LeBron James continues to turn water into wine for his club and country.
The soon-to-be-40-year-old was one of the most important pieces of the U.S. team during its 2024 Olympic run, creating spells all over the court. On a team (and tournament) full of stars, James was the brightest.
His efforts were certainly appreciated by members of the American delegation. Fueled by strong performances from him, Kevin Durant and Stephen Curry, Team USA took home gold once again, adding yet another piece to James’ stacked collection. The Americans outlasted France 98-87 on Saturday to complete a perfect run to gold.
It’s not his first tryst with the Olympics’ most prized trappings, but it could very well be his last. That said, here’s everything you need to know about James’ history with Olympic gold.
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With the U.S. team’s victory over France on Saturday, James claimed her third gold medal. She also won gold at the 2008 and 2012 Games, held in Beijing and London, respectively.
James has been a prominent figure on the roster of each of the three teams, combining leadership responsibilities with Kobe Bryant, Carmelo Anthony, Kevin Durant and, now, Stephen Curry.
List of LeBron James Olympic victories
2008
James’ first Olympic gold came in 2008, when he, Bryant, Dwyane Wade and Carmelo Anthony led the U.S. basketball team to glory. The “Redemption Team” suffered the ignominious fate of taking the bronze medal in 2004.
James was flawless for much of the tournament, averaging 15.5 points, 5.3 rebounds and 3.8 assists on 60.2/46.4/45.8 shooting from the field. James was the team’s second-leading scorer behind Wade and played the most minutes of any American, averaging 24.8 ticks per game. All told, it was an impressive Olympic debut for the then-Cavaliers superstar. The U.S. weathered its challenge with relative ease, save for a gold medal game against Spain, posting a flawless 8-0 record en route to an Olympic title.
2012
James saw his scoring averages dip slightly in London, with Durant and Anthony shouldering more of the scoring load. He remained as efficient as ever, hitting 60.3 percent of his shot attempts. But James averaged “just” 13.3 points per game in 2012, a drop from the totals he had posted four years earlier.
At first glance, this phenomenon might seem like a changing of the guard, but in reality James simply took on greater responsibilities as a facilitator. He averaged 5.6 assists and 5.6 rebounds in 2012, offering his talents as a playmaker to the likes of Anthony, Durant, Bryant and Kevin Love.
Once again, their contributions were valuable as the United States outscored their opponents by an average margin of victory of 32.125 points. Once again, the Americans went 8-0 on their way to Olympic gold.
2024
Twelve years after his last appearance in a USA jersey, James teamed up with Curry and Durant for one final appearance, this time in Paris. He looked right at home at the Bercy Arena, where he displayed his talent against the world’s best, some of whom were half his age.
James showed off all the tricks of the trade he has acquired over his 22-year career, recording the fourth triple-double in Olympic history in an epic semi-final win over Serbia and then following that up with a 14-point, 6-rebound, 10-assist performance against the French to secure his third Olympic gold medal.
James dominated the court with flying colors throughout the tournament, shooting over 65 percent from the field. He ranked second on the team in scoring (14.2 points per game), first in rebounding (6.8 rebounds per game) and first in assists (8.5 assists per game). For his all-around efforts, James was awarded Olympic MVP, joining Durant and Manu Ginobili as the only players to receive the honor.
