Passing the Torch: The Olympics Will Reveal the Next Face of Basketball

LeBron James (above) is back with Team USA for the first time since the London Games in 2012. He had handed off his duties as the country’s lead dog to the likes of Carmelo Anthony and Kevin Durant.

While this is likely the 39-year-old’s swan song with Team USA, he returns at a time when the country’s supremacy in men’s basketball is at its most precarious. The U.S. has won Olympic gold in men’s basketball in all but one year since professionals were allowed to play in 1992.

Team USA trotted out the Dream Team that year—but that crew faced fewer than 10 NBA players en route to the gold. This year, outside of Team USA, there are 39 current NBA players on Olympic rosters and several more who have some form of NBA experience. The wellspring of talent across the globe is a reason why the U.S. has failed to medal in the last two FIBA World Cups.

The U.S. has always valued the Olympics over FIBA, and this year’s team includes the best talent the country has to offer. The team should still win—FanDuel Sportsbook gives them -400 odds to take gold—and at the center of it all would be James, the country’s flag bearer and the face of basketball for the last two decades.

The King’s Impact

James’s reign atop the basketball world ushered in the era of player empowerment. His decision to move from the Cavaliers to Heat in 2010 inspired more players to make decisions they felt were best for them rather than their employers. His legacy off the court grew even further, establishing an empire at Nike while also helping agent Rich Paul build up Klutch Sports, one of the sports world’s most influential agencies. 

A gold medal would be a fitting cap to James’s career, but win or lose, the Games could turn into a passing of the torch to the next face of the sport. And in a generation moving more and more toward international stars, the impact of the next torch-bearer could simply be as the first non-American face.

The face of basketball has always been an American—from Bill Russell, to Magic Johnson and Larry Bird, to Michael Jordan, to Kobe Bryant, and now, to James—in large part because of the country’s dominance. But while Team USA has a few young stars in its core, these Olympics are a showcase of the rest of the world.

More International Talent

Other countries are littered with NBA superstars like Serbia’s Nikola Jokić, perhaps the best player in the league right now. It’s worth noting that the United States coasted to a win over Serbia 110-84 Sunday, as Kevin Durant led the way in scoring without missing a shot in the first half. James was excellent as well, contributing 21 points, seven rebounds and nine assists.

Greece boasts Giannis Antetokounmpo and Canada is led by Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. Luka Doncic is one of the world’s best players, though Slovenia didn’t qualify for the Paris Olympics. As of now, none of them have made a compelling case to overthrow James. Jokić has won three of the last four NBA MVP awards, but he has not been embraced as the “guy” in basketball, in part because his personality does not lend itself to the attention. Antetokounmpo has the personality but has lacked the sustained dominance. 

However, perhaps the prime candidate to take The King’s crown, and a fitting one given the Olympics’ setting, is French phenom Victor Wembanyama. France has the third-best odds to win gold, behind the U.S. and Canada, and an upset of the U.S. or strong performance from the 19-year-old in a championship game could vault him straight to the top of the food chain.

Wembanyama taking over for James atop the basketball world at this point in the legend’s career would mirror James’s arrival in the NBA in 2003, the season following the retirement of Jordan. The Frenchman has the moxie, the potential for dominance, and the youth to take over for James once he decides to hang it up.

So while Team USA looks to keep Olympic gold from falling into another country’s hands, it should also be a test to see the reception of the superstars who line up across from them, and whether the basketball world is ready for an international player to be its next torch-bearer.