Lonzo Ball Would Pick a 39-Year-Old Steph Curry Over Jalen Brunson for 2028 Olympics

Lonzo Ball isn’t ready to close the book on Stephen Curry’s Team USA career just yet. Even with Curry about to turn 39 by the time the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics roll around, Ball says he’s still the guy over Jalen Brunson.

Ball made the call on his family’s podcast, and he didn’t hedge.

“If Chef comes, I gotta go Steph,” Ball said. He gave Brunson props for a monster Finals run, but when it came to picking the starting point guard for Team USA in four years, the choice was clear in his mind.

That’s not a shot at Brunson. It’s more about what Curry just did on the biggest international stage. The guy showed up at the 2024 Paris Olympics and dropped back-to-back iconic performances in the semifinal against Serbia and the gold medal game against France. That was his first Summer Games ever, and he looked like he’d been doing it for a decade.

But there’s a real conversation here about timelines. Curry’s prime is behind him. He’s still elite, but by 2028 he’ll be pushing 40. Brunson just led the Knicks to a championship and had a Finals run that silenced every criticism thrown his way — the size stuff, the athleticism doubts, the nepo baby label. He heard it all and answered with a ring.

Brunson captained Team USA at the 2023 FIBA World Cup and came home with a fourth-place finish. A lot of people thought he got snubbed from the Paris roster when the last spot went to Tyrese Haliburton. That probably lit a fire under him. But as he said during the Knicks’ championship parade, he doesn’t need to clap back at anyone. His ring does the talking.

Ball’s take isn’t exactly controversial. Curry is a top-five point guard ever, maybe top-three. But it does raise a question most people haven’t thought about yet. Will Curry even want to play in 2028? He’ll be 39, with four rings and an Olympic gold. There’s nothing left to prove. Then again, guys like that don’t always walk away when the clock starts ticking.

For now, the debate is hypothetical. But if Ball gets a vote, he’s rolling with the old head over the new champ.