Bam Adebayo wouldn't make Bill Simmons' Olympic cut

Well, that's interesting, considering the team's three best players in Paris, who helped America bring home the gold, were all well north of 30 -- LeBron James, Stephen Curry and Kevin Durant.

You might remember.

If not, here is a video reminder of Curry's theatrics.

And it also ignores that one of the better frontcourt players on the team was Bam Adebayo, the Heat defensive ace who was closing some of the game in the tournament. Adebayo has already won two gold medals, but he will turn 31 during the summer of 2028.

So, no Adebayo?

Simmons argues for others off the bench, starting with Cleveland's Evan Mobley and Oklahoma City's Chet Holmgren. Both are good players, and may get better -- Mobley is coming off Defensive Player of the Year honors and Holmgren just won a championship with the Thunder.

But is there nothing to be said for experience?

The two Olympic squads that fans most celebrate -- the 1992 Dream Team and 2008 Redeem Team -- both had players who had been around the block. You might be familiar with Magic Johnson, Larry Bird and Kobe Bryant, among others. (OK, Bryant turned 30 in 2008, but you get the point).

The idea that Adebayo should be excised because he will be 31 seems a little short-sighted.

But it's one more slight in a career that has seen its share of them, and maybe a little extra motivation as the time comes. Simmons, noted Boston Celtics homer, may simply be bitter because of a certain block of Jayson Tatum. You might remember the one.

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