At 39, LeBron James is shouldering the responsibility of leading the star-studded US Men’s Basketball Team to their fifth straight Olympic gold medal. However, sports doctor Brian Sutterer is perplexed that he opted to play in the offseason rather than resting ahead of his 22nd NBA campaign.
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He claimed that at his age, the four-time NBA champion is more prone to injuries than the rest of his teammates. He also noted that the Lakers superstar has struggled with ankle, knee, calf, foot, and hamstring issues in the last three years, seemingly an effect of the wear and tear his lengthy basketball career has had on his body. In a lengthy post on X, Sutterer wrote,
“Injury risk only goes up with each year he gets older. He’s already been dealing with more nagging injuries in recent years. If the goal at the end of his career is to get rings and possibly play with his son, I don’t understand the risk/reward of all these extra minutes playing for Team USA.”
I don’t understand why LeBron is playing in the Olympics.
Injury risk only goes up with each year he gets older. He’s already been dealing with more nagging injuries in recent years.
If the goal at the end of his career is to get rings and possibly play with his son, I don’t…
— Brian Sutterer MD (@BrianSuttererMD) July 20, 2024
Sutterer believes that towards the tail end of his career, James should prioritize adding another ring to his collection and mentoring his son. However, by opting in for the Olympics, he has put all his other ambitions at risk.
While the doctor believes that the time has passed for the 39-year-old to represent Team USA, the forward believes the Paris Olympics was the perfect opportunity.
LeBron believes it was the right time to represent Team USA
LeBron already has two Olympic gold medals on his resume so he didn’t necessarily need to play in Paris. However, he believes it is the right time to return to the national team. When asked what made him want to be a part of the roster, James said,
“I think just timing. Timing’s everything, and I think…you know, at this point in my career, I still, I have a lot to give, and Team USA has given a lot to me, so I feel like it’s an opportunity for me to give back.”
The Lakers superstar will turn 40 in December but is still playing at an All-NBA level. He averaged 25.7 points, 7.3 rebounds, and 8.3 assists while shooting 54% from the field and 41% from beyond the arc last season. While he can potentially play at a high level for a few more years, he’ll be 43 when LA hosts the Olympics in 2028.
As confident as James is in his ability to remain an elite player for years to come, he likely saw the Paris Olympics as his last realistic opportunity to represent the country at the event and decided to participate.
