After he was named as one of 30 finalists for the latest iteration of Team USA, LeBron James said he’d yet to make a decision on playing in this summer’s Olympic Games. Rio de Janeiro hadn’t even crossed the mind of the Cleveland Cavaliers superstar, in fact, until he heard Kobe Bryant removed his name from consideration for the squad.
“The last time I thought about Team USA was Kobe taking his name out of the pool,” he told the Associated Press last month. “That’s the last thing I kind of really thought about, so I’m not any inch closer to playing or not any inch closer to not playing. I haven’t really thought about it much.”
A couple weeks later, though, it seems James might have done a lot more thinking about the 2016 Games – and it’s of the shocking variety. According to Kevin Ding of Bleacher Report, the two-time Gold Medalist might not play for the United States later this year because Bryant has worn his last red, white, and blue jersey.
That’s why Bryant not pursuing a spot on the U.S. Olympic basketball team this summer is a very real reason James might also not join the team, according to NBA sources.
James is that disappointed the Rio Olympics will not serve as the final, ultimate celebration of Bryant’s career—and more so that James won’t have the priceless honor of being Bryant’s co-star teammate when it ends.
James and Bryant, long considered rivals by their maniacal fan bases, developed a strong bond while leading the Americans to Gold Medals in 2008 and 2012. The Los Angeles Lakers icon played his final game at Cleveland Quicken Loans Arena on Wednesday night, exiting the floor to chants of his name from the partisan crowd and sharing a special moment with James.
Bryant even signed a pair of sneakers for his would-be antagonist in the post-game locker room, too.
Dominate an era. Inspire a generation. #KOBE11 pic.twitter.com/2Nbuj9HsRN
— Nike Basketball (@nikebasketball) February 11, 2016
The obvious admiration and respect shared between the future Hall of Famers certainly supports the formerly outlandish notion that James would sit out of the Olympics. It’s no secret that the four-time MVP has a greater appreciation for the history of the game than most superstars, too. Could those factors really lead to him taking a break from the hallowed ground of Olympic competition?
It’s possible, but this rumor seems more like an exaggeration of James’ disappointment gleaned from Kobe’s imminent absence than anything else.
James, after all, is still constructing a legacy. He and Carmelo Anthony would become the first players in the history of USA Basketball to appear in four consecutive Games if they play in Rio de Janeiro. There’s also the specter of his international career at large to consider. Will a 35-year-old James even consider suiting up for Team USA in 2020?
Doubtful, which lends even more credence to the likelihood that James is merely disheartened by Bryant’s omission from Rio as opposing to letting it solely decide his future. Regardless, it’s safer than ever to say that these living legends aren’t just loyal competitors, but loyal friends, too.
(Via Bleacher Report)
