Since NBA players were allowed to compete in the Olympics starting with the 1992 Barcelona Games, Team USA basketball has held a dominant position on the world stage. Since then, they’ve claimed eight of nine Olympic gold medals.
The 2024 Paris Olympics will be remembered as particularly historic, with LeBron James, Stephen Curry, and Kevin Durant possibly playing together for the first and last time.
While LeBron’s Olympic playing days may be behind him, he remains optimistic about the future of USA basketball. In a recent interview with Esquire’s Brian O’Keefe, James praised the younger generation of NBA stars poised to carry the torch. “Yeah, absolutely,” James said. “It’s all about the farm system and continuing to grow the younger generation.”
He elaborated further, saying, “We have so much great talent right now in our league as well. You have Anthony Edwards and Jayson Tatum; you have Paolo Banchero and Chet Holmgren, these young guys coming up in the ranks. Cooper Flagg, who’s going to be a big-time player here for Team USA down the road. So yeah, absolutely. There’s a lot of great young talent that’s going to want to strive to be an Olympian.”
James also emphasized the legacy that has been built over the years by past generations of NBA stars. “I think with myself, Steph, KD, and look at Kobe Bryant, Carmelo Anthony, and Dwyane Wade—those guys set a standard for it in recent years,” he noted.
He added, “I think these younger guys are going to just take that on. I don’t want to forget Devin Booker as well, who’s a great talent, a great player, and a great friend of mine. So absolutely, I look forward to seeing what happens in the future.”
LeBron reflects on being Team USA’s flag bearer
Beyond his on-court contributions, LeBron has also made his mark off the court. During the Olympics, he had the honor of being chosen as Team USA’s flag bearer, alongside tennis star Coco Gauff. In a recent interview on the GoJo and Golic show, James shared how much the experience meant to him.
“I didn’t know how to feel about it,” LeBron admitted. “I had seen so many different flag bearers, so many great athletes carry our flag and represent our country. We went into a team meeting, and Steph [Curry] did the video for me, then announced to the team that I’d been elected, alongside the great Coco Gauff.”
Reflecting on the moment, James said, “The weight of the honor hit me then. It’s something that’s super surreal. To be at the front, in Paris with all our Olympians, holding that flag—it was such a sense of pride.”