REPORT: $15 million sum facilitates LeBron James and USA Basketball stars' stay away from Olympic village
LeBron James and the rest of the USA basketball stars are arguably the crème de la crème of the U.S. contingent to the 2024 Paris Olympics, and they are having an experience befitting their stature as sports royalty. While the rest of the athletes are staying in the Olympic Village, Team USA basketball stars, both men and women, are staying in an undisclosed luxury hotel.
As per Forbes, the total estimation of sending the American basketball teams to Paris will cost $15 million. This is according to “USA Basketball’s outlay and other resources provided by the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee and the State Department.”
Basketball stars staying in luxury hotels is nothing new as this has been the norm since the iconic Dream Team descended upon Barcelona in 1992. It has become a tradition ever since for Team USA’s basketball stars to lodge in exotic stays.
While spending so much money has often been debated, there are logistical and security issues related to it. NBA stars are some of the most well-known athletes in the world. If a LeBron James or a Steph Curry were to stay in the Olympic Village, the fan fare would be just too much for security to control.
The conditions at this year's Olympic Village made the situation trickier as the reportedly infamous cardboard beds could have faced some difficulty in holding the tall frames of basketball players. The Paris Olympics committee also previously decided to not install air conditioning in the Village.
LeBron James and Team USA get convincing 103-86 win over South Sudan
While the debate over Team USA’s accommodation in the 2024 Paris Olympics will likely continue, LeBron James and Co. have left very little doubt as to why they are considered the favorites for gold. The team registered a 103-86 win against South Sudan on Wednesday. Before that, Team USA defeated Serbia 110-84 on Sunday.
James had memorable game, as he became just the third U.S. men’s basketball player to score 300 points or more in the Olympics. He now trails only Kevin Durant and Carmelo Anthony.
LeBron James needed six points heading into the game to reach the 300-point mark. He got the points in the first quarter itself and reached the mark after draining a two-pointer off of a pass from his LA Lakers teammate Anthony Davis. James finished the game with 12 points, seven rebounds and five assists.