There is still no definitive answer as to whether Michael Jordan or LeBron James is the “Greatest of All Time” in NBA history. Both athletes have strong resumes, including their excellent plays for USA Basketball. However, former Golden State Warriors champion Nick Young argued on X/Twitter that James, the 20-time NBA All-Star, stands above and ahead of everyone after his electric performance against Serbia.
Projected to be his final Olympic run, James delivered an incredible outing to kick-start Team USA’s journey to the gold medal. In the opening game, he scored 21 points (9-of-3 shooting, including 1-of-3 from beyond the arc), along with nine assists and seven rebounds.
Similarly, Michael Jordan was a prominent figure in Team USA’s history, particularly during his time with the ‘Dream Team.’ The 1992 Olympic roster remains one of the most iconic basketball rosters of all time, featuring four Hall of Famers, with the Chicago Bulls legend being a huge part of that reputation.
Young referenced the new moniker “Captain America,” bestowed upon LeBron James by Devin Booker, in his GOAT argument:
“I’m sorry MJ …. LeBron is the GOAT Mr. Captain America.”
When comparing the two legends, Jordan, a five-time MVP, has two Olympic gold medals, while James also has two gold medals with one bronze. However, James, a four-time MVP, is competing against elite international teams as a 39-year-old athlete, showing no signs of being slowed by Father Time.
LeBron James talked about Team USA’s notes for improvement following 110-84 victory over Serbia
Despite the double-digit win and near triple-double performance, LeBron James highlighted areas for improvement that USA Basketball must look into, as per NBC Sports‘ Kerith Burke.
“We’re going to get better with our turnovers,” James said. “Obviously, we’re trying to make the right play, so you can never exclude that. But it’s some of the careless turnovers we had that we can give ourselves even more possessions offensively. We’ll be better coming up on Wednesday.”
Following last year’s fourth-place finish in the FIBA World Cup, Team USA received immense criticism for its subpar performance. Now, with one of the most talented and stacked rosters assembled, expectations are at an all-time high for the team.
Securing gold remains their main mission, but basketball has already grown remarkably around the world. Competition is fierce, with other squads not willing to back down.