While LeBron James is currently preparing to take part in the 2024 Paris Olympics that begin later this month, the former Cleveland Cavaliers star is also looking ahead to when his current home of Los Angeles will be the host city for the 2028 Summer Olympics.
James recently said he is “getting the hell out of that city” during the event, but former Cavs teammate Richard Jefferson commented on social media by calling cap on that idea.
James has already said he will not compete in the 2028 Olympics, even though the 39-year-old remains a very good NBA player and just signed a two-year contract to keep playing for the Los Angeles Lakers. So, more than anything, his comments about getting out of L.A. in 2028 likely are related to avoiding the large crowds that usually accompany the prestigious international event.
He is now a member of the U.S. men’s basketball team that will compete in Paris seeking a fifth consecutive Olympic gold medal. It is James’ fourth trip to the Olympics. He won gold at the 2008 Beijing Games and 2012 London Games after taking home bronze in Athens in 2004.
The four-time NBA champion was teammates with Jefferson on the Cavaliers’ 2016 title-winning squad. The current ESPN analyst played two seasons with the Cavs during a career that also included time with seven other teams.
Though James has stated that he won’t be an Olympic competitor four years from now, it remains unknown how much longer he will continue to play in the NBA before retiring. Kevin Garnett recently said he believes James could play 10 more years in a role similar to the one Draymond Green plays for the Golden State Warriors, though it’s likely the veteran will retire far sooner than that.
This offseason, James’ desire to play in the NBA at the same time as his son Bronny became a reality when the Lakers selected the younger James with the No. 55 overall pick in the 2024 NBA Draft. When the younger James makes his NBA debut, he and his dad will become the first father-son duo in league history to play together on the same team.
Perhaps if the younger James plays his way into contention for Team USA in 2028, the elder James will reconsider his stance on the next Los Angeles Olympics.
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