Category: Latest LeBron News

On the verge of a gold medal, LeBron James knows time is running out

At this late stage of his career, LeBron James doesn’t know how many more moments he will have like Thursday’s comeback win over Serbia.

Some 21 years after he was the No. 1 pick in the 2003 NBA Draft straight out of high school, LeBron James remains one of basketball’s elite players, even at the age of 39.

He has played a big hand in getting Team USA men’s basketball to the brink of an Olympic gold medal. In Thursday’s semifinal game versus Serbia, it trailed by double-digits in the fourth quarter and looked to be on its way to a stunning upset loss.

James helped lead a spirited comeback in the fourth quarter that resulted in a 95-91 win. He finished the game with 16 points, 12 rebounds and 10 assists.

He rated the comeback as one of the better moments of his career, but he also acknowledged that the opportunities to create such moments are running out for him.

Via Basketnews:

“It’s up there. I’m 39 years old, it’s my 22nd season. I don’t know how many opportunities and moments I’m going to get like this to be able to compete for something, to be able to compete for something big and playing big games. And tonight was a big game,” he said about the incredible matchup against Serbia.

The United States will play France for the gold medal on Saturday. While it is heavily favored, it could become a competitive game down the stretch, which would provide another opportunity for James to shine brightly under pressure.

LeBron James has achieved an Olympic statistical milestone

LeBron James’ longevity has allowed him to achieve a first in the history of Olympic basketball.

This is LeBron James’ fourth go-around in the Summer Olympics with Team USA, and even at age 39, he is reminding the world that he’s still one of the best players in all of basketball.

He helped the United States overcome a double-digit deficit in the fourth quarter on Thursday to defeat Serbia in the semifinal round. He did so by recording a triple-double with 16 points, 12 rebounds and 10 assists, and he had a couple of clutch plays down the stretch to put his squad ahead for good.

James has now become the first basketball player to record 300 points, 125 rebounds and 125 assists in Olympic competition.

James already owns two Olympic gold medals, as well as a bronze medal he won with Team USA in the 2004 Olympics. A third gold medal may not do much to help his legacy in the eyes of his critics, but it certainly wouldn’t exactly hurt.

The United States can clinch its fifth consecutive Olympic gold medal in men’s basketball with a victory over France on Saturday.

LeBron James downplays Olympic scoring record, says he’s focused on gold medal

LeBron James says he’s keeping the main thing the main thing as far as Team USA is concerned.

Team USA men’s basketball has been looking good over the last few days after seeming wobbly and vulnerable during its five exhibition games earlier this month. On Sunday, it blew out Serbia, and on Wednesday, it notched another easy win, this time over South Sudan.

It nearly lost to South Sudan nearly two weeks ago when LeBron James saved the day with a game-winning shot. This time, James was able to kick back a bit offensively and merely fill up the stat sheet.

He finished with 12 points, seven rebounds and five assists, and in doing so, he joined Carmelo Anthony and current Olympic teammate Kevin Durant as the only men in Team USA history to score at least 300 points in the Olympics.

One has to assume James appreciates reaching that mark. But he said he’s keeping the main thing the main thing — namely, winning the gold medal.

Via Eurohoops:

“Oh, not much,” James said when asked what that milestone meant to him. “I mean, at the end of the day, I just want to, you know, win. I mean, I’m here to win and win the gold, and that’s my only mindset. It’s not even about scoring, it’s not about any of the stats, all the stats that pretty much don’t show up, you know, closing out, you know, getting, you know, hockey assists if possible, just stopping guys from crashing the glass. So it’s definitely an honor any time you hear your name in it, in any type of record books, but at the end of the day I’m here for a bigger picture, for sure.”

The 39-year-old could’ve decided to dominate the team by looking to score lots of points at the expense of other areas of his game. But as he has often done over the years, he has simply looked to make the right plays.

On Wednesday, he was fourth on Team USA in scoring. Six men scored in double figures, and Miami Heat big man Bam Adebayo led the way with 18 points.

This win allowed the United States to clinch a spot in the quarterfinals. It will next face Puerto Rico on Saturday.

LeBron James reaches big Olympic career scoring milestone

LeBron James continues to add to his overall basketball resume and legacy.

