For nearly a half a decade, the NBA was robbed of LeBron James and Kevin Durant matchups. Thankfully, last season featured early season matchups of the two stars with the Los Angeles Lakers and Phoenix Suns squaring off, in particular with an In-Season Tournament quarterfinals face-off that left James coming out victorious.
However, Durant and James are in the latter stages of their career, which means there are not many individual battles left. But the 2024 Paris Olympics were a saving grace to see these two legends team up for the last time.
This Olympic run for Team USA was a meaningful one as James, Durant and Stephen Curry headlined the roster despite being in their late 30s. But it does not mean that they still cannot put legendary performances as each of those three had their moments during the run.
Ultimately, the United States was able to come out with another gold medal, their fifth consecutive. It is hard to give equal credit due to the amount of star power, but James gave Durant his fair share, calling him one of the greatest players ever, via Sam Amick of The Athletic:
“KD?” James said in response. “KD’s one of the all-time greats. It’s not even a question. I mean, you just look at his silhouette, look at his skill. He’s one of the best basketball players we’ve ever seen play the game of basketball.”
While Curry stole the show with his late heroics in the gold medal game against France, Durant also made timely shots by drilling some contested mid-ranges. Despite dealing with a calf issue during the United State’s exhibition schedule, when he came back, Durant was able to make an immediate impact.
Similar to James, the 35-year-old forward is a one-of-a-kind scorer and fans are realizing that this particular trio will never be seen on the same team again. So for them to realize and appreciate that is special, even if they will go back to being enemies when the 2024-25 NBA season begins.
LeBron James hopes Team USA Olympic run can ‘inspire people’
Next up is the 2028 Olympics, which are set to take place in Los Angeles, providing an opportunity for the United States to have some home cooking. But, Team USA could look entirely different in four years.
To that extent, LeBron James hopes that this 2024 run can ‘inspire people,’ given the aging stars that were featured on this roster.