As the head coach of Team USA basketball, Steve Kerr knew he’d be working with some of the best players in the world. What he didn’t expect was just how incredible LeBron James would be.
“Pretty amazing,” Kerr said, via NBC. “I’m just blown away by his effort, concentration, and focus in every single drill. He talks. Even in a shoot-around [or] walk-through, his voice [is] behind the play yelling out what’s happening, yelling out the scheme. His leadership by example — the guy is incredible,” Kerr added. “I’ve known that forever, but to see it up close is pretty special.”
Steve Ker inherited the head coaching job from Gregg Popovich and he’s been running the show ever since. As a 4x champion with the Warriors and a champion with the Bulls in the 90s, Kerr is the perfect one to lead Team USA given his experience with superstars and his many championship runs. He knows what it takes to win and he knows what kind of players lead to the best results.
This year, after a disappointing showing in the FIBA World Cup, Team USA pulled all the stops to recruit the best talent available and they succeeded by assembling a roster that rivals even the 1992 Dream Team. besides Stephen Curry, they have Kevin Durant, Joel Embiid, and Anthony Edwards among others.
Of course, LeBron James may be the best of all Olympic players this summer. Kerr and LeBron already have a bit of history together. They’ve battled in four straight Finals series, which saw the Warriors win three of them. On paper, at least, they should have been fierce rivals after such high-stakes meetings.
Kerr, however, holds nothing but respect for LeBron and that respect has increased 10-fold now that he’s gotten a chance to see how he operates. James has been setting the tone for the USA all summer long, both on the court and behind the scenes at practice
In Team USA’s win over South Sudan on Saturday, James was the star of the show with 23 points, 6 rebounds, and 6 assists on 9-13 shooting. He also nailed the game-winning layup to give Team USA the win at the buzzer.
But for Kerr, and many others, it’s not just LeBron’s play that is making such a strong impression — it’s his leadership and work ethic. Even at this stage of his career, LeBron isn’t about taking shortcuts and he’s always the first one in the gym ready to build chemistry with the team.
This summer, LeBron (a 4x champion) is showing us how he makes his teammates better, and even on a roster with the best of the best, he has a way of elevating everyone around him like nobody else can.
Next season, the Lakers will need this version of LeBron if they are to stand any chance in the Western Conference. With no significant additions this summer, the pressure will once against fall on James to keep the Purple and Gold relevant in the title chase and save them from disaster just like he’s saving Team USA right now.
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