Knicks point guard Jalen Brunson could represent Jamaica, not USA, in 2028 Olympics

Kristian Winfield, New York Daily News on Mar 13, 2026

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NEW YORK — Knicks star Jalen Brunson could be wearing colors that aren’t red, white and blue when the Olympics come stateside to Los Angeles in 2028.

Brunson, who represented the USA in the 2023 FIBA World Cup in the Philippines, said if Team USA doesn’t want him to represent the country in three summers time, he could put in a bid to play for the Jamaican men’s national team.

Bronson’s mother, Sandra, is Jamaican. The All-Star point guard does not have Jamaican citizenship, but that can be acquired well before the Olympics.

“I don’t know,” he said on a March 10 episode of The Roommates Show with teammates Josh Hart and Jose Alvarado. “I could play somewhere else.”

Brunson captained the 2023 FIBA World Cup team that did not medal and finished fourth behind Germany, Serbia and Canada, who the Americans lost to in the third-place consolation game. He started all eight World Cup games for Team USA and averaged 11 points, 2.5 rebounds and four assists in roughly 20 minutes per game.

In 2024, USA Basketball named Brunson to its men’s national team player pool, but he did not make the final roster. Ahead of him, Stephen Curry, Jrue Holiday, Devin Booker, Anthony Edwards, Derrick White and Tyrese Haliburton took the backcourt spots.

Curry, 37, could be on his retirement tour come 2028. Edwards could become the face of Team USA, but the Americans will need a point guard — and Brunson, who is leading the Knicks to a third consecutive 50-win season, could be off the board if he opts to represent his Jamaican roots.

The Jamaican national team is expected to feature Miami Heat star scorer Norman Powell. Team Jamaica could also recruit twins Amen (Houston Rockets) and Ausar (Detroit Pistons) Thompson, as well as Chicago Bulls center Nick Richards.

Hart was also a member of the 2023 FIBA World Cup roster and said he could attempt to get German citizenship to join forces with Franz Wagner (Orlando Magic) and Dennis Schroder (Cleveland Cavaliers).

“You know I’m part German?,” he said on the podcast. “I might try to get my German citizenship and play for the national team.”

Alvarado said representing the Knicks and playing for his hometown team ranks higher than representing Puerto Rico in the Olympics.

“Tough question. We had Guadalajara bumping for sure, but probably for my city. I was raised [in New York]. I don’t know,” he said. “That’s probably what I’m gonna go with: playing for my city is definitely a dream, but doing what I did for the national team was dope, too, though, like amazing. Never really thought I would do that and I did.”

Brunson is averaging 26.2 points and 6.2 assists per game for the Knicks this season. He is a three-time All-Star, a two-time All-Star starter, and the NBA’s reigning Clutch Player of the Year. Brunson is also the 2025 NBA Cup MVP who led the Knicks to a Dec. 16 victory over the San Antonio Spurs.

Brunson is unsure whether or not Team USA will recruit him for 2028

“I don’t know,” he said on the podcast.