Kyrie Irving drops major clue about a shocking Olympic future away from Team USA

The NBA's All-Star break couldn't have come at a more perfect time for the Dallas Mavericks as they are dealing with injuries to over half of their roster. In Dallas' last game before the All-Star break last Thursday, they dealt with nine injuries yet shockingly still won 118-113 against the Miami Heat.

Despite the Mavericks winning four of their last five games, the recent injury concern has reached an all-time high as the team announced Daniel Gafford would miss the next six weeks with a gruesome MCL sprain.

Gafford's injury not only sheds light on Dallas' volatile roster when they aren't healthy, but it exposes the team's lack of guard depth. While Dallas has stayed afloat since the trade deadline, they have largely relied on playing Kyrie Irving heavy minutes, which may prove to be unrealistic for the remainder of the season.

Despite playing a season-high in minutes per game this month, Irving's play has only blossomed, which resulted in him getting his ninth All-Star nod. While at the All-Star Game, Irving detailed his plans for the 2028 Olympics, and his response may excite fans.

Irving considering playing for Australia in 2028 Summer Olympics

In recent media availability over the weekend, Irving detailed that he's currently in the process of finding a way to play for the Australian national team.

"We're in the process of that right now, just trying to figure out what's going to be the best route for me to be eligible," Irving said in response to potentially playing for Australia in the future. "If I can be an Aussie at one point... that would be great."

Irving hasn't shied away from international basketball in the past as he spent the 2014 and 2016 summers on the Team USA Olympic and FIBA squads. In those two events, Irving won two gold medals and proved to be one of Team USA's best guards of all time.

Irving averaged over 12 points per game in both events and shot the ball at an elite rate while showcasing his elite handles and touch around the rim.

More recently, Irving tried to join the 2024 Olympic squad but was questionably snubbed in favor of an injured Kawhi Leonard, who would later be cut from Team USA's roster over injury concerns. Irving would have no doubt helped his US counterparts win another gold medal in addition to carving out one of the most impressive international careers of all time, and he made it clear that he misses the days in which players had to try out for Team USA.

Team USA may never have given Irving a shot at competing on the roster, but his homeland of Australia seems to be a future destination for Irving to compete with if Team USA doesn't invite him to play. Born out of Melbourne, Australia, Irving has often expressed interest in playing for Australia throughout his professional career.

2028 may finally be the year Australians get to see Irving in a Boomer jersey despite the Olympics being so far away. At the time of the 2028 Summer Olympics, Irving will be 36 years old, which is a huge commitment out of a player with Irving's pedigree.

While Irving has expressed interest in playing for his home country, a three-year commitment could be too far in the future for Irving to fully commit at this time. Despite this, Irving's comments about potentially representing Australia have gotten fans buzzing about what he could do on the international stage as an Aussie.

Irving would no doubt become Australia's biggest superstar to represent their country and would add incredible guard depth to the Boomer squad. It's uncertain if Irving's addition would make Australia a gold medal contender, but they no doubt be a team to keep on the radar as a potential dark horse candidate.