Lakers News: Basketball World Celebrates LeBron James' Pre-Olympic Tuneup vs Germany

Los Angeles Lakers All-Star combo forward LeBron James is having a ball while playing for Team USA for the first time in 12 years, ahead of the 2024 Paris Olympics.

The club has gone 5-0 in warm-up play this year. Team USA will begin its 2020 gold medal defense officially on Sunday, with a battle against three-time league MVP Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic.

Los Angeles barely survived its exhibition bouts in London on Saturday and Sunday, against South Sudan and Germany, respectively. James put the team on his back in the second halves of both matches, leading the club in scoring. Against Team Germany, James really turned things on late. He finished with 20 points on 8-of-11 field goal shooting plus 2-of-4 foul line shooting. The 6-foot-9 four-time MVP also recorded five boards, four dimes, one steal and one block.

Accordingly, James earned rave reviews online.

Longtime James friend Shannon Sharpe, a former Pro Football Hall of Fame tight end-turned-media personality for Fox Sports 1, sung his pal's praises:

Any1 wants 2 talk about Goat James 4th quarter performance against Germany. Y’all 1st. 😤😤😤😤
— shannon sharpe (@ShannonSharpe) July 22, 2024

L.A.-based ESPN reporter Ramona Shelburne raved about James' final frame, during which he scored 11 points and pretty much saved Team USA's bacon:

This whole fourth quarter is a LeBron flex
— Ramona Shelburne (@ramonashelburne) July 22, 2024

Shelburne's colleague Malika Andrews praised James' fourth quarter aptitude:

LeBron James — the closer — does it again for Team USA.
— Malika Andrews (@malika_andrews) July 22, 2024

Four-time James NBA Finals rival Andre Iguodala, who earned the 2015 mostly for his defensive effort against James on the Golden State Warriors, praised his old nemesis:

Put the team on his back…
— andre (@andre) July 22, 2024

Super Bowl MVP Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes was apparently also paying close attention:

Greatness!! 🔥🔥 @KingJames
— Patrick Mahomes II (@PatrickMahomes) July 22, 2024

Two-time WNBA champion Las Vegas Aces big A'ja Wilson, the best player in that league, was similarly moved:

Couldn’t tweet cause I didn’t have service but Bron different fr fr 😮‍💨
— A'ja Wilson (@_ajawilson22) July 22, 2024

All-Star point guard Ja Morant, whose Memphis Grizzlies James' Lakers upset in a 2023 first round matchup, was watching, too.

bron been hooping !! 👑
— Ja Morant (@JaMorant) July 22, 2024

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