Like Micah Potter and Nigel Hayes-Davis, Langston Galloway is one of the players who served as a “sparring partner” for Team USA throughout the preparation for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. The player from Reggio Emilia, Italy, is familiar with this role since he already played it last summer, in preparation for the World Cup.
“During the season in Italy, it was in the thick of the campaign, and there were probably two weeks left to play,” says the former Detroit player. “I got a text from Sean Ford (USA Basketball’s men’s program manager) around April 15. He said, ‘Hey, what do you think about coming out and helping us out this summer?’ I was like, ‘Yeah, I’d love to help you out.’ He said, ‘I want you to come back and play on the Select Team and help us get ready for the Olympics while traveling with the team.’”
Langston Galloway was even able to participate in parts of the match, against Canada and against Serbia.
” It's been a lot of love these last few days and this coming into play,” he admits about the reaction of his friends and relatives. “Well, obviously being out there, getting ready for the first game in Vegas and the reaction to just being suited up. I played maybe two minutes in that game. I didn’t know if I was going to be suited up or not. I got to the gym and I saw my jersey, and I was like, ‘Whoa, okay, well, maybe I’ll play tonight if we get a big lead.’”
Towards a return to the NBA?
This internship with Team USA is also an opportunity for him to delve back into his years in the NBA, not so long ago, where he faced some of the players who will participate in the Paris Olympic Games.
“It comes full circle because I’ve played against so many of those guys during my time in the NBA,” recalls Langston Galloway, 32. “Everybody knows what I can do and I continue to demonstrate it. They know I can do it. It’s about being in the right place at the right time. And maybe this is a moment to come full circle. Maybe I can come back to the league at some point.”
Being part of Team USA for a few weeks is not an end in itself, however. Langston Galloway, who was invaluable during the qualification for the 2023 World Cup, hopes above all to use this experience as a springboard.
“That's definitely the goal. If a team gives me the opportunity to get back to the NBA, that's the goal,” he concludes thus. “I have a couple of European offers on the table. I'm just waiting for some things to work out with the EuroLeague, the EuroCup situation of the teams, and then with my team that I played for last year. Obviously, they offered me to come back, but I'm just waiting for a couple of other EuroLeague teams to figure some stuff out. Then I can make a decision.”
