LAS VEGAS (AP) — He first performed on the U.S. Olympic group as a 19-year-old. He did it once more in his 20s, twice. And now, a number of months from turning 40, he’s again for another run.
LeBron James didn’t want one other Olympic expertise to finish some lacking field on his resume or add to a legacy that was secured lengthy, way back. He determined to play this summer season for one easy motive — as a result of he needs to.
Taking his first steps towards turning into the primary U.S. males’s basketball participant to compete on the Olympics in three completely different a long time, James hit the ground Saturday with the group that the People are sending to the Paris Video games later this month. Coaching camp opened in Las Vegas, the beginning of a 5 1/2-week quest the place the one acceptable ending would be the U.S. successful gold for a fifth consecutive time.
“I’m nonetheless taking part in a excessive stage,” James, a three-time Olympic medalist — two golds and one bronze — stated Saturday after the primary exercise. “I nonetheless love the sport of basketball. And Staff USA has accomplished effectively by me, so I felt prefer it was essential for this summer season to have the ability to go on the market and play with the remainder of the fellows.”
The primary apply got here on a day of one other first for the James household; the exercise in Las Vegas was simultaneous to the Los Angeles Lakers’ first recreation within the California Basic summer season league — the professional debut of Bronny James, the son of the NBA’s all-time scoring chief.
It will have been very straightforward for James to ask for Day 1 off, to go see his son’s debut. It was by no means a consideration. He took the ground shortly after the buses rolled in, slapping fingers with teammates, throwing down dunks and reconnecting with two of his former coaches — Erik Spoelstra and Tyronn Lue, each of whom received NBA titles with James on their squads.
“I used to be blown away by how arduous he practices,” U.S. coach Steve Kerr stated. “I went to Ty and Spo, and I stated, ‘Is that this regular?’ And so they stated, ‘Each day, on daily basis.’ After which I stated to Spo, ‘What about manner again whenever you bought him?’ And Spo stated, ‘Each day, each drill, each walkthrough.’”
Kerr has coached in opposition to James in 4 NBA Finals, all of which featured Golden State guard Stephen Curry — who performs for Kerr with the Warriors and is making his Olympic debut this summer season.
And it’s honest to say that teaming up was a part of what intrigued James and Curry when it was time to resolve whether or not to play in Paris or not.
“I’ve talked to each of them about this concept of being collectively after going in opposition to each other with such excessive stakes over time,” Kerr stated. “They clearly match rather well collectively. The thought of Steph taking part in off the ball, and LeBron pushing it in transition, that’s fairly intriguing. Clearly, Steph will play on the ball as effectively. And LeBron has turn into such an excellent shooter, however they’re each so good at so many various areas of the sport. I feel they’re actually excited to compete collectively for the primary time”
James was a part of the U.S. groups that received bronze on the 2004 Olympics in Athens and the 2006 world championships (now known as the World Cup) in Japan. And ever since then, the People have gone unbeaten when James is sporting USA throughout his chest in worldwide play.
Beginning with the bronze medal recreation in Japan 18 years in the past, the U.S. has performed 36 video games — 10 on the FIBA Americas event in 2007, then 4 exhibitions earlier than and eight video games on the 2008 Beijing Video games, then 5 extra exhibitions and eight video games on the 2012 London Video games — with James in uniform. The document: 36-0. He hopes it’s 47-0 when this summer season’s run ends.
“I’m right here to have an excellent summer season,” James stated.
Even after not taking part in in Rio de Janeiro or Tokyo, James can be taking part in his fourth Olympics — tying the document for essentially the most by any U.S. males’s participant. Solely Carmelo Anthony has performed in 4 Olympics for the U.S. males so far; Kevin Durant will play in his fourth this summer season as effectively.
That’s a pleasant facet word, however not the factor James is considering as of late.
“Our solely objective,” he stated, “is to win a gold medal.”
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AP Summer time Olympics: https://apnews.com/hub/2024-paris-olympic-games