[Charania] LeBron James has so strong an interest in one more Olympics. He has spoken to Steph Curry, KD, AD, Tatum & Draymond and they are all prepared to commit as well…James, KD & Curry have spoken to one another about one last USA run together sources said

[Source Article by The Athletic’s Shams Charania – “LeBron James ready to commit to 2024 Olympic team, recruiting fellow stars: Sources”](https://theathletic.com/4849490/2023/09/11/lebron-james-2024-olympics-paris/)

 

> **LeBron James**, a three-time Olympian, two-time gold medalist and the NBA’s all-time leading scorer, has so strong an interest in one more Olympics that he is ready to commit for next summer and has also called multiple stars to essentially recruit them to join him with USAB in Paris, multiple league sources told The Athletic.
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> James has spoken to **Stephen Curry**, **Kevin Durant**, **Anthony Davis**, **Jayson Tatum** and **Draymond Green**, and they are all prepared to commit as well. Separately, Phoenix’s **Devin Booker**, Portland’s **Damian Lillard**, Sacramento’s **De’Aaron Fox** and Dallas’ **Kyrie Irving** also have serious interest in committing, league sources said.
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> **James’ effort started well before the USA World Cup team, led by Anthony Edwards and Mikal Bridges, lost** at the World Cup and was not related to whether this summer’s team won or lost. While the American national team has struggled at the last two World Cups, the program has won four consecutive golds at the Olympics.
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> James, who has not played for Team USA since the 2012 Games in London and will turn 39 in December, and Durant, a three-time Olympian and gold medalist who will be 35 by next summer, are **viewing the Paris games as a “last dance” with USA Basketball**, sources said.
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> **Curry, who will be 36, has never played in an Olympics but won two World Cups in 2010 and 2014 with the American team and is viewing next summer similarly. James, Durant and Curry have spoken to one another about one last USA run, together, sources said.**

 

> James played for Team USA from 2004 to 2008 and returned for the London Games. In addition to Durant’s three Olympiads, he also was part of the 2010 world championship team. Green is a two-time gold medalist. Davis won gold with James in 2012 and a world title with Curry in 2014. Tatum won gold in 2021 and was on the 2019 World Cup team.

> But rampant speculation and near commitments — **even if the players mentioned above were to emerge on NBA media days and declare themselves “in” for 2024 — do not necessarily mean these more established stars will be in Paris.**

> For instance, following the 2019 World Cup, in which the Americans finished a disappointing seventh, numerous stars, including James, **expressed interest at the start of their NBA training camps of playing for Team USA at the Tokyo Games. Among them, only Durant followed through** and was on the floor in 2021. Granted, the Tokyo Games were postponed a year due to COVID-19

> The **Olympics start July 26, 2024, and Team USA is expected to have a full training camp and preseason tour to perhaps multiple countries before arriving in France. If any of the interested superstars make a deep playoff run, they would be making a massive commitment of their time and their bodies following a grueling season**. James, Davis, Durant, Curry and even Lillard have all dealt with extensive injuries over the last several years.

 

> **Bam Adebayo**, a 2021 Olympic gold medalist who nearly played for the USA this summer, is widely considered a strong candidate for Paris.

> **Desmond Bane**, a big, rugged, two-way guard whose style is perfect for FIBA, would have been on the World Cup team if not for offseason foot surgery. He remains a possibility.

> The prospect of persuading reigning NBA MVP **Joel Embiid** to A.) play in an international tournament; and B.) do so for Team USA instead of Team France, remains in play.

> And then there is the matter of considering players from the World Cup team. **Anthony Edwards**, a shooting guard, is Team USA’s leading scorer. When asked last week if he wanted to play at the Olympics, he said “Yeah, I would love to, for sure.”

> **Mikal Bridges**, a wing defender, said “I think I’ll never say no. It’s an honor.”

by NokCha_