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Grant Hill could extend olive branch to Jaylen Brown in 2028
Jaylen Brown. Peter Casey-USA TODAY Sports

Grant Hill could extend olive branch to Jaylen Brown in 2028

Jaylen Brown has been publicly critical of Team USA's decision to omit him from the roster for the 2024 Paris Olympics. He wasn't part of the initial squad and then saw Derrick White selected ahead of him as Kawhi Leonard's replacement. Brown's criticisms led to Grant Hill dismissing his issues as conspiracy theories. 

Now, it would appear Hill is willing to move past his public back-and-forth with the recently crowned NBA champion. During a recent appearance on the "Open Run" podcast with Rachel Nichols, Hill noted how Brown could be a candidate for Team USA in the 2028 Olympics.

When you have a team with the profile of players on this team, you know there’s going to be controversy,” Hill said. “… It was disappointing, but I mean, you gotta do your job. I’ve tried to do this the right way. ... There’s a lot of noise. I’m confident he and I will sit down at some point and talk about it. Get to some level of understanding. Look, he’ll be a candidate, if he wants, in 2028. One thing I’ve learned is that you can’t take anything personally.”  

Brown has proven himself to be one of the best two-way forwards in the world. He's an elite three-level scorer who has begun taking pride in being a point-of-attack defender. Due to his diverse skillset and explosive athleticism around the rim, he could thrive on the international stage. 

Nevertheless, Brown's reaction to his omission could keep him out of the running in 2028. Taking things into the public sphere is often not the right choice. Yes, it creates a talking point and applies pressure to a company or infrastructure, but it also generates an air of unprofessionalism and sour grapes. 

Over the next year or two, Brown will be entering his prime. He will continue to be one of the best forwards in the world and could potentially be a multi-time champion and All-NBA selection by 2028. Nevertheless, he will likely need to bury the hatchet with Hill and any other members of Team USA. Otherwise, his international playing career could be over before it gets started.

Adam Taylor

Adam Taylor is a sports journalist based out of the UK. Adam has been covering the NBA for nearly a decade with a core focus on the Boston Celtics. He currently holds bylines with Yardbarker, SB Nation and USA Today

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