Team USA entered the 2024 Paris Olympics as the favorites, but their journey to gold was anything but smooth. Ultimately, it was the combined efforts of Kevin Durant, Stephen Curry and LeBron James that propelled them to their fifth consecutive gold medal. But Spurs legend Avery Johnson I felt compelled to give special praise to King James for one particular aspect of the game.
When Johnson appeared on Mark Jackson’s show Come talk to me On the podcast, the host asked Johnson how he felt watching this year’s U.S. team compete at the Olympics. Fascinated by the little things James did, here’s what the Spurs legend had to say.
“What LeBron James has done in the Olympics is beyond impressive. At 40 years old, he’s been able to be athletic, explosive and just be the leader of the team. He does a little bit of everything, he scores, he rebounds, he makes assists.”
Johnson, who played 16 years in the NBA, was just as impressed as everyone else with what LeBron was capable of even at that age. He pointed out how Jacques he helped the team in almost every aspect, while being the vocal leader of the team.
“If you watch him on defense, he’s the strongest communicator on the team: ‘Come here, get this.’ He’s a shooter, he’s a driver. It projects… Nothing he does really surprises me.”
Avery particularly highlighted James’ ability to communicate effectively with his teammates on defense. Even when he was covering a big man in the paint, LBJ was constantly relaying information to his teammates. to help them play better.
Akron Hammer meticulously read and analyzed opposing teams’ offensive game plans. This gave him an advantage over everyone else and he used it to perfection to take advantage of it on defense.
Here is an example of how the Lakers The star tends to notice and analyze aspects to gain an advantage over his opponents. For example, his approach to defending Warriors forward Draymond Green.
“When Draymond catches the ball in the post, the only thing you have to watch is his eyes… Obviously, he has his back to the basket. You have to watch his eyes because if you follow the ball with your hand, he’s going to put your arms underneath to commit that foul.”
Against the Warriors, LeBron’s defense is still centered around Stephen Curry. However, LeBron’s ability to pick up on Draymond Green’s subtleties—often to the detriment of opposing teams—speaks volumes about his exceptional basketball IQ.
