The team that USA Basketball sent to the 2023 FIBA World Cup was one that was full of young, hungry players and while they came together well, Team USA ultimately came up short and failed to medal. This led many to talk about all of the American stars who didn’t commit to the World Cup but could play in the 2024 Olympics in Paris such as Stephen Curry, Kevin Durant, Devin Booker, Damian Lillard and the Los Angeles Lakers superstar duo of LeBron James and Anthony Davis.
LeBron, who has already won two gold medals, is set to begin his 21st NBA season and will be nearly 40 years old when the Olympics roll around next summer, so it would seem like a no-brainer that he wouldn’t need to play. But on the contrary, the Lakers superstar is looking to represent his country one more time.
According to Shams Charania and Joe Vardon of The Athletic, James has a very strong interest in playing in next year’s Olympics and is already ready to commit:
LeBron James, a three-time Olympian, two-time gold medalist and the NBA’s all-time leading scorer, has so strong an interest in one more Olympics that he is ready to commit for next summer and has also called multiple stars to essentially recruit them to join him with USAB in Paris, multiple league sources told The Athletic.
Additionally LeBron, along with Durant, is viewing this as a last dance with Team USA:
James’ effort started well before the USA World Cup team, led by Anthony Edwards and Mikal Bridges, lost at the World Cup and was not related to whether this summer’s team won or lost. While the American national team has struggled at the last two World Cups, the program has won four consecutive golds at the Olympics.
James, who has not played for Team USA since the 2012 Games in London and will turn 39 in December, and Durant, a three-time Olympian and gold medalist who will be 35 by next summer, are viewing the Paris games as a “last dance” with USA Basketball, sources said.
James has nothing to prove to anyone so the fact that he is so committed to playing for Team USA next summer shows how important it is for the Lakers superstar to represent his country one more time. Perhaps that will be his final performance and he will ride off into the sunset after helping bring the Lakers one more championship, and Team USA one more gold medal.
Rich Paul believes Lakers LeBron James is first to deal with 24/7 news cycle
Should LeBron choose to make one last Olympic run, he will certainly be one of the most followed athletes in Paris next summer, as has been the case throughout his entire career. And it is something that his agent Rich Paul believes no other NBA star before him experienced.
Paul spoke about the 24/7 news cycle that now exists and believes the Lakers superstar is the first to have to deal with that for the entirety of his career. Paul added that LeBron’s decisions, and choosing to carve his own route, also added to the scrutiny he has faced.
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