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LeBron James used his Instagram stories to send a heartfelt message to Austin Reaves and Dennis Schroder. Reaves and Schroder are former teammates and shared a touching moment after Germany defeated Team USA on Friday.
James wrote on his story:
"My dawgs! Love you boys!!!!"
Austin Reaves has a reputation for being humble and showed a touch of class by congratulating Dennis Schroder despite the pain of missing out on the FIBA World Cup final.
LeBron James has been teammates with Schroder on two occasions, in 2020-21 and last season. The four-time champion has been vocal about Reaves' impact and skill development since the Lakers signed the undrafted rookie in 2021.
Team USA didn't have its superstars in the World Cup, as they normally just compete at the Olympics. Even if USA had taken an All-Star cast, it's unlikely James would have been part of the team.
The two-time Olympic gold medalist hasn't represented the U.S. since the 2012 Olympics in London. However, he recently teased the notion of him making one last run with the USA national team for the 2024 Olympics.
Jerry Colangelo doesn't expect LeBron James to play for Team USA again
In 2021, former Team USA director Jerry Colangelo told ESPN radio that he doesn't expect James to return to Team USA basketball, citing the superstar forward's age as the primary reason.
"Father Time takes its toll," Colangelo saod. "If you're a human being, your body is built to go so long depending on what your sport is, and then it's a downhill situation. LeBron made choices these last couple of Olympics not to participate because he's got a lot of things going on in his life."
Colangelo continued:
"So he put in his time, he made a contribution that is appreciated, but I think his time is over."
Despite his advancing age, James is still a top-10 player in the NBA. Last season, James averaged 28.9 points, 8.3 rebounds and 6.8 assists per game — numbers most NBA players could only dream of.
As such, he was clearly an important member of any Team USA roster he was a part of. If he were to return for the national team, James would probably play significant minutes in only important games.