Team USA men’s basketball is inching toward a fifth consecutive Olympic gold medal. It easily defeated South Sudan on Wednesday after barely defeating it in an exhibition game earlier this month, and the concerns about Team USA are slowly dissolving.

LeBron James had 12 points, seven rebounds and five assists in Wednesday’s contest, and he is continuing to prove that even at age 39, he is still a legitimately elite basketball player.

In Wednesday’s contest, James, who already owns two Olympic gold medals, as well as a bronze medal, reached a career scoring milestone. He joined Kevin Durant and Carmelo Anthony as the only players in Team USA men’s basketball history to attain 300 points in the Olympics.

Durant, of course, is one of James’ teammates on this iteration of Team USA.

Both have a long way to go before they can match or exceed the all-time record for most points scored in Olympic men’s basketball competition by any player. That mark is held by Brazilian legend Oscar Schmidt, who totaled 1,093 points throughout the 1980s and 1990s in five Olympic games.

It is a virtual certainty that this will be James’ last go-around in the Olympics as a player.

LeBron James, Stephen Curry and Kevin Durant recreated iconic 1992 Dream Team photo

A superstar trio on this year’s version of Team USA is looking to carry on the legacy that was started by the 1992 Dream Team.

In 1992, the United States men’s Olympic basketball team, nicknamed the “Dream Team,” took the world by storm as it breezed its way to the gold medal in Barcelona. It was the first time NBA players were allowed to participate in the Olympics, and that squad featured legends such as Magic Johnson, Michael Jordan and Larry Bird.

This year’s iteration of Team USA may or may not have as much star power as that 1992 squad. But having LeBron James, Stephen Curry and Kevin Durant, not to mention Anthony Davis, Anthony Edwards and Devin Booker, among others, isn’t too shabby.

There’s an iconic photo of Johnson, Jordan and Bird from that 1992 Olympic team that has stood the test of time. James, Curry and Durant did their best to recreate that photo.

If you look closely, each of the three in the new version flashed a number of fingers to represent how many NBA championships they have won.

Team USA started off the 2024 Summer Olympic Games with a dominant 110-84 win over Serbia on Sunday. It will face South Sudan on Wednesday next.

Coco Gauff talks about bearing U.S. flag along with LeBron James

Coco Gauff cherished the opportunity to be the United States’ flag bearer along with LeBron James at the opening ceremony of the Olympics.

On Friday, LeBron James of the Los Angeles Lakers enjoyed a once-in-a-lifetime experience when he was a flag bearer for the United States during the opening ceremony of the 2024 Summer Olympics. But he wasn’t the only one who got to do the honors.

While James was the United States’ male flag bearer, tennis player Coco Gauff was its female flag bearer. In doing so, she was the first tennis player and the youngest athlete to bear Old Glory during an Olympic opening ceremony.

She said she cherished the opportunity to hold the flag along with James out in Paris to commemorate the start of this year’s Olympics.

“It means a lot to be here representing Team USA and be with the GOAT here, Mr. LeBron James,” said Gauff. “It means a lot, I’m so excited and I can’t wait to do well in the games.”

James and Team USA basketball will start competing for the gold medal on Sunday when they take on Nikola Jokić and Serbia in group play.

Kendrick Perkins: LeBron James wants more Olympic gold medals than Michael Jordan

One of LeBron James’ former teammates feels the Lakers superstar has some added motivation in the upcoming Summer Olympics.

The path to LeBron James solidifying his argument as being perhaps the greatest basketball player ever is narrowing as his career starts to wind down. While he’s still playing at about as high a level as he always has, minus the defensive end of the court, he is 39 years of age.

He recently signed a two-year contract to remain with the Los Angeles Lakers, with the second year of that deal being a player option. In a recent interview with ESPN’s Dave McMenamin, he admitted it could be his final NBA contract.

For those eager to proclaim James as the greatest to ever play the game, his best argument is his longevity rather than peak performance. Just days from now, he will begin his quest for his third Olympic gold medal, which would break a tie he holds with Michael Jordan, the man many consider the greatest of all time (G.O.A.T.).

Former teammate Kendrick Perkins says it’s something James wants to add to his legacy (h/t Cavaliers Nation).

James picked and chose his spots in Team USA’s first three exhibition games, but in the last two, he turned it up with a combined 45 points to carry his squad to victory in crunch time versus South Sudan and Germany.

