Team USA star LeBron James makes it look like he’s going to play forever, but that is not going to be the case, of course. Approaching 40 years old, James remains among the best players in the NBA and continues to be an effective weapon for the Americans at the 2024 Paris Olympics.
When explaining why Team USA opted to stack its roster with All-Stars and future Hall of Famers, USA Basketball director Grant Hill mentioned a thought about James failing to deliver at the Olympics because of his age.
Via Joe Vardon of The Athletic:
“Maybe it’s being paranoid, but what if LeBron at 39 1/2 years old, can’t be at that level? Then what?” Hill asked, rhetorically. And then he pointed out that the opposite turned out to be true. “He’s far exceeded that, and if anything he came in (to training camp) in probably the best shape (of any player on Team USA). He was the best player in the exhibition games and at times has been our best player in (Olympic) games thus far.
Fortunately for Team USA, James is playing at a high level in Paris. Through four games, the four-time NBA Most Valuable Player has averaged 13.8 points, 7.8 assists, and 5.8 rebounds while shooting nearly 68 percent from the field.
If James slows down, Team USA has lots of players to pick up the slack, with guys like Kevin Durant, Stephen Curry, Anthony Edwards, Anthony Davis, Jayson Tatum, and Joel Embiid around.
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