By Humberto Viera
26 Jul 2024, 15:21 PM EDT
LeBron James has achieved an impressive number of milestones throughout his career, not only in the NBA but also internationally, representing the United States National Team.
Among these achievements, his brilliant record at the Olympic Games stands out, a legacy that he will try to continue expanding in Paris 2024, where he has been called up among the 12 selected by Steve Kerr.
To date, LeBron James has won three Olympic medals and will be looking for his fourth at Paris 2024. The star, originally from Akron, Ohio, has won two gold medals and one bronze in his previous participations.
LeBron has competed in three consecutive Olympic Games: Athens 2004, Beijing 2008 and London 2012. His return to competition at Paris 2024 will mark his return to the event after his absence at Rio 2016 and Tokyo 2020.
At Athens 2004, LeBron was part of a surprising failure for Team USA, at least by their usual high standards, with a historic semifinal loss to Argentina, forcing them to settle for third place. That was the only time the U.S. failed to win gold since it began using NBA players at Barcelona 1992.
In those 2004 Games, a young LeBron averaged 5.4 points, 1.6 assists and one rebound in 11:30 minutes per game.
Redemption for James and the United States came in Beijing 2008, when they won gold by beating Spain in the final. The current Los Angeles Lakers forward averaged 15.5 points, 5.2 rebounds and 3.8 assists in 24.4 minutes per game.
The United States and LeBron repeated the feat in London 2012, again beating Spain in the final. On that occasion, James averaged 13.3 points, 5.5 assists and 5.4 rebounds in 25 minutes per game.
LeBron’s return to the Paris 2024 Olympic Games not only represents an opportunity to add another medal to his collection, but also to reaffirm his legacy as one of the greatest in basketball history, both domestically and internationally. With his experience and skill, James will continue to be a key piece to Team USA’s success in the quest for Olympic glory.
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