Ever since Paul George was announced as NBA 2K17’s cover athlete, fans of the series have focused on a small, but key cover detail: one of the pictures of Paul George features him in his Team USA uniform. Of course, this doesn’t guarantee we will see some sort of international competition in the game, but it would be an odd choice to feature that jersey on the cover if it weren’t somehow in the game.

If 2K does decide to include Olympic teams, it wouldn’t be the first time. Back in NBA 2K13, users could not only play as the star-studded 2012 team, but also the original 1992 Dream Team, including Charles Barkley. There wasn’t much beyond the surface, though. Users could use these teams in exhibition mode, and that was about it.

So what would Olympic play in 2K17 look like? The most obvious choice is the inclusion of the 2016 Olympic team. But what about beyond that? Who would they play? It’s unclear if the 1992 Dream Team would be included again. Scottie Pippen was not on the original list in 2K13, but was added later due to fan backlash. But the bigger issue is Charles Barkley. Prior to 2K13, he had not appeared in a video game since the Sega Genesis days, nor has he appeared in anything since 2K13; not as a player, or even as part of TNT's Inside the NBA crew. Sure, you could include the Dream Team without him, but it wouldn’t be the same.

"What about taking the countries with the most NBA talent and allowing users to build a team comprised of the best all-time players from that country?"

But what about the teams from all the years in between 1992 and 2016? What about the teams from 1996, 2000, 2004 and so on? It would be fun to pit the various iterations of Team USA against each other. Yes, the 1992 team is the gold standard, and the 2012 team is perhaps the most star-studded since 1992. And yes, the squads in between those two teams were somewhat disappointing. But there was a significant amount of talent that passed through Team USA basketball during those years. Maybe it’s just me, but attempting to take down the 1992 Dream Team with the 2000 roster, for example, seems like a fun challenge.

If 2K really wants to include the authentic Olympic experience, they should get as many international players and country licenses as they can so users can replicate the actual Olympic games, all the way through awarding bronze, silver and gold medals. I’m not sure of the feasibility here, but with plenty of NBA players who play for other countries, it’s worth looking into.

Or if 2K really wants to think outside the box, what about taking the countries with the most NBA talent and allowing users to build a team comprised of the best all-time players from that country? Sure, Team USA would be the clear favorite here, but it would be interesting to see how all-time teams from Spain, Canada, Germany, etc. compare to each other.

Of course, this is all speculation. For all we know, Team USA will not be featured in 2K17 at all. But if it is, here’s hoping 2K takes it a little further than a quick exhibition game. A feature-rich Olympics mode would breathe some fresh air into the franchise and give users another way to enjoy the NBA 2K series.