Team USA appears to be rounding into form as Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James has helped man the reins of the offense through a few exhibition games so far.
James may be the elder statesmen on the roster, but he was voted the best player at Team USA training camp which speaks to how much gas he’s got left in the tank. While James will have a large role in the national team’s success during the 2024 Olympics, he won’t have to do all of the heavy lifting as this year’s edition of the roster is stacked with superstars.
The team is so deep that Boston Celtics star forward Jayson Tatum came off the bench in their first exhibition game, though he got a look as a starter next to James in their win against Australia. Tatum is coming off his first NBA title with the Celtics and will look to add to his hardware once the team heads to Paris.
Tatum and James have had their fair share of playoff battles in the past, including in the 2018 Eastern Conference finals where the Cleveland Cavaliers prevailed over Boston in seven games. Tatum managed to dunk over James which he joked was in response to the King denying him a photo and autograph when he was a child, via NBA:
JT got his revenge on LeBron ? #USABMNT pic.twitter.com/9shcJ87uaM
— NBA (@NBA) July 16, 2024
In the video, Tatum recounts how his father was close friends with James’ teammate Larry Hughes in Cleveland and he took a trip to Memphis to meet the Los Angeles superstar. However, James said he had to leave and left Tatum hanging without something to commemorate the moment.
After hearing Tatum’s story, James laughs and asks if that’s why he dunked on him which Tatum agrees and says that was his payback. The two are able to make light of the moment despite their previous rivalry which speaks to the level of camaraderie on the roster.
This time around, James and Tatum are on the same side and both will be counted on to bring back the gold from Paris.
Lakers’ LeBron James acknowledges new contract could be his final one
LeBron James opted out his player option for the 2024-25 season, but re-upped with the Lakers on a new two-year deal with a player option for the 2025-26 season. James will turn 40 years old during this upcoming season and he acknowledged that this contract could be his last one in the NBA.
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