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Steve Kerr on Coaching LeBron James After Winning Olympic Gold in Paris: ‘Fan For Life’
Steve Kerr opens up about the unique experience of coaching LeBron James, reflecting on their journey to Olympic gold in Paris and what it means for their legacy in basketball. Read more
The USA Men's basketball team dominated the French team in the gold medal game yesterday, with Head Coach Steve Kerr leading the way. The star-studded lineup featured LeBron James, who played a key role on the court. After a remarkable campaign in Paris, Coach Kerr expressed his joy at the opportunity to coach some of the greatest players of all time, including LeBron James.
Over the years, Coach Kerr and LeBron had been rivals in the NBA, facing each other in the NBA Finals four times in the past decade. However, this year brought a refreshing change, as Kerr had the chance to coach LeBron for the first time, a responsibility for which he felt immense gratitude.
Speaking to reporters after the game, the veteran coach shared his appreciation, saying, "It's a blessing to finally coach him after all these years of competing against him and trying to figure out how to beat him. Watching him up close these past few weeks, I've seen his approach, his professionalism, and how coachable he is."
LeBron James delivered an exceptional performance at the 2024 Paris Olympics, earning his first Olympic MVP award. He averaged 14.2 points, 6.8 rebounds, and 8.5 assists over six games, leading Team USA to a 98-87 gold medal victory over France. In the final, he contributed 14 points, 10 assists, and 6 rebounds. Additionally, he recorded his second Olympic triple-double in the semifinals against Serbia, further cementing his legacy as one of the tournament's greatest players.
Coach Kerr felt incredibly fortunate to have coached one of the greatest players of all time and was in awe of how amazing LBJ was as a player. He highlighted LeBron's mastery of every aspect of the game and expressed his excitement about coaching him over the past six weeks, stating, "I'm a LeBron fan for life."
Despite the short time, this wasn’t the first instance where Coach Kerr praised the Lakers star. During the exhibition run of Team USA, Kerr told ESPN that he was blown away by LeBron's ability to lead the team, noting that his leadership by example makes his presence even more impactful. "The guy is incredible, and I’ve known that forever, but seeing it up close is pretty special," Kerr said.
However, LeBron wasn’t the only elite player on the team. Over the past decade, Kerr has had a remarkable run in the NBA with Stephen Curry, another superstar, and has also had the pleasure of coaching Kevin Durant.
In the last two games of the stretch, Steph and LeBron joined forces, with Curry taking on the role of the primary scorer. Even against strong teams like Serbia and France in the knockout stages, the duo of Curry and LeBron dominated their opponents, leading the team to a gold medal victory.
ALSO READ: Stephen Curry Drops Hint About His Participation With Team USA For 2028 LA Olympics After Paris Gold
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