"Bam Adebayo will be 31 years old by the time the 2028 Summer Olympics roll around, and presumably still playing at a high level. Thus, he was probably already on a short list of guys who are likely to make the team - but with Erik Spoelstra now leading the charge for USA Basketball after he was named head coach earlier today, Adebayo feels like a shoo-in to make the team and play for his coach (who will hopefully still be his coach in 2028)."
"The head coach of the Olympic team isn't the sole decision-maker in who makes the roster, so it's not as though Spoelstra will hand-pick Adebayo to be on the roster. But familiarity between coach and player can't hurt Adebayo's standing with the team, especially after he's won gold with the team at the past two Olympics, in Tokyo in 2020 and Paris in 2024. Adebayo played nine minutes in the gold medal game in 2024, scoring two points in his short stint on the court."
Erik Spoelstra was named head coach of USA Basketball, increasing Bam Adebayo's prospects for the 2028 Olympic roster due to their long-standing association in Miami. Adebayo will be 31 by 2028 and has already earned gold medals in Tokyo 2020 and Paris 2024, contributing nine minutes and two points in the 2024 gold-medal game. Final roster decisions will involve more than the head coach, but coach-player familiarity can bolster standing. Both Spoelstra and Adebayo have been part of USA Basketball for years and have worked together since Adebayo was drafted by the Heat in 2017. NBA rosters and affiliations can change rapidly, introducing uncertainty.
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