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By Eric Gold
The Sports Network
POSTED: 10:30 a.m. EDT, Aug 08, 2008
BEIJING: Trying to bounce back from a disappointing 2004 showing at the Olympics, LeBron James says he understands the concept of the Redeem Team and what it means to play for the United States.
James is one of five players with Olympic experience on the U.S. men's basketball team. Speaking before a crushing throng of reporters at the main media center this morning and two days before facing China to open the Olympics, the Cavaliers star said the American team is full of enthusiastic players who know their responsibility and what it takes to reclaim the gold medal.
''I guess the Redeem Team is right. We didn't do so well in 2004,'' James said. ''We look for the opportunity to rekindling that flame and being the best in the world.'' Four years ago the Americans were relegated to a bronze in the Athens Games, and two years after that they were upset on the way to a bronze finish at the World Championships.
''I think our attitude is much better,'' James said. ''We have more experienced guys and we have guys who understand and know what it takes to be an Olympian and part of Team USA. I don't think we understood what it meant to put on a USA uniform and all the people that we were representing in 2004. We definitely know that now.''
Team USA had shoddy performances at the 2004 Olympics, causing the idea of basketball domination to erode quickly. The Americans lost twice in pool play before falling to Argentina in the semifinals. They beat Lithuania for the bronze medal.
''I don't think we were complacent, we just didn't know what it took to be an Olympian,'' James said.
A reporter then asked James what that takes.
''Watch us on Sunday, we'll show you what it takes,'' James said.
Similar status
James' view of NBA and Olympic titles being equal could go a long way in determining how far this U.S. team can go in Beijing. In years past, several players shunned the Olympic movement and said they didn't want to play during the summer because they needed to get ready for the grinding NBA season in the fall.
''I was a throwaway on the 2004 Olympic team because a lot of guys said no,'' James said. ''I made this three-year commitment to be a part of this and I know I'm going to be playing a big role on our side to win a gold medal.''
Shinning the team wasn't the case this time around, as the U.S. roster is full of superstars like Kobe Bryant, Jason Kidd, Dwight Howard and Dwyane Wade.
''This means more than sitting at home and getting two more months of rest,'' James said. ''It means more to me than playing for my respective team because I'm not just playing for a community, I'm not just playing for Cleveland, Akron or the state of Ohio, I'm playing for every state in America.
''We grew up thinking about the NBA title, but being an Olympian is something I grew up never thinking about. That's why at the beginning I never knew what it meant, but now I do. I think an Olympic title and an NBA title are equivalent to each other. They're both great.''
Open to playing overseas
James is under contract with the Cavs until 2010, but said he'd actually consider playing in Europe if and when he becomes a free agent.
''Growing up you never think of any other league except for the NBA,'' James said. ''That's all I've seen, but things are changing really fast. You never know. I can't throw all my eggs in one basket. There's a lot of opportunities and there will be a lot of opportunities for me in 2010, if I want to stay with Cleveland or if I want to go elsewhere. Could I ever imagine it, no? Is it a possibility, yes.''
Story from http://www.sportsnetwork.com.
.JPG)
BEIJING: Trying to bounce back from a disappointing 2004 showing at the Olympics, LeBron James says he understands the concept of the Redeem Team and what it means to play for the United States.
James is one of five players with Olympic experience on the U.S. men's basketball team. Speaking before a crushing throng of reporters at the main media center this morning and two days before facing China to open the Olympics, the Cavaliers star said the American team is full of enthusiastic players who know their responsibility and what it takes to reclaim the gold medal.
''I guess the Redeem Team is right. We didn't do so well in 2004,'' James said. ''We look for the opportunity to rekindling that flame and being the best in the world.'' Four years ago the Americans were relegated to a bronze in the Athens Games, and two years after that they were upset on the way to a bronze finish at the World Championships.
''I think our attitude is much better,'' James said. ''We have more experienced guys and we have guys who understand and know what it takes to be an Olympian and part of Team USA. I don't think we understood what it meant to put on a USA uniform and all the people that we were representing in 2004. We definitely know that now.''
Team USA had shoddy performances at the 2004 Olympics, causing the idea of basketball domination to erode quickly. The Americans lost twice in pool play before falling to Argentina in the semifinals. They beat Lithuania for the bronze medal.
''I don't think we were complacent, we just didn't know what it took to be an Olympian,'' James said.
A reporter then asked James what that takes.
''Watch us on Sunday, we'll show you what it takes,'' James said.
Similar status
James' view of NBA and Olympic titles being equal could go a long way in determining how far this U.S. team can go in Beijing. In years past, several players shunned the Olympic movement and said they didn't want to play during the summer because they needed to get ready for the grinding NBA season in the fall.
''I was a throwaway on the 2004 Olympic team because a lot of guys said no,'' James said. ''I made this three-year commitment to be a part of this and I know I'm going to be playing a big role on our side to win a gold medal.''
Shinning the team wasn't the case this time around, as the U.S. roster is full of superstars like Kobe Bryant, Jason Kidd, Dwight Howard and Dwyane Wade.
''This means more than sitting at home and getting two more months of rest,'' James said. ''It means more to me than playing for my respective team because I'm not just playing for a community, I'm not just playing for Cleveland, Akron or the state of Ohio, I'm playing for every state in America.
''We grew up thinking about the NBA title, but being an Olympian is something I grew up never thinking about. That's why at the beginning I never knew what it meant, but now I do. I think an Olympic title and an NBA title are equivalent to each other. They're both great.''
Open to playing overseas
James is under contract with the Cavs until 2010, but said he'd actually consider playing in Europe if and when he becomes a free agent.
''Growing up you never think of any other league except for the NBA,'' James said. ''That's all I've seen, but things are changing really fast. You never know. I can't throw all my eggs in one basket. There's a lot of opportunities and there will be a lot of opportunities for me in 2010, if I want to stay with Cleveland or if I want to go elsewhere. Could I ever imagine it, no? Is it a possibility, yes.''
Story from http://www.sportsnetwork.com.
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