LOS ANGELES (USA) - LeBron James has entered his 22nd NBA season rejuvenated thanks to a USA Basketball experience this summer that brought him more than just a gold medal. The journey summoned his old dominating self and proved to him he can still do it at the highest level.
"It felt great to play meaningful basketball, literally for the highest level," James said at his media day press conference with the Los Angeles Lakers ahead of the 2024 training camp.
"That was pretty cool to know that from an individual standpoint you can be out there with the best players in the world, and still be able to have a big part of it not only on the floor but off it, so that was dope."
The two games that he won't soon forget about playing in were the USA's come-from-behind win over Serbia in the Semi-Finals and the battle with France in the Gold Medal Game.
This is why we all came together and called ourselves The Avengers
"We had two Game 7s back to back," he said. "One versus Serbia and that last one versus France. It was like, 'Oh sh*t, this is why those (pre-Olympic) text messages went out (to the USA players). This is why those calls happened. That fire and desire was brought back to me. And it was like, this is what it was all about. This is why we all came together and called ourselves The Avengers."
James messaged USA players after the country's fourth-place finish at the FIBA World Cup 2023, got them to commit to the national team. He also told them to be ready. He had not played for his National Team since the 2012 London Olympics.
"So, to have that feeling again when you're playing meaningful, real... every possession means something. If you make a mistake, it burns you, things like that, it was good to relive that moment, you know, going against those two great teams."
The immediate plus as it relates to the Olympics for James going into the new season is that he is ready to hit the ground running at the Lakers training camp.
"I'm a little bit more advanced in the Olympic year," he said. "'04 when I went into my second year, '08. You know, 2012, and now '24 because I've been playing all summer pretty much, so, I'm a little bit more advanced in everything. I'm excited about that. I'm excited about getting to work. It should be fun."
If the King James legend has grown with his third Olympic gold medal, and the MVP honor, James more importantly reconfirmed to himself that he remains an elite player at 39 years of age.
"When you're along with 11 other unbelievable great talents, some of the best talent we've ever seen," he said, "it gives you a lot of joy to be able to play the game, be able to play at a high level, come to work every day, push each other, and for myself individually, to go out there at may age, the miles that I have and to be able to play at the level I played at, I was like, 'Okay, I do have a lot in the tank. A lot!'
FIBA