Now entering his 22nd season, LeBron James remains one of the NBA‘s top stars. “The King” is ready to shine once again with the Los Angeles Lakers, although this time things will be different for him, as he will have the chance to play alongside his son Bronny. While his pursuit to become the first father-son duo in NBA history was a motivating factor, the 2024 Paris Olympic Games played an equally significant role in his decision.
During the Lakers’ media day, LeBron opened up about how his experience with the U.S. Men’s National Basketball Team in France renewed his love for basketball, ultimately influencing his choice to return for another season in the NBA.
“I don’t ever lose touch with the game of basketball, but it felt damn good to play meaningful basketball,” James began. And then he added: “Like literally play for the highest level, we had two Game 7’s back to back, one vs. Serbia and then that last one vs. France where it was like this is why those text messages went out, this is why those calls happened.”
Then the four-time NBA champion explained: “That fire and desire was brought back to me, this is what it was all about. This is why we all came together and called ourselves the Avengers. To have that feeling again where you’re playing like meaningful, real, every possession means something. If you make a mistake, it burns you. That was good to relive that going against those two great teams.”
The Olympics mean something to LeBron James
LeBron’s Olympic journey has been eventful. His first experience, at the 2004 Athens Games, ended in disappointment when Team USA lost to Argentina in the semifinals, ultimately settling for bronze after beating Lithuania. Reflecting on that experience, James admitted: “I had no idea what I was getting into, I just wanted to have the experience. Everything on the court I didn’t expect.”
Four years later, LeBron James redeemed himself at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, leading Team USA to a gold medal victory over Spain, 118-107. He repeated the feat in 2024, this time as part of a star-studded roster featuring Stephen Curry and Kevin Durant, once again lifting the U.S. to the top of the podium.