He himself knows best that he has the last chance for great success with the national team. He will celebrate his 40th birthday next year, his gray hair is growing. If today is his farewell to the international scene, he will do his best to end it with another Olympic title.
The ageless LeBron James will lead the USA basketball players in the evening final of the Olympic tournament (today from 21.30), but the favorite will not have it easy at all.
The defending champions, the Americans, will be challenged by the home team, the French, who want to emulate the performance of the Serbs from Thursday’s semi-final.
The Serbs almost pulled off a huge surprise when, after an excellent performance, they won the first three quarters against the USA, but they did not keep the promising lead in the final part. The Americans finally triumphed 95:91 and will attack for the fifth Olympic title in a row.
They would not have advanced to the finals if their most experienced players had not pulled them through.
Thirty-six-year-old Steph Curry scored 36 points, and James showed his versatility when he recorded the so-called triple-double for 16 points, 12 rebounds and 10 assists.
Double figures in three major basketball statistics are a rare occurrence under five hoops.
Only three players have achieved them in Olympic history. In addition to James, Soviet legend Alexander Belov and Slovenian star Luka Dončič did it. James is the only one who recorded a triple-double twice (the first time at the 2012 Olympics in London).
“We know why we are here. In the fight for the gold, we want to perform better than against Serbia, against whom we had to reach the bottom of our forces.
The sold-out hall will cheer for the home team, but we are determined to show that the best basketball is played in America,” roars the American icon, the all-time leading scorer of the overseas NBA.
james durant LeBron James (6) and Kevin Durant (7) during the match against Serbia at the 2024 Olympics.
Brute force
His story is an inspiration for many athletes, not only promising basketball players. His work ethic and care for his physical condition remind him of Novak Djokovic or Zden Chara.
According to Bleacher Report, he “invests” 1.5 million dollars in his body per season. Physiotherapy, fitness training, recovery, diet, lifestyle – everything is at the highest level with him.
It has to be, because his game is based primarily on brute force. On the dashboard, he does not have a graceful impression, like the legendary Michael Jordan or another famous shooter, the late Kobe Bryant.
James scores like an unstoppable bulldozer. Up to 80 percent of the shots he released from his hand during his career are from the basket area. His drives under the basket are legendary and opponents cannot defend them even after twenty seasons in the NBA.
Photo: Profimedia
basketball USA lebron james American basketball team at the Olympics in Paris.
Last year, the elite winger broke the absolute record of Kareem Abdul-Jabbar in the number of points, currently he has more than 40,000 points in 20 years. At the same time, he sparked the eternal debate about who should be considered the best basketball player of all time.
Is it Jordan, with six championships, or “King LeBron” who fills individual statistics in waiting?
“It’s hard to compare generational talents. Every era had an exceptional player or players. Nobody even remembers Wilt Chamberlain, who also scored a hundred points per game.
If I have to contribute to the debate, for me it’s Jordan. Basketball is a team sport and the number of rings for winning in the NBA is a key factor,” former Slovakian representative Radoslav Rančík said in an interview with Športweb.
Support from Harris
In recent years, James has become one of the most influential figures in the American sports business. He has become a sort of player’s advocate, persistently defending their interests.
When he commented on the politics of Donald Trump, the former president, who is also the Republican candidate in the upcoming elections, angrily retorted: “Shut up and dribble. Focus only on basketball!”.
James disobeyed and continues to fight to improve the rights of the African-American community in the US.
After the Olympics, you can expect him to vocally support Kamala Harris in the race for the head of state.
The current vice president, who will challenge Trump as the Democratic candidate after Joe Biden withdrew from the election campaign, came to the training camp before the Olympics and wished the players good luck.
“I am sure that you will make the nation proud again. Go to Paris and bring gold,” she declared after taking a photo with the players.
Today’s final will show whether her wish will come true. The Americans almost paid the price for a lax start in the semifinals, and if it weren’t for Steph Curry (17 points in the first quarter, 36 in total), today they would have had a match for 3rd place.
Excited French
James, Curry et al. waiting in the fight for gold is the domestic national team, which is planning a revenge for the final of the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo.
The French, who defeated the Americans in the basic group, but were not enough to become favorites in the final, will also rely on the massive support of the audience.
The home team has considerable strength under the basket, in addition to the pair of NBA pivots Victor Wembanyama, Rudy Gobert, Guerschon Yabusele plays well, who flashed important 17 points and 7 rebounds in the semi-final win over the world champions from Germany.
“It will be the great final that everyone wanted. I believe we will please our great fans. The atmosphere during the semi-final match was electrifying, I’m already looking forward to Saturday night,” said Yabusele.
The Americans have won seven of the eight tournaments under the five rings since the 1992 Olympics in Barcelona, where they first introduced a selection of elite players from the NBA.
The French can win historic gold, so far the best result is silver three times (1948, 2000, 2020).
The “appetizer” will be the women’s final, which will have the same line-up as the men’s – the home selection, which defeated Belgium after the drama in extra time, will challenge the favored Americans.
Source: sportweb.pravda.sk
