$731,000 disparity separates LeBron James and USA's gold medal prospects bonus compared to Hong Kong winners
For the first time in 12 years, LeBron James is suiting up for Team USA in the Olympics. As the 20-time All-Star attempts to secure his third gold medal reports recently surfaced regarding the gap in bonuses for each country.
Players don't get paid to play in the Olympics, but there is a chance they can land a bonus if they medal in their event. However, the size of the bonus is determined by the country.
In the event that LeBron James and Team USA win gold in Paris, they'd each receive a bonus of $37,000. This isn't much compared to countries like Hong Kong, which is giving out $768,000 more for a gold medal.
This minimal bonus doesn't matter much to someone like LeBron, as he has made a massive amount of money in the NBA. Earlier this summer, he inked a two-year deal with the LA Lakers worth $101.3 million.
LeBron made his Olympic debut in 2004, winning a bronze medal in Athens. After that, he went on to win gold in the 2008 and 2012 Summer Games. Looking at the elite group of talent Team USA has this summer, the Lakers star is in a good position to add a third gold medal to his collection.
LeBron James has strong outing to open 2024 Olympics
On Sunday afternoon, LeBron James and Team USA had their first official game of the 2024 Olympics. They opened the group phase round with a matchup against Nikola Jokic and Serbia.
These teams squared off in the pre-Olympic showcase games, with the United States winning in a blowout. The same thing would happen on Sunday as the star-studded roster secured a 110-84 win to open the games.
A major factor in Team USA's win over Serbia was the play of LeBron James. He did a little bit of everything in the matchup, finishing with 21 points, seven rebounds and nine assists.
Another standout performance in this game came from Kevin Durant. After being sidelined for two weeks due to a calf injury, the former MVP made his return against Serbia. Steve Kerr would end up bringing Durant off the bench, but it didn't matter. The Phoenix Suns star missed one of his nine shot attempts en route to scoring a team-high 23 points.
LeBron is the oldest player on Team USA, but that doesn't mean he can't be an impactful player for them. Based on his performance in their opening matchup, he looks ready to lead the charge for this team of NBA superstars. LeBron and company will be back in action on Wednesday to take on South Sudan.