For the last several weeks, a large number of NBA stars and superstars came together and put their egos and individual agendas aside for the good of their country as members of Team USA men’s basketball. Coached by Steve Kerr, they looked vulnerable at times during some exhibition games, but they got the job done when it mattered and left Paris with an Olympic gold medal.
LeBron James was named the MVP, and it was because of his all-around play rather than some dominant scoring performances.
Kerr had coached against James’ former NBA team, the Cleveland Cavaliers, in the NBA Finals four times, as well as the Los Angeles Lakers, James’ current team, twice in postseason play. He said that being on the same side as the future Hall of Famer gave him a new appreciation for the 39-year-old and that he’s now a “LeBron fan for life.”
âWhat a blessing to coach him finally after all these years of coaching against him and trying to figure out how to beat him,â Kerr said. âTo watch him up close. . .just to see his approach, to see his professionalism, how coachable he is, and then of course how gifted he is, everything, every part of the game he seems to have mastered. Iâm thrilled to be able to coach him the last six weeks and Iâm a LeBron fan for life.â
James’ 14 points, 10 assists and six rebounds helped Team USA get past France 98-87 in the gold medal game on Saturday. In the prior game, he posted a triple-double and helped the United States overcome a double-digit fourth-quarter deficit versus Serbia.
Even after all these years, he is still an elite basketball player and is showing no real signs of slowing down. A lot of that is no doubt due to the professionalism Kerr mentioned, which includes how diligent he is about taking care of his body.