A LeBron James you rarely see

LeBron JamesAP

LeBron James is undoubtedly a major reference in both the NBA and the world of sports, now as part of the USA basketball team for the Paris 2024 Olympics he is ready to compete with the team for the gold medal, or at least that’s what one thinks of James.

But footage from a training game of the U.S. team on the road to Paris 2024casts doubt on LeBron’s skills and talent for this Olympic competition. This shot of the Los Angeles Lakers star worries fans so much that some are even calling for his removal from the U.S. team. Is it really that big of a deal?

LeBron James takes erratic shot that calls his talent into question

The United States basketball team is preparing intensively for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. This team regularly participates in international competitions organized by the International Basketball Federation (FIBA) and the International Olympic Committee (IOC).

This team holds the world record of achievement, with medals won in each of its nineteen Olympic appearances, including an impressive total of sixteen gold medals. In the professional era, it has triumphed at the Olympic Games in 1992, 1996, 2000, 2008, 2012, 2016 and 2020.

Two of these Olympic teams have been honored with inclusion in the Basketball Hall of Fame: the 1960 team, standing out with six members (four players and two coaches), and the iconic 1992 “Dream Team,” with a remarkable 14-member representation (eleven players and three coaches). Currently, the team leads the FIBA World Ranking.

Although it has been the winningest team in the Olympics, that remains to be seen. The team with great NBA players such as Stephen Curry, Kevin Durant, Joel Embiid, Jayson Tatum and Jrue Holiday among others has LeBron James at the helm, who despite his 39 years, James stands out as one of the greats of the U.S. team.

LeBron understands that he has very little time left as a professional basketball player and that the 2024 Olympics are almost certainly his last Games. He wants to prove his status to the world before saying goodbye to basketball professionally, but these images don’t help him and even cast doubt on his talent.

LeBron James’ pre-Olympic footage casts doubt on his on-court talent https://t.co/wmVpz5ryLK via @marca

— Everything Hollywood (@thienthuandao) July 12, 2024

During one of the practices with the team, James makes a long distance shot that hits the backboard, but at the top of it, away from the hoop, he doesn’t even graze it on the rebound. A shot too erratic that surely will want to be removed from the internet, as it has given much to talk about.

We can only wait for the Olympic Games to begin so that James can say goodbye to the competition as one of the greats or just another player in the world of the NBA and professional basketball.