Fans were ridiculing LeBron James after an in-game clip went viral. And no, it wasn't a spectacular dunk or a tough and one; it was while he was sitting on the bench. The moment provided what some view does a humbling experience. The Los Angeles Lakers player was seen crowning himself, seemingly believing that the crowd was showing support for him.
A lot of comments on the post made sure that people understood how American athletes are viewed abroad, or in this case, how their lack of international recognition means that they are not thought of much at all. Say what you want about the totality of us Sports today's performance showed that regardless of who does or does not recognize the greatness of 'King James,' he will continue to be spectacular.
Truthfully, after the 95-91 win for Team USA over Serbia, for anyone to dismiss him and his play due to preconceived notions is flatly missing out. Comparisons between eras are inherently disingenuous. Takes when comparing this Olympic team to others miss the picture entirely. For one, as time progresses, not only is international play catching up with the United States, but so too is sports science and nutrition, for example.
Good play from LeBron James impresses
This allows the average player for any country to get better simply by playing against better competition more often and by being able to take care of their bodies at a higher level than what even they themselves were able to the previous year. This shouldn't take away from the past accomplishments of the Dream Team or anyone else who secured gold. But too many conversations lack this context.
What past teams have done deserves praise and will stand in the record books forever. That being said, what LeBron James showcases today not only speaks to his longevity but also his true all-around ability to mold himself into whatever role is needed to best put his team in a position to win. There are such things as empty triple-doubles in the Paris 2024 semi-finals; this was not one of those.
Facing a large deficit, it took the play of Steph Curry and Joel Embiid in particular to avoid what would have been an embarrassing loss. It also needs to be remembered that the presence of leadership and the trademark Swiss knife ability of LeBron James were ultimately the platforms on which Team USA was able to grab the win.
Comments