LeBron James shined at the Paris Games alongside other American stars such as Stephen Curry and Kevin Durant to win his third Olympic gold medal. In doing so, the Lakers player surpassed the legendary Michael Jordan, who is considered by many to be the best player in the history of the NBA, in one statistic.
LeBron, happy after winning the Olympic final against France, was proud of the performance of a team that was hastily assembled but had enough quality to achieve the fifth consecutive Olympic title for the United States and the seventeenth in the history of the Games.
“I’m living a happy moment, I’m very happy, and I’m living a special moment, with humility, because I think I can still continue playing basketball, and play at a high level, play with other great players, with a great coaching staff and then go out on the court and represent our country,” LeBron told a crowd of reporters at the Palais Bercy.
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The 39-year-old Lakers player particularly appreciated the fact that he had beaten France in front of his home crowd.
“We couldn’t have imagined the Olympic final match any other way. It was special to be able to face the host team in a great setting and with a great atmosphere,” he explained.
Comparing the current U.S. team to those from other Games, LeBron noted that “the best is the current one because that’s the one we have right now. We’re back to our best level, we know we had some years where we weren’t at the level of our true capacity.
“In Beijing 2008 the team achieved redemption after finishing third in Athens 2004, and then in 2012, in London, we played very well and were able to win the Olympic title again. Now we put the team together very quickly, we got together in less than a month, but we knew we had to put together a good team because we didn’t like the way we played last summer,” when the United States didn’t even make the podium.
“Winning the Olympic title is wonderful, it’s an incredible thing, and of course it’s a great honor. If I’ve been able to help the United States win the gold medal, that’s a great thing,” she said.
Asked about the rivals the United States has faced in the Olympic Games and the level he has seen, LeBron highlighted the level of the tournament, with teams that have stood out for their play.
“France, Serbia, Australia have played quite well, and Germany won the World Cup last year. Basketball is improving all over the world, and everyone loves it. We hope to continue to inspire people all over the world.”
Asked about the fact that he had surpassed Michael Jordan in terms of Olympic titles, 2 for the former player and 4 for Lebron, the Lakers player had words of praise for “Air Jordan.”
“You just look at his silhouette, you look at his skill and you know he’s one of the best basketball players we’ve ever seen play a game in this sport. He was a basketball player of pure talent, a guy from another world,” he summed up.
As for his ambition to play in the next Olympic Games in Los Angeles, LeBron ruled out the possibility.
“No, I don’t see myself playing in Los Angeles, but I don’t see myself playing in Paris either. In four years I can’t see myself playing.”
Lebron highlighted the role of his family, stating that his wife “is the best.”
“Without her I wouldn’t even be in this position to be able to do what I do and love the game the way I love it, so having my wife, my two sons, my daughter and the rest of my family here, it was a pleasure,” he said.
