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Grant Hill: Jaylen Brown Will Be Considered for Team USA in 2028 Olympics After Being Denied | News, Scores, Highlights, Stats & Rumors

Grant Hill: Jaylen Brown Will Be Considered for Team USA in 2028 Olympics After Being Denied | News, Scores, Highlights, Stats & Rumors

BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS - JUNE 21: Jaylen Brown #7 of the Boston Celtics reacts as he holds the NBA Finals Most Valuable Player trophy during the 2024 Boston Celtics championship parade following their win in the 2024 NBA Finals on June 21, 2024 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo: Billie Weiss/Getty Images)

Billie Weiss/Getty Images

Boston Celtics forward and reigning NBA Finals MVP Jaylen Brown will be considered for Team USA at the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles after failing to make the roster for this year’s Games in Paris.

Grant Hill, the Basketball Hall of Famer and Team USA men’s basketball executive director who Brown criticized after being ignored, spoke on All The Smoke Open Run with Rachel Nichols.

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Grant Hill responds to criticism and controversy surrounding USA Basketball’s roster structure.

@Rachel__Nichols Watch his full conversation on our YouTube page: https://t.co/qon0bbeM94 pic.twitter.com/hmSJi1e4Hd

“I’m sure at some point we’ll sit down and talk and come to a level of understanding,” Hill said. “Look, he’ll be a candidate in ’28 if he wants to…”

Nichols was later asked if he would welcome her to the team when the Summer Games moved to Los Angeles

“Oh yeah,” Hill said. “One thing I’ve learned is you can’t take anything personal in this role. And so I’ve never taken anything personal. My goal, my goal is to win. Hopefully once that happens, we change direction and start looking to the future.”

After Los Angeles Clippers star Kawhi Leonard left the team, a spot opened up on Team USA. Brown seemed like a logical replacement, especially after starring on a Celtics team that won 80 games, including the playoffs, and won both the Eastern Conference title and NBA Finals MVP awards. But Celtics guard Derrick White made the team instead.

Brown has made critical comments about Nike in the past; Matt Dolloff 98.5 Sports Hub has a breakdown. He has gone on record as saying that he believes Nike, the official partner of Team USA, played a role in him not being on the team. The first notable response came via X.

Jaylen Brown @FCHWPO

Hill responded to the question about this humiliation as follows:

Ben Golliver @Ben Golliver

USA Basketball’s Grant Hill on posts suggesting Nike was behind Jaylen Brown’s Olympic rejection: “I’ve worn Fila for most of my career. This was supposed to be a joke. We’re proud of our partners, obviously. … This is about building a team.” pic.twitter.com/Oh7LvSaUCW

Brown said the following about X the next day:

Jaylen Brown @FCHWPO

I am not afraid of you or your resources

And Brown said a week after the decision was made to add White that he believed Nike played a role in that rejection. Jared Weiss and Alex Andrejev From The Athletic: “Absolutely. There’s more to come with that. For now, I’m not going to comment on that.”

Five days later, Brown added:

Jaylen Brown @FCHWPO

Anyone who says sports and politics are not synonymous is lying to you and to yourself. This starts at the grassroots level, with our youth for example.

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Team USA Men’s Basketball General Manager Grant Hill detailed the decision to replace Kahwi Leonard with Jaylen Brown and Derrick White. pic.twitter.com/bCIphs3udn

“I spoke to (Brown’s) rep. I don’t know if this was before or after something was posted on Twitter,” Hill said (h/t) Justin Leger (From NBC Sports Boston).

“But yeah, I think the idea that there’s this conspiracy theory — I always love a good conspiracy theory, but this was really a basketball decision and these were tough decisions. But after going through that in FIBA ​​competition, you want to find the right balance and the right pieces that we need on the court.”

Brown took umbrage at this conspiracy theory.

Jaylen Brown @FCHWPO

It’s disappointing that Grant Hill called me a conspiracy theorist. I’ve been vice president since I was 21. I have great insight.

Despite standing at the top of the NBA after the season, Brown was cut from the roster, while three of his teammates (White, Jayson Tatum, and Jrue Holiday) joined Team USA.

As for the team, it’s on track for a fifth straight gold medal. Team USA has already swept its four opponents by 99 points and will now face Serbia in the semifinals on Thursday.