Ja Morant and Zion Williamson are needed by Team USA to win the gold medal at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, according to one USA Basketball source. Speaking anonymously to The Athletic, the source claimed that the duo would be key players for Team USA at the Olympics if they are able to stay on the right path.
“We will still have a great chance to win gold, but it won’t be easy. Ja and Zion need to be in the mix. Moving forward, hopefully, they can get on track and stay on track.”
Both Zion Williamson and Ja Morant are two bright young players in the NBA but have had their respective struggles in finding success. For Williamson, his health has been really poor, as he struggled with injuries and weight issues since he entered the league in 2019.
Since being selected first overall in the 2019 NBA Draft, Williamson has missed 206 games for the Pelicans, which is over half of the games that the Pelicans have played since drafting him. Last season, he showed that he can turn things around, playing 70 games, the most in a season so far.
As for Ja Morant, his performances on the court have been great, but it is his off-court controversies that have gotten in the way of his career. Morant was suspended twice during the 2022-23 NBA season after being spotted waving a gun around on two different Instagram Live sessions.
Both players are entering the new season with the hope of trying to get their careers back on track. Williamson reportedly is in the best shape he has been in for a long time, and that could help him finally start living up to his potential. As for Morant, he is coming off a lengthy absence, after he elected to get season-ending surgery last year, and will be looking to get back to his brilliant best.
Will Zion And Ja Be Part Of Team USA Next Olympics?
Both Zion Williamson and Ja Morant have yet to be selected for an Olympic team yet. The duo were still very young and had injury concerns during the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo. For the 2024 Paris Olympics, they just had players who were more experienced and consistent ahead of them in the selection pool.
The anonymous Team USA member did note that the two players would need to ‘stay on track’ ahead of the tournament. That would mean avoiding injuries and off-court controversies. Zion and Ja have to prove that they can be reliable and dependable for USA Basketball to consider them for the tournament.
With the Olympics taking place in the United States, Team USA will want to make a statement by being able to defend home court and win the gold medal at home, especially since they were able to secure the medal the last two times the tournament was held in the United States.
Hopefully, if the players can keep themselves right, the duo of Zion and Ja will have a chance to play at the 2028 Olympics.
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