Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James is playing a bit of a different role for Team USA this summer than the one he typically plays in the NBA.
In an Olympic exhibition game on Wednesday between Team USA and Canada, James dropped seven points, five rebounds, three assists, three steals and one block. It was a Draymond Green-esque stat line, and the performance seemingly caused at least one NBA legend to think about how long James could remain in the NBA if he took on a Green-type role.
Lord! Bron could play 10 more years in a Draymond role. 💯 🇺🇸 🫡
— Kevin Garnett (@KevinGarnett5KG) July 11, 2024
Surrounded by fellow legends and superstars on Team USA, James won’t need to carry the type of load this summer that he has often shouldered in the NBA. While there may be times where James has to take over, nobody should be expecting him to average 27.1 points per game — his career average in the NBA — during his time with Team USA this summer.
Rather, his job is to try to fit into a role that works best for him, his teammates and Team USA as a whole. With players like Kevin Durant, Stephen Curry, Joel Embiid and others on the roster, there is no shortage of superstar talent.
The idea of James trying to extend his NBA career by mirroring Green’s role with the Golden State Warriors is an interesting one, but it probably isn’t realistic for a couple of reasons.
One, James has heavily implied that his career is nearing an end — and he probably wouldn’t even be interested in playing for 10 more years.
Two, while James is one of the best all-around players in NBA history, Green has a defensive skill set that is exceptionally rare, and James would likely struggle to be as valuable as Green in that regard.
Ultimately, Garnett likely knows all that — but it’s still fun to imagine James playing in the NBA in his mid-to-late 40s.
The future Hall of Famer is focused on helping Team USA win gold at the Olympics this summer. After that, he’ll turn his attention to the upcoming NBA season, where he’ll look to help the Lakers return to title contention.
