As LeBron James enters his 22nd NBA season, his career timeline is becoming a point of discussion, even though he was recently voted the best player on Team USA ahead of the 2024 Paris Olympics.
During Team USA’s exhibition win over Canada on Wednesday night, former Olympic gold medalist Kevin Garnett shared a unique plan on social media to extend James’s career well into his 40s.
“Lord! Bron could play 10 more years in a Draymond [Green] role,” Garnett wrote.
Garnett’s comment likely stemmed from watching James play alongside Steph Curry for the first time in a Team USA jersey. Both James and Curry started under coach Steve Kerr and executed plays similar to those Green performs for the Golden State Warriors to create opportunities for Curry.
Early in the third quarter, Curry drove towards the basket and passed to James in the corner. James then handed the ball to Joel Embiid and set a pick to free up Curry, who made the shot—mirroring Green’s role on the Warriors.
Minutes later, James and Curry collaborated on a notable alley-oop play.
In the game against Canada, James played an efficient 19 minutes, scoring seven points, grabbing five rebounds, dishing out three assists, making three steals, and blocking one shot. Curry contributed 12 points on 4-of-7 shooting, along with three assists and two rebounds in his 19 minutes on the court.
With James and Curry working together like this, Team USA is well-positioned to pursue the gold medal in Paris. Regarding Garnett’s suggestion, James still seems capable of performing at an All-Star level for a few more years before transitioning to a secondary role similar to Green’s.
