Tag: 2028 Olympic Games

NBA reporter expects Paolo Banchero and Cooper Flagg to make Team USA for 2028 Olympics

NBA reporter Evan Sidery listed three young basketball stars expected to play for Team USA at the 2028 Olympics, including two Blue Devils.

[autotag]Jayson Tatum[/autotag] was the only Duke basketball alum on Team USA at the 2024 Olympic Games, but NBA reporter Evan Sidery thinks the Americans will look a little more blue in four years.

Sidery listed three young Americans on Monday whom he expects to make the American roster at the 2028 Olympic Games, including former Duke basketball star [autotag]Paolo Banchero[/autotag] and future Duke basketball star [autotag]Cooper Flagg[/autotag].

Banchero nearly made the roster for France this summer, according to a Monday report from The Athletic’s Joe Vardon. Team USA managing director Grant Hill apparently sees his fellow Blue Devil as a future staple of Olympic rosters, and with national team experience at the 2023 FIBA World Cup, the Orlando Magic star seems to be getting prepared for future Team USA work.

Flagg might be even more of a lock. The top-ranked player in the Class of 2024 already faced the current Olympic squad with the Select Team at training camp this summer and walked away with the spotlight, making back-to-back baskets during a scrimmage and impressing Kevin Durant.

Fellow Duke alum Zion Williamson will also be a serious candidate for a roster spot if his health cooperates.

Olympic Softball coming to Oklahoma City in 2028

LA28 announced that Softball is heading to Oklahoma City for the 2028 Olympic Games.

Oklahoma City has invested heavily to make itself the “Softball Capital of the World.” They recruited USA Softball to move its headquarters to the capital of the Sooner State and have created a softball specific venue unlike any other in the world.

And to that end, the 2028 Olympic host is going to take advantage of Oklahoma City’s standing in the softball community. LA28 announced today that OKC’s Devon Park will host the Softball and Canoe Slalom events for the 2028 Olympic Games.

With more than 14,000 seats, Devon Park dwarfs any softball venue in the Los Angeles area, making it the perfect home to host an event of this magnitude.

The summer of 2028 will be incredible, with the Women’s College World Series and Olympic Games just weeks apart. And you can bet Devon Park will be packed to the brim for the Olympics.

From LA28

While Southern California has more professional and collegiate sports venues than any area in the United States, there is no Canoe Slalom venue that exists locally (or anywhere in the Western US), and the largest Softball venue in Southern California seats fewer than 2,000 people, which does not meet the expected spectator demand for Softball at the Olympic Games. Instead of undertaking additional construction projects to build temporary venues for these sports, LA28 will assign Canoe Slalom and Softball competitions to the world-class venues in Oklahoma City. These assignments are also in alignment with the IOC’s Olympic Agenda 2020+5 recommendation which emphasizes sustainability by encouraging the use of existing venues beyond the region of the Host City. Both the Canoe Slalom and Softball venues in Oklahoma City are built to international competition standards, ensuring a high-quality experience for athletes and fans, while allowing LA28 to realize cost savings and revenue gains to support its balanced budget. LA28 also recognizes that the Oklahoma City community has consistently supported top events for both sports and is confident that they will for these Olympic competitions as well.

For more information on the 2028 Olympic Games, visit LA28.org

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