“Back at it" - LeBron James teases behind the scenes of USAB scrimmage ahead of Paris Olympics
Two-time Olympic gold medalist LeBron James recently showed fans a before and after shot following a pre-Olympic workout with Team USA. With the LA Lakers' season over now, James' focus is on bringing a gold medal back home to the United States. After Team USA failed to capture gold at the FIBA World Cup, James and numerous other NBA vets stepped up.
Players like Steph Curry, Kevin Durant and even Joel Embiid all committed to the team, united by a common goal: restore the United States' place atop the international basketball standings.
With the 2024 Paris Olympics rapidly approaching this summer, James is locking in for what is expected to be an exciting summer. In an Instagram post, the four-time NBA champ shared before and after photos from his USA Basketball workout on Friday.
Included with the photos, LeBron James indicated that after his 21st year in the NBA, he has Olympic gold on his mind. The "Before..." photo showed James' jersey and shorts along with a pair of his Nike LeBron XXIs and two FIBA regulation balls.
The "After..." photo showed James standing alongside the uniform, shoe, and balls combo shortly after along with a caption with several emojis. While Instagram stories cannot be embedded, you can view screenshots of the posts below:
Looking at players who will join LeBron James on the Team USA roster, and which teams will pose the toughest competition
After Team USA failed to finish in the top three at the FIBA World Cup last summer, many of the country's best players took note and banded together. The mission is clear: dominate the 2024 Paris Olympics and remind everyone that Team USA is the best basketball team in the world.
As previously mentioned, players like LeBron James, Steph Curry and Kevin Durant quickly emerged as the favorites to lead the team. At the same time, there were quite a few questions about 2023 MVP Joel Embiid's status after the big man had initially expressed a desire to play for Team France.
In April, USA Basketball announced the roster for the Paris 2024 Olympics. The stacked group notably includes players previously mentioned, like LeBron James, Curry and Durant, as well as Embiid, as seen below:
- Jayson Tatum
- Kawhi Leonard
- Tyrese Haliburton
- Kevin Durant
- Anthony Davis
- Bam Adebayo
- Devin Booker
- Steph Curry
- Jrue Holiday
- Joel Embiid
- Anthony Edwards
- LeBron James
Of course, Joel Embiid's decision to join Team USA sparked quite a bit of frustration among the French national team. French basketball president Jean-Pierre Siutat ripped Embiid publicly in an interview with The Athletic, indicating that he took steps to get the Cameroonian star a French passport.
Given that, Team USA and France seem to have a bit of a rivalry heading into the Olympics. Moreover, Team Germany is fresh off a win at the FIBA World Cup last summer, making them potential favorites to win Olympic gold.
With action rapidly approaching at the end of July, only time will tell whether Team USA captures Olympic gold once again.