Longtime Lakers Playoff Rival Speaks Out About LeBron James' Olympic Team Recruitment
After Team USA lost in the bronze medal game against Team Canada in the 2023 FIBA Basketball World Cup this summer, the Americans were left feeling disappointed. They had failed to win a medal in the games and knew that they missed a big opportunity.
It was the second consecutive tournament for Team USA where they underperformed, and the United States hasn’t been used to losing much in international basketball play. So, when Lakers star LeBron James hinted at interest in potentially returning to the squad for the 2024 Olympics in Paris, it started a stream of headlines.
James confirmed his interest in playing next summer during the Lakers Media Day, and he intends to bring along some of the best talent that the NBA has to offer with him. Superstars like Kevin Durant and Steph Curry have already signed off on joining James in Paris, and so has his Lakers co-star Anthony Davis.
Former NBA big man, and longtime Lakers playoff rival Zach Randolph gave his thoughts on James and the other stars heading up the 2024 Olympic team.
“We got the best players in the world,” Randolph said. “That’s the facts. It’s going to be interesting, but like I said it’s going to be a good thing, all the guys coming to play.”
It remains to be seen who exactly will be a part of the roster, but it will likely look very different from this past summer. None of the top guys in the league took part in the tournament, but next summer should yield an All-Star roster for Team USA.
“It’s exciting time, man,” Randolph said. “King coming back, putting it together. It’s going to be great to see him – see how he do it.”
The hope is that these stars returning to Team USA will give the Americans a good chance to win the gold medal once again. They boast some of the best talent across the world, and it should be very fun to watch how this all plays out over the next year.
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