Lakers' LeBron James won't play in 2028 Olympics; Warriors' Steph Curry unlikely
LeBron James has closed the door on a final Olympic encore, and Stephen Curry appears poised to follow.
Speaking at the Los Angeles Lakers’ media availability this week, James made it clear he will not be part of Team USA at the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles. By then, he will be 43 years old and, in his own words, “definitely done” with international play.
James, a three-time Olympian and two-time gold medalist (2008, 2012), helped restore American dominance after the disappointment of 2004. His decision isn’t a surprise given his age and mileage, but it is still a symbolic turning of the page. The 2028 Games will be in his backyard, yet he will be a spectator, not a headliner.
Curry, meanwhile, is widely considered unlikely to suit up in 2028. The Golden State Warriors star finally made his Olympic debut in Paris 2024 and will be 40 when the Los Angeles Games tip off. While he has not issued an absolute declaration like James, people around Team USA and the Warriors expect Paris to stand as his lone Olympic appearance.
The absence of both generational guards underscores a looming transition for USA Basketball. The program will move fully into a post-LeBron, post-Curry era, leaning on younger stars such as Jayson Tatum, Anthony Edwards, Tyrese Haliburton, and others who emerged on the world stage in recent cycles.
For the NBA, the 2028 Olympics would have been a marketing dream: two of the greatest players ever, closing their international careers in the league’s home city. Instead, the narrative will shift to the next wave and to how the U.S. maintains its gold standard without the icons who defined a generation.
James’ firm stance and Curry’s likely absence don’t diminish their international legacies. Rather, they clarify that Paris was the last dance for America’s most influential duo of the modern era, leaving Los Angeles 2028 to the stars who grew up watching them.
Speaking at the Los Angeles Lakers’ media availability this week, James made it clear he will not be part of Team USA at the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles. By then, he will be 43 years old and, in his own words, “definitely done” with international play.
James, a three-time Olympian and two-time gold medalist (2008, 2012), helped restore American dominance after the disappointment of 2004. His decision isn’t a surprise given his age and mileage, but it is still a symbolic turning of the page. The 2028 Games will be in his backyard, yet he will be a spectator, not a headliner.
Curry, meanwhile, is widely considered unlikely to suit up in 2028. The Golden State Warriors star finally made his Olympic debut in Paris 2024 and will be 40 when the Los Angeles Games tip off. While he has not issued an absolute declaration like James, people around Team USA and the Warriors expect Paris to stand as his lone Olympic appearance.
The absence of both generational guards underscores a looming transition for USA Basketball. The program will move fully into a post-LeBron, post-Curry era, leaning on younger stars such as Jayson Tatum, Anthony Edwards, Tyrese Haliburton, and others who emerged on the world stage in recent cycles.
For the NBA, the 2028 Olympics would have been a marketing dream: two of the greatest players ever, closing their international careers in the league’s home city. Instead, the narrative will shift to the next wave and to how the U.S. maintains its gold standard without the icons who defined a generation.
James’ firm stance and Curry’s likely absence don’t diminish their international legacies. Rather, they clarify that Paris was the last dance for America’s most influential duo of the modern era, leaving Los Angeles 2028 to the stars who grew up watching them.
