Stephen Curry (left) and LeBron James
LOS ANGELES — NBA icons LeBron James and Stephen Curry, among other elite players, are considering representing the United States at the upcoming Paris Olympics, as per reports from The Athletic and ESPN on Monday (Tuesday in Manila).
LeBron James, a two-time Olympic gold medalist and four-time NBA champion, has been actively recruiting fellow NBA stars to join the U.S. team’s quest for a fifth consecutive gold medal in France next year, according to sources cited by The Athletic.
Meanwhile, Stephen Curry, a four-time NBA champion point guard with the Golden State Warriors, has expressed his desire to be part of the Olympic roster led by Warriors head coach Steve Kerr, as reported by ESPN.
This news follows a recent disappointment for a youthful U.S. team at the Basketball World Cup, where they finished without a medal after losses to Canada in the bronze-medal match and to eventual champions Germany in the semi-finals.
Although LeBron James, a 38-year-old forward, last competed in the Olympics in 2012 in London, he has continued to pursue international success. He was part of the 2004 Athens Olympics team that secured a bronze medal and the 2006 Basketball World Cup squad that also claimed bronze. James not only aims to compete for Olympic gold in Paris but has reached out to former NBA Most Valuable Players Stephen Curry and Kevin Durant in an effort to entice them to participate in the 2024 Olympics.
Kevin Durant, a two-time NBA champion and a forward for the Phoenix Suns, who turns 35 later this month, has already contributed to the USA’s gold-medal campaigns in London, Rio in 2016, and Tokyo in 2021. (ai/mnm/Sourced online)