Parisian fans had a surprise encounter with Team USA’s star player, LeBron James, as he celebrated his third Olympic gold medal. Dressed casually in his USA Basketball t-shirt and gym shorts, one could mistake him for just another athlete heading to practice – if it weren’t for the gold medal around his neck and wine bottle in hand. However, the jovial mood took a turn when a young fan got a little too close for comfort while asking for a photograph.
An Uncomfortable Moment
‘Stop, stop, stop,’ LeBron told the boy firmly. ‘Don’t do that.’ This incident didn’t dampen the celebratory night though as the Los Angeles Lakers star continued on his way to a Parisian restaurant amid cheers and congratulations from other fans. This exchange sparked mixed reactions online.
Fans Weigh In: Support or Criticism?
Several fans expressed their disappointment in James’ response. ‘While the kid did block him, LeBron could’ve handled that in a much nicer way,’ wrote one commenter on X platform. Another added a comparison to Michael Jordan’s expected behavior under similar circumstances.
However, others empathized with James’ predicament. One fan defended him saying, ‘He’s not snapping… He’s asking him to stop. I couldn’t imagine people being in my face like that.’
Celebrating Team USA’s Victory
Team USA clinched their fifth consecutive Olympic gold on Saturday night against France by 98-87 points. Stephen Curry added 24 points through 3-pointers to the victory while Kevin Durant clinched his fourth Olympic gold. As for LeBron James, he bagged his third gold and fourth medal overall.
Looking Forward: The Future of Team USA
The party will soon wind down and focus will shift to the 2028 Olympics, set to take place in Los Angeles. Managing director for the men’s national team, Grant Hill, already anticipates what lies ahead. He notes that over the next four years, a lot can happen and he is eager to see how players continue to develop.
Preparing for Change
By 2028, James will be 43 and likely retired. Curry and Durant may not be playing either due to age considerations. However, new blood is ready to step in with Anthony Davis and Bam Adebayo expressing interest in joining the team. Other potential candidates include Anthony Edwards, Devin Booker, Jayson Tatum, and Tyrese Haliburton.
A Game of Strategy
Hill also plans on developing a pipeline for both players and coaches as part of his strategy. The next national team coach could possibly be either Spoelstra or Tyronn Lue who were assistants under Kerr over the past two summers.
Bright Prospects Ahead
The player pool for the 2027 World Cup in Qatar and the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics looks promising with many potential candidates coming forward. Kerr added that young players are welcomed into the pipeline so they can be part of future teams.
A Big Responsibility
As managing director of men’s national team since April 2021, Hill has a major task at hand – selecting the best players and coaches for a program where anything less than gold would be considered failure. It might sound simple but it certainly isn’t according to Hill.
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