Steve Kerr on Lakers' LeBron James: 'What a Blessing to Finally Coach Him'

Ricardo Sandoval | Aug 12, 2024

Aug 6, 2024; Paris, France; United States head coach Steve Kerr talks to centre Joel Embiid (11) and small forward Jayson Tatum (10) and shooting guard Stephen Curry (4) and guard LeBron James (6) in the first half against Brazil in a men’s basketball quarterfinal game during the Paris 2024 Olympic Summer Games at Accor Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports / Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports

Team USA captured their fifth consecutive gold medal on Saturday when they defeated France, 98-87. The USA mainly was in control of the game from start to finish, and even withstood a late surge by the home country. 

Nonetheless, the heroics of many of the squad's superstars came through, for example, Warriors superstar guard Stephen Curry. Curry shined in the last two games to put his country over the top; however, Lakers superstar LeBron James was the constant throughout. 

James was spectacular throughout the entire exhibition and Olympic run. He was the best player on the team, even at the ripe age of 39 years old. For many of the game's brightest stars, it was their first time playing alongside James for an extended period, and that was also the case on the coaching front. 

Team USA head coach Steve Kerr finally had an opportunity to coach James after all those years of battling each other in the NBA Finals. They reached the mountain top together this summer, and after the victory, Kerr called the opportunity to coach James a 'blessing.' 

"What a blessing to coach him finally after all these years of coaching against him and trying to figure out how to beat him. To watch him up close, I've said this these past few weeks. Just to see his approach, to see his professionalism, how coachable he is. Then, of course, how gifted he is at everything. At every part of the game he seems to have mastered. I'm thrilled to have been able to coach him these last six weeks. I'm a LeBron fan for life."

Although Kerr started his coaching career a decade ago, he spent more than half the time trying to devise ways to stop arguably the greatest basketball player of all time. 

Kerr's Golden State Warriors and James' Cleveland Cavaliers met in the NBA Finals four consecutive seasons from 2015-18. While Kerr's team has the upper hand, it was far from a cakewalk to try and beat the four-time NBA MVP on the biggest stage. 

James and Kerr's Warriors have had some legendary battles against each other, but this summer, they came together and achieved one of the highest pinnacles you can in all of sports. 

Although James and Kerr will return to being rivals this winter, they will always remember what they accomplished together in the 2024 Paris Olympic Games. 

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