At this point in LeBron James’ career, it’s unclear how many more years the Los Angeles Lakers star will play. James remains as good as ever but entering his 22nd season and on the verge of turning 40, the end is definitely on the horizon.
In his last Olympics run, James led the way along with Stephen Curry and Kevin Durant during USA Basketball’s gold medal performance in Paris. Ultimately, this will likely be the last time all three of them suit up for Team USA to compete for a gold medal.
But this year’s team featured both aging and rising stars, which formed an interesting dynamic. To put it into perspective, young players who grew up idolizing James, Curry and Durant got to now play alongside them.
That was the case for Indiana Pacers star Tyrese Haliburton, who shared pictures of him as a kid wearing James’ jerseys to a picture of them together showcasing their gold medals:
my mom sent me these pics this morning, life crazy lol pic.twitter.com/nYJMM3PdKb
— Tyrese Haliburton (@TyHaliburton22) August 13, 2024
As this post gained traction, the Lakers star ended up responding saying how crazy it is to see Haliburton growing up as a fan of his to winning a medal together:
Haha! Crazy bro!!! WOW!! ???? https://t.co/EOwRHWBnZb
— LeBron James (@KingJames) August 13, 2024
This just goes to show how long James has been in the NBA, but it’s also a testament to how he handles his recovery each offseason. It is not normal for a 39-year-old to be able to play 71 games this past season while averaging 25 points a game and then lead the way in an Olympics run where he was the United States’ best player en route to MVP honors.
All in all, this summer was an unforgettable one as James was able to cash in on another gold to add to his resume before he ultimately hangs it up. It had to have been extra cool for a player like Haliburton, who is an All-Star in his own right but grew up idolizing James.
LeBron James & Stephen Curry make FIBA’s Olympics All-Star Five
With the Olympics officially over, FIBA names the best five players throughout the entire tournament. There were multiple candidates that were worthy on Team USA, but LeBron James and Stephen Curry were ultimately the two that got the nod on FIBA’s All-Star Five along with Dennis Schroder, Nikola Jokic and Victor Wembanyama.
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