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.
BRON JOINS ELITE COMPANY 🔥
LeBron James is the 3rd player in Team USA men's basketball history to score 300+ points in the Olympics, joining Kevin Durant and Carmelo Anthony. pic.twitter.com/L5YYMJkLNW
— NBA on ESPN (@ESPNNBA) July 31, 2024
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.