“They called LeBron James’ inner circle ‘The Enablers'”: How the Lakers superstar was in danger of not playing with Kobe Bryant at Beijing Olympics 2008

Everyone knows LeBron James as arguably the best ever to ever play basketball, few know him for his tantrums.

LeBron James wouldn’t trade anything in the world for being a basketball player but still, he has struggled with the expectations he has from his teammates whether in the NBA or in Team USA.

The Lakers superstar was almost left off of the Team USA before Beijing Olympics back in 2008. Yes, one of the biggest names in basketball in the United States was about to be left off of the Summer Olympics team.

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Everyone in Team USA at the time including coach Mike Krzyzewski and managing director Jerry Colangelo were all fed up with James’ immaturity and disrespectfulness. They were considering if he should be taken to Beijing or not, whether his talents were so good that they would have to deal with him regularly.

How LeBron James could have made himself a ditch to never win an Olympic Gold

There were rumors that nobody could tolerate King James in the 2004 Athens Olympics or 2006 World Championships. The situation was so bad that the inner circle in the team led by James was called “The Enablers”.

The management thought they would win the Golds with or without LeBron in the presence of late great Kobe Bryant. And the NBA complied, after the 2007 All-Star weekend, the NBA commissioner’s office informed team USA that there wouldn’t be any pressure on them to keep LeBron James for the 2007 FIBA Americas Championships in Las Vegas.

At the time, ESPN reporter Brian Windhorst reported,

“What I do know is that in Phoenix back in January I had a very good conversation with Colangelo, who I think generally has done an excellent job putting USA Basketball back together, the night it was announced LeBron would be part of the team. He made it pretty clear at the time, though not for the record, that LeBron’s place on the team, as well as Kobe’s and a few other select players, was not in doubt even though all players were going to “try out.” Also, LeBron told me that if he were cut he would probably not play the next two summers (Beijing and London).

I also know that, in general, LeBron has always been a good teammate and he was praised for being a good teammate during the worlds by the coaches and players I talked to. But I also know from eight years of knowing him, that on occasion LeBron can be moody and can pout, perhaps he had an episode for a little while in Vegas.”

So then before the team gathered for the FIBA tournament in Vegas, LeBron was sent a special message via Nike, ‘Unless you change, we are serious about leaving you home.’

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The King must have complied with the need of the time, because the team looked frictionless in winning that FIBA tournament and 2 more Golds in the next two Summer Olympics, with LeBron starring in all of them.