidas contract.

“It’s that sorry a** other brand! It’s that other brand! It’s that other brand, man! They are doing too MFing much!”

For now, the focus is on a young and dynamic team led by Steve Kerr. There are some promising names on the squad, and how they fare and play a role in the USA maintaining its basketball dominance remains to be seen.

We sincerely appreciate and respect you as a reader of our site. It would help us a lot if you follow us on Google News because of the latest update.

Thanks for following us. We really appreciate your support.

Newsletter

Stay up to date with our newsletter on the latest news, trends, ranking lists, and evergreen articles

Follow on Google News

Thank you for being a valued reader of Fadeaway World. If you liked this article, please consider following us on Google News. We appreciate your support.

Share This Article
Aaron Abhishek is an NBA columnist for Fadeaway World. He graduated from St. Joseph's College with a Bachelor's in Visual Communication and a Master's in journalism.His passion for the sport began when he saw Michael Jordan take his final shot in the NBA, and he considers himself fortunate to have been a part of the Kobe Bryant era. Now he writes basketball news and analysis while waiting for the Los Angeles Lakers to win their 18th title.When not watching and writing basketball, you can find Aaron suited to play cricket, putting in some hard yards at the gym, trying a new coffee, and supporting Arsenal. Expertise: NBAFavorite Team: Los Angeles LakersPrevious Work: MEAWW, Blue Man Hoop, Sportskeeda
Leave a Comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *