Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James is reportedly ready to commit to playing for Team USA at the 2024 Paris Olympics, according to Shams Charania and Joe Vardon of The Athletic. James, who has won two Olympic gold medals in 2008 and 2012, did not participate in the recent FIBA World Cup, where the Americans finished fourth after losing to Lithuania, Germany and Canada.
James is apparently unhappy with the result and wants to redeem Team USA’s reputation on the international stage. He has already spoken to several NBA stars, including Stephen Curry, Kevin Durant, Anthony Davis, Jayson Tatum and Draymond Green, who are also prepared to join him in France next year.
Former Grizzlies Player Reacts to LeBron James’ Decision
Gilbert Arenas, who finished his NBA career with the Memphis Grizzlies in 2012, was very vocal about the poor performance of Team USA at the World Cup. He called the roster an “F group” compared to what they could assemble and blamed the lack of star power for the disappointing outcome.
Reacting to the news that LeBron James plans to play for the Olympics, Arenas shared a video on his Instagram account, where he celebrated the prospect of a new Redeem Team for 2024. “Bron coming,” Arenas said. “Ya’ll celebrated too early. The King coming. And he’s bringing all the Louis Vuitton luggage. Not that outlet sh-t we done had this last go around.”
A New Redeem Team for 2024?
The term Redeem Team was coined for the 2008 Olympic squad that featured LeBron James, Kobe Bryant, Dwyane Wade and Carmelo Anthony, among others. The team won the gold medal in Beijing after a dominant run, restoring Team USA’s glory after a bronze finish in 2004.
With LeBron James leading the charge, Team USA could potentially assemble a similar roster for 2024, with some of the best players in the league joining him. The competition will be tough, as other countries have improved their basketball programs and have NBA talent on their rosters as well. However, with LeBron James on a mission to win his third Olympic gold medal, Team USA will be hard to beat.
