NBA Players Who Will Be Competing in Their Last Olympics

Olympic Basketball

sees many new names enter the frame each year to represent their countries. However, it’s important to note that as younger players come in and take charge, it leaves less room for aging players to find their way onto international rosters.

Many players who have accomplished great things in international basketball are likely to compete in their last

Olympics

this year in France, and here are the top five who probably won’t find themselves playing in 2028.

5

Patty Mills

The Australian guard has always excelled in the Olympics

A player who has seen good Olympic success throughout his career is

Miami Heat

guard

Patty Mills

. Mills is entering his 17th

NBA

season in 2024-25 and will be playing in his fifth Olympics this year in France. Due to him being 35 years old and being well out of his prime days, this will likely be the last year he competes in the Olympics.

The Australian guard has shown to be decent in the NBA, but very clearly takes a step up every time he competes on the international stage. While in the league, Mills won a championship with the

San Antonio Spurs

and had multiple seasons where he averaged double digits, and also leads all Australian players ever in most games played in the NBA, but was never an All-Star caliber player.

However, Mills always seems to take his game to another level while he is playing for Team Australia. He instantly turns into one of the best players competing and has shown that by bringing success to the team.

In 2016, Mills was able to help take Australia to the semi-finals, but they were knocked out in the bronze medal game after losing to Spain by just one point. In the 2020 Olympics (played in 2021 due to COVID-19), he put up 42 points and 9 assists in the bronze medal game to bring Australia their first-ever basketball medal.

This year, Patty Mills will be captaining Team Australia for the second time in his Olympic career and will look to bring home a medal once more. This time around, players such as

Jock Landale

and

Josh Green

have become more experienced and will have a bigger part to play than in 2021. Both

Josh Giddey

and

Dyson Daniels

will be making their Olympics debut and will have a huge role in the team.

It seems like Australia will once again have a successful year in the Olympics, and it will likely be the last for Patty Mills. His usage in the NBA has decreased tremendously, and much of that has to do with his skills and ability deteriorating. He likely won’t be playing basketball by 2028, so this may be the final time he represents his country.

4

Jrue Holiday

This small role will be his last on the Olympic stage

Jrue Holiday

is a name that is not very prominent in terms of the Olympics, although he did win a gold medal in 2021. Holiday will be on Team USA for the second time in his career, and the reason for those selections mostly comes from his defensive effort.

At 34 years old, it’s safe to say that Jrue will no longer be competing in the Olympics after this one in France, especially considering that his game is most definitely not what it used to be. There have already been conversations this year as to why Jrue was selected over players such as

Jaylen Brown

,

Trae Young

, and

Kyrie Irving

, so there is no chance that he will make the team in 2028.

It is also worth noting that Holiday will likely not be playing in the NBA by 2028, as his role has continued to decrease in recent seasons. Much of this has to do with him now playing for the defending champion

Boston Celtics

, the deepest team in the league, but it also has to do with his skills declining as he continues to get older.

When he competed for Team USA the first time around, he was still considered an all-star talent and played a role in bringing home the gold. This time around, he will likely not find himself in any prominent role on the team, especially considering that the roster is much more star-studded than it was in 2021 in Tokyo.

Although it will go down as just two appearances, multiple gold medals will play a huge part in Jrue Holiday’s legacy, so he will look to contribute whenever he possibly can to make that possible.

3

Rudy Gobert

The French big man will look to win gold in his home country

Rudy Gobert

is someone who will likely not be playing for Team France in the 2028 Olympics. Regarded as one of the greatest defenders of all time, Gobert will be bringing his defensive abilities to the Olympics for the third time in 2024, hoping to finally win gold for France, this time also playing in France.

Rudy participated in both the 2016 and 2020 Olympics, though there weren’t high hopes for France in both those years, considering the lack of depth and the lack of talent on the rosters. However, that all changes for them in 2024 as this year’s Olympics will see the debut of

Victor Wembanyama

, and it will give France the major boost they have needed.

France has never been on the podium during Gobert’s tenure with the team, and much of that may have to do with him performing less efficiently than he does in the NBA. Despite that, his defense has been on par with how it is normally in the regular season, and it will be useful once again.

There is a chance that Rudy Gobert will be playing in the NBA in 2028, but considering that he has already begun to decline athletics-wise, he most likely won’t be a key player for any roster. He will be 36 years old by then, and his chances of being a solid contributor go down more considering that he is a big man, and big men have a history of declining quicker than other players.

It also needs to be noted that France has many young players making names for themselves, such as

Tidjane Salaun

,

Zaccharie Risacher

,

Alexandre Sarr

, Nolan Traore, and

Melvin Ajinca

. This means that by 2028, France would likely have much better options than Gobert to bring to the Olympics and will likely be looking to develop their future talent instead of focusing on their past.

Despite that, Gobert likely has the best chance on this list to play in the Olympics four years from now, as he will still be a defensive beast. Although it probably won’t happen, Rudy’s chances to play in 2028 cannot be completely ruled out, especially considering that France would still benefit from a big man like him on the roster.

2

Stephen Curry

His first Olympics will likely be his last

Another player who will likely be playing in their last Olympics is future Hall of Famer

Stephen Curry

. In terms of the NBA, Curry is considered to be one of the greatest players in history. He is a 2-time MVP, and a 4-time NBA Champion, while also being regarded as the best shooter of all time.

However, his ability is something he has never been able to showcase on the Olympic stage. This is Stephen’s first ever year on Team USA, as injuries have led to him missing previous ones. He was not selected for the 2012 Olympics, was injured during the 2016 Olympics, and was coming off of an injury in the 2020 Olympics. However, this could very well also be his last Olympics as he is now out of his prime and is beginning to decline.

One of the most important aspects to bring up regarding Stephen Curry and his chances is that he plays for Team USA. The US is the number one location where NBA players come out of by far, so they are constantly producing new stars. This means that four years from now, there likely won’t be any room for Curry on the roster.

Considering his age and lack of success in recent years with the

Golden State Warriors

, there is a solid chance that Curry will not be playing in the NBA by 2028, so the idea of him playing in those Olympics becomes even slimmer. Although there is no confirmation, the chances are that his first Olympics will end up also being his last.

1

LeBron James

The legend looks to add one more gold medal

The only player on this list who has confirmed that they will not be playing in the 2028 Olympics is

LeBron James

. James is often regarded as one of the greatest NBA players of all time, and a third potential gold medal to his name will only enhance his already great legacy.

LeBron won his first two gold medals in the 2008 and 2012 Olympics, though he has not played in the Olympics in over a decade. He is returning to Olympic competition this year because it will be the last time he can do so. A 2024 Olympics win will likely be LeBron’s last major achievement given his age and the current stage of his career.

In a recent interview with Craig Melvin of TODAY, LeBron James was asked if he would compete in the 2028 Olympics. The legend responded by letting it be known that this would be his last Olympics and that he doesn’t plan on competing four years from now.

An Olympic win would mean a lot to James, as it would tie him for 2nd most gold medals in NBA history, being just behind

Kevin Durant

. This could very well push him to be the greatest basketball player of all time for many fans, as it’s another record that he would have over

Michael Jordan

.

All statistics courtesy of Basketball Reference

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