“This sh*t was a waste of time” – LeBron James thought of quitting team USA after an embarrassing defeat in the 2004 Olympics; team was disappointed to settle for the bronze medal
Along with being one of the NBA's greatest players, LeBron James has also had great success on the Olympic stage. He's competed for team USA three times at the quadrennial event over the years and secured two golds and one bronze medal.
The LA Lakers superstar has proved to be a valuable piece for team USA over the course of his career. However, one of basketball's best talents almost joined the list of players who opted not to compete for their country in front of a global audience.
What almost pushed James over the edge was how things unfolded during the 2004 Summer Olympics. Team USA finished the Games with a bronze medal and the then emerging superstar thought of stopping his involvement with the team.
Thankfully, the All-Star forward had a change of heart when it came time to assemble a group for the 2008 Olympics. In a recent documentary about that team, LeBron James spoke about his mindset following a lackluster performance four years prior. He said:
"I'm sitting at the podium receiving the bronze medal like, 'this s*** was a waste of my time.' At that moment, I definitely wasn't playing for Team USA again."
LeBron James thought he would never play for Team USA after his debut and the fiasco in the 2004 Olympics 👀 https://t.co/U5mk3MtUjq
LeBron James made the right decision to keep playing for Team USA
Even though things did not go their way in 2004, LeBron James made the right decision by not walking away for good. If he had not played in 2008, the Redeem Team might not have been as special as it was.
Following a bronze medal finish in 2004, the NBA's top talent came together to reclaim the top spot at the 2008 Olympics. Some of the featured names included Kobe Bryant, Chris Paul, Dwyane Wade and Carmelo Anthony. It's worth noting that at the time, all of these players were in their prime.
As one of the NBA's biggest stars at the time, LeBron James carried the weight of leading an incredible squad. They all came together for a common goal, and as the face of the league, he needed to play his part.
Thanks to the talent on the roster, Team USA made quick work of the competition. They won their first two games by at least 20 points and beat Spain by double digits in the Gold Medal match.
LeBron James and Dwyane Wade will executive produce a Netflix documentary on the 2008 Gold Medal USA Basketball team:
The Redeem Team 🇺🇸
The doc will feature “unprecedented Olympic footage and behind-the-scenes material” from the Beijing Olympics. https://t.co/h0QFPJ33hI
While his Olympic career didn't start out on a high note, "King James" managed to turn things around and add two gold medals to his long list of accolades.