It’s debatable how much a third gold medal would help James’ argument as the GOAT in the court of public opinion. On the other hand, he won a bronze medal with Team USA in the 2004 Olympics, as well as another one at the 2006 FIBA World Championship.

It should be noted that Kevin Durant, who is currently sidelined with a calf strain, would win his fourth gold medal, which would be an all-time record for USA men’s basketball, if the squad goes all the way in the next few weeks.

LeBron James will be United States’ flag-bearer during 2024 Olympics

Lakers superstar LeBron James will get to carry the United States flag during the opening ceremony of the Summer Olympics on Friday.

While Team USA basketball has shown some vulnerabilities in its five exhibition games over the past couple of weeks, it certainly seems to have the ability to win the gold medal at the upcoming Summer Olympics in Paris.

It won its fifth and final exhibition contest on Monday against Germany, with LeBron James again leading the way by scoring 20 points, including the team’s last 11 points. Anthony Davis also chipped in off the bench with 10 points, seven rebounds, two assists and one blocked shot.

James earned a big honor on Monday when he was named the male athlete who will carry the United States flag at the opening ceremony this Friday.

The 39-year-old Los Angeles Lakers superstar will become only the third basketball player to bear Old Glory during the opening ceremony of the Summer Olympics. WNBA stars Sue Bird (2021) and Dawn Staley (2004) did so in the past.

Not even the late great Kobe Bryant ever got to do so, despite his immense popularity at the 2008 Summer Games in China.

The United States will reportedly name a female athlete to bear its flag along with James on Tuesday.

Steve Kerr praises LeBron James’ leadership on Team USA

Team USA head coach Steve Kerr can’t help but appreciate LeBron James’ leadership, focus, intensity and energy/

Some people have criticized LeBron James’ leadership at times, accusing him of essentially packing it in when things aren’t going well for his team.

But one thing is certain: Whenever James has felt his team has an excellent chance of winning, he has shown excellent leadership, focus, energy and intensity.

Right now, the 39-year-old Los Angeles Lakers superstar is preparing to help Team USA make a run at an Olympic gold medal. The squad has looked dominant at times during its exhibition games this month, and James is coming off a clutch performance against South Sudan on Saturday.

Team USA head coach Steve Kerr has witnessed his leadership from the other side during four NBA Finals appearances against his Cleveland Cavaliers and two other postseason matchups against the Lakers. But Kerr has realized in recent weeks that James’ presence is something else when seen in an up close and personal way.

Via ESPN:

“I’m just blown away by LeBron’s effort and concentration and focus,” Kerr said. “On every single drill he talks. He’s even in a shootaround walkthrough his voice behind the play, yelling out what’s happening, yelling out the scheme, his leadership by example. The guy is incredible and I mean I’ve known that forever, but to see it up close is pretty special.”

The United States has one more exhibition contest on Monday versus Germany. It will then head off to Paris for the summer games, where it will participate in its first game of group play on July 28 against Serbia.

LeBron James praises Bronny James after back-to-back strong games

LeBron James is confident his son Bronny will continue to work hard, stay focused and improve as a basketball player.

Just a few days ago, many people were piling on Bronny James after he got off to a poor start in summer league play. Through four games in both the California Classic and the NBA’s main summer league in Las Vegas, he was struggling mightily to hit his shots offensively, and it looked like perhaps he had made a mistake by turning pro after just one year of college basketball.

But on Wednesday, he shot relatively well in a win over the Atlanta Hawks. He then followed that performance up with another solid one on Thursday when the Los Angeles Lakers defeated the Cleveland Cavaliers.

His father, LeBron James, sounds optimistic about what lies immediately ahead for the 19-year-old (h/t Lakers Daily).

Via The Athletic:

“I mean, he’s 19 years old, so he has so much room to grow,” LeBron said Friday. “He has so much more to learn, but the best thing, he just keeps his head down and just stays focused.

“So the best will continue to come as he continues to work and continues to get better and better.”

The summer Lakers have another game left, which will take place on Saturday versus the Chicago Bulls. Another efficient offensive performance by the younger James would likely tantalize Lakers fans as far as what he could become over time.

He has already shown some real signs of becoming a true plus defender, as he has shown good instincts and discipline on that end of the floor.