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While Team USA is always a FIBA powerhouse, few iterations of the squad were as exciting as 2024's. LeBron James, Steph Curry, and Kevin Durant all took the world by storm at the Paris Olympics, bringing home the gold after an undefeated run.
While James won't don his country's jersey again, he has faith in the program's future, via Esquire's Brian O'Keefe.
“Yeah, absolutely. It’s all about the farm system and continuing to grow the younger generation. And we have so much great talent right now in our league as well,” James said. “You have Anthony Edwards and Jayson Tatum; you have Paolo Banchero and Chet Holmgren, these young guys coming up in the ranks; Cooper Flagg, who’s going to be a big-time player here for Team USA down the road. So yeah, absolutely. There’s a lot of great young talent that’s going to want to strive to be an Olympian.”
USA Basketball sounded the alarms after finishing third place in 2022's FIBA World Cup, a squad featuring the likes of Edwards, Banchero, Tyrese Haliburton, and Jalen Brunson. James, Curry, and Durant banded together to right the ship, sacrificing valuable summer rest time for the good of the program.
“And I think with myself and Steph and KD, and look at Kobe Bryant and Carmelo Anthony and Dwyane Wade and those guys, all these guys kind of set a standard for it within the recent years,” James continued. “I think these younger guys are going to just take that on. I don’t want to forget Devin Booker as well, who’s a great talent and a great, great player, and a great friend of mine, too. So absolutely, I look forward to seeing what happens in the future.”
Will Team USA continue excelling in James' absence?
LeBron James left USA Basketball in a good place
While Team USA has plenty of talent in the pipeline, the team will undoubtedly feel different without James on the floor. The 39-year-old confirmed he won't play in the Olympics again, via ESPN's Marc Spiers.
However, the younger players that James mentioned witnessed his skills and leadership up close, which will undoubtedly help their careers going forward, both domestically and overseas. As for James, he'll look forward to playing with his son Bronny on the Los Angeles Lakers and relaxing over the summers.
