LONDON — Two-time Olympic gold medalist LeBron James is ready in making a return to the international stage with USA Basketball at the 2024 Paris Games.
James, 38, led Team USA to the top of the podium in Beijing (2008) and London (2012) and also won a bronze at Athens in 2004.
The NBA’s all-time leading scorer did not play for the gold medal-winning American sides in Rio de Janeiro in 2016 or in Tokyo in 2021.
ESPN said James is among a number of top players who are interested in competing in Paris while The Athletic said the Los Angeles Lakers forward has already called multiple stars in a bid to recruit them.
James has not played for Team USA since he won a gold medal at the 2012 London Olympics.
The 38-year-old James, a three-time Olympian and two-time gold medallist, reached out to Kevin Durant, among others, and the two players are viewing the Paris Games as a “last dance” with USA Basketball, sources told The Athletic.
According to The Athletic, James has also spoken to Stephen Curry, Anthony Davis, Jayson Tatum and Draymond Green, who are all prepared to commit as well.
Curry has never represented the United States at an Olympics but ESPN said the NBA’s all-time leader in three-pointers has expressed an interest in playing for Steve Kerr, his Golden State Warriors coach.
The US is expected to field a strong team following a disappointing fourth-place finish at this month’s FIBA World Cup.
James’ push to recruit players started well before the United States lost in the bronze medal game of the recently-concluded FIBA Basketball World Cup and his decision was not related to that team’s result.
Over the weekend, Mikal Bridges pulled off an overtime-forcing miracle, but it wasn’t enough to keep the US from heading home from the FIBA World Cup empty-handed.
After 87 years of waiting, Canada again medaled on one of basketball’s biggest stages, beating the US 127-118 in the third-place game in Manila Sunday.
The US failed to medal for the second consecutive World Cup. It’s only the seventh time in 38 appearances at the Olympic or World Cup level that an American team did not emerge with gold, silver or bronze.
‘The United States hasn’t won the World Cup since 2014,’ US coach Steve Kerr said.
‘It’s hard. These teams in FIBA are really good, well-coached, they’ve got continuity and they’ve played together for a long time. This is difficult and it’s been difficult already.’
The Americans were the favorites coming into the tournament, then lost three of their last four games.
