In an interview with ESPN's Rachel Nichols, LeBron James said he was leaving the door open to play for Team USA again. The Cleveland Cavaliers superstar skipped the Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, but he could potentially play in Tokyo in 2020. James will be 35 years old then, with 17 years of NBA experience under his belt. Why not just retire from international competition now?
The answer: Gregg Popovich.
"It would be pretty amazing to be able to actually play for the greatest NBA coach of all time," James told USA Today's Jeff Zillgitt.
Popovich will replace Mike Krzyzewski as the coach of Team USA after these Olympics. For James, this will be an opportunity to be around another coaching legend.
"First off all, Coach K and Gregg Popovich are two [of] my favorites of all time," James said. "To be able to play for Coach K in the Olympics and world championships and to be able to go against Coach Pop in the NBA, it would be a treat. Obviously my body has to continue to be in the form that it is today four years from now."
At this point, it's uncontroversial to say that Popovich is the greatest coach ever. Sure, some people would argue for Red Auerbach or Phil Jackson -- both have more championship rings than Popovich -- but what he has done for the last 20 years with the San Antonio Spurs is incredible. The reverence James has for him speaks to that, and it is reinforces the fact that USA Basketball clearly chose the right man for this job.
Despite a reputation for being demanding and yelling at players, Popovich's stature around the league is unrivaled. His players love him and opposing players hold him in high esteem. It'll be interesting to see if his presence helps USA Basketball when it comes to making sure that the best of the best participate with the national team. Having James on board again would be a nice start.
