Four career Olympic medals is apparently more than enough already for LeBron James.
The Los Angeles Lakers star James spoke this week in an interview with Tony Maglio of The Hollywood Reporter. During the interview, James was asked whether he would be participating in the 2028 Summer Olympics. James ended up responding in the negative.
“If I had to look at it right now through a microscope, I would say that, me being able to support Team USA for the rest of my life, that’s for sure,” said James. “But me actually going on and playing, I don’t see it happening.
“I’ve given everything that I have,” James added. “And I will always be appreciative and loyal and dedicated to Team USA and USA Basketball.”
That has been the expected answer all along from James, especially considering that he is already 40 years old and will be 43 going on 44 by the time that the 2028 Olympics roll around. On top of that, James has already competed in four total Olympic Games — he won bronze with Team USA at Athens in 2004, won gold with them at Beijing in 2008, won another gold for Team USA at London in 2012, sat out of both Rio in 2016 and Tokyo in 2020, and then finally returned to win a third gold medal with Team USA at Paris in 2024.
Still, the question is at least worth asking since the 2028 Olympics will be held in Los Angeles and since James, who is still a 25-ppg scorer for the Lakers, looked phenomenal during Olympic play last summer. Nevertheless, James already answered that question several months ago, offering an even more definitive “no” at the time.
