In a conversation with The Athletic, Irving expressed interest in playing in the 2028 Olympics after missing out on the 2024 games.
Kyrie Irving will be 36 years old by the time the 2028 Olympics roll around. But two weeks before the 2024-25 NBA season begins with his Dallas Mavericks, Irving’s comments about potentially playing for Team USA, or heck, maybe Australia, in an exhibition tournament almost four years from now are the headline fodder of the day.
Such is life when you’re Kyrie Irving. He was asked (in this interview with The Athletic), he answered. The media cycle rages on.
In the interview with Sam Amick, Irving expressed disappointment after not being given a tryout for Team USA 2024.
“I won’t say it was hurtful not to be able to try out, but it just was weird that we weren’t able to try out and get together as a group, because the USA team is not just 12 guys or 15 guys. … I was playing on Team USA when I was 17, 18. I won three gold medals. I won when I was 18, when I was 22, and I won one when I was 24. So there is a pride thing there, and I have history. There was such a great competitive pool that you can test yourself against because it’s the best in the world. It’s not every day you get a chance to go against [players of that caliber].”
Irving was a gold medal winner with Team USA at the 2016 games in Rio de Janeiro under then head coach Mike Krzyzewski. He said in the interview that he brought up his interest with U.S. men’s national team managing director Grant Hill last season, but that’s as far as that went. When Hill acted surprised at Irving’s interest for 2024, Irving said he switched gears with added motivation for getting a roster spot in 2028.
It bears repeating, though, that Irving will be a ripe 36 years old when the Olympiad next convenes. Current Team USA elders like LeBron James, Stephen Curry and Kevin Durant will likely be out of the way by that time, and on that team, “statesman” is every bit as important a roster position as “guard.” So Irving may slide right into one of those spots if he remains mostly healthy and on good behavior for the next three years or so, but let’s not pretend the field won’t be chock full of younger, more athletic dudes vying for roster spots.
And to hear him tell it, Irving understands that a spot on Team USA might not materialize. In that case, he said he would even “entertain playing for Team Australia.” Irving is a dual citizen in both Australia and the U.S. He was born in Melbourne, where his father played professional basketball.
“I would love to entertain playing for Team Australia, man. I don’t think it’s a strong, strong possibility at this point, depending on what the Olympic Committee does. But as a competitor, I was born in Australia. For me, it’s not a hard transition to make, but I don’t want to fall into the same, I would say, probably like—I’m trying to be very intentional with my words here. I don’t want to fall into the trap of being let down or disappointed when I know that there are other opportunities out there for me.”
Since Irving has only ever represented the U.S. in international competition, both the U.S. and FIBA would have to grant his release to play for another country.
As for the Mavs meat left on the bones from this interview?
Irving was his usual cerebral self, describing the Mavericks locker room as a place where “there’s a good sense of energy” and where “we’re not shy about being honest with each other.” He waxed poetic on leadership and humanity being his drivers of success. He got political. Somewhere along the way you begin to feel like you’ve read this interview before.
I guess that’s why the Olympics comments are eating up the headlines.
Anyway, in his age 32 season, Irving averaged 25.6 points on three made 3-pointers, 5.2 assists and 5.0 rebounds and 1.3 steals per game for the Mavericks as they made an improbable run to the 2024 NBA Finals. And have no fear, the 2024-25 regular season tips off two weeks from today, on Oct. 24 when your Dallas Mavericks host Victor Wembanyama and the San Antonio Spurs.