LeBron James: ‘I Can’t See Myself’ Playing for USA Basketball in 2028 LA Olympics

After competing in his fourth Olympics and winning his third gold medal, Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James could be finished playing for Team USA.  The NBA and Olympic legend indicated that Saturday’s final against France could have been his last time playing in the Olympics.  “I can’t see myself playing in L.A.,” James said, referring to the 2028 Olympics, per ESPN’s Marc J. Spears.

It’s understandable that James would decide to opt out of the Los Angeles Olympics in 2028, as he would be 43 by the time they roll around. While James has continued to defy the laws of aging, it would be a bit surprising if he’s still in Olympic form by then.

Of course, there were likely many people who previously argued James wouldn’t be able to play in the 2024 Olympics, and he ended up winning MVP. Only time will tell if he will return to win a fourth gold medal, but for now, James isn’t giving fans any false hope.

His Lakers co-star, on the other hand, could be back in a Team USA uniform in four years. Anthony Davis, who just competed in his second Olympics, made comments indicating that he’ll want to compete again in Los Angeles.  “I think so,” he said about the prospect of returning to Team USA in 2028, per the Associated Press’ Tim Reynolds.

Kevin Durant, who won a record fourth gold medal on Saturday, left his answer about coming back in 2028 open-ended.  “Who knows, man. We’ll see,” Durant said, according to Reynolds.  Only time will tell whether Team USA icons like James and Durant will compete again in 2028, but if it was their last time playing for the United States, they ended things on a positive note.