Team USA headed into the FIBA World Cup with high hopes of returning home with gold, as the team led by rising star Anthony Edwards was the favorite to come out on top in a tournament filled with international players with NBA talent.
For the most part, the Americans played well against the tough competition in the FIBA World Cup, with Edwards and company dominating the competition throughout most of the tournament.
However, once Team USA lost to Lithuania, it seemed as though the team was exposed, which led to Dennis Schroder and Germany jumping all over them in the semifinal.
After the United States lost to Germany, it got even worse, with the Americans having to contend for bronze with Canada, who was a team itching for the opportunity to embarrass Team USA on the international stage, which they did with big performances from Dillon Brooks and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.
With Team USA’s failure in the FIBA World Cup making many headlines, superstar LeBron James of the Los Angeles Lakers has let it be known that he wants to commit to the team for the 2024 Olympics in Paris.
This led to former NBA star Gilbert Arenas going on a rant on social media about how James, who will be 40 once the Olympics roll around, will change everything via Legion Hoops.
Gilbert Arenas:
“You see what ya’ll did? Ya’ll done f—— up. Bron coming. Ya’ll celebrated too early. The King coming.” pic.twitter.com/eDmw1hulxN
— Legion Hoops (@LegionHoops) September 11, 2023
Although James will have a considerable impact, it’ll mainly be because he can lure other superstars around the league, like his Lakers teammate Anthony Davis, to compete with him overseas rather than what he can do on the basketball floor.
The kind of arrogance Arenas just showed is partly why the Americans are in the situation that they are, as they assume they can beat anyone, and that will be put to the test next year in what will likely be a very entertaining showdown of the world’s best basketball players.
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Former NBA Player Says LeBron James Is A Key Recruiter For Team USA
