Lakers News: Why LeBron James Didn't Greet Stephon Marbury After Winning Olympic Gold

James' former Olympic teammate was on hand for Team USA's gold medal game last weekend.

LeBron James, Lamar Odom, and Stephon Marbury sit on the bench during the 2004 Olympics. / Robert Deutsch, USAT

Los Angeles Lakers superstar forward LeBron James claimed his fourth Olympic medal on Saturday, in helping power Team USA men's basketball to a fifth consecutive Olympic gold medal against Team France — in Paris, no less! The next day, another loaded Team USA women's squad also claimed its eighth straight gold medal by besting Team France.

The 20-time All-NBA selection scored 14 points on 6-of-10 shooting from the floor (1-of-2 from long range) and 1-of-1 shooting from the foul line, dished out a game-high 10 assists, nabbed six rebounds, swiped two steals, and blocked a shot in Team USA's 98-87 victory. James' All-NBA Second Team Lakers teammate, Anthony Davis, scored eight points on 4-of-5 shooting from the floor, grabbed a team-high nine rebounds, blocked a team-most four points, stole two balls and dished out one dime. Davis played significantly more minutes (20) than Team USA's starting center, Philadelphia 76ers big man Joel Embiid (11).

Team France, which finished the tournament 4-2, may not have given Team USA (6-0) as much trouble as Team Serbia had in a frisky semifinal game last Thursday, but Team France was no slouch, either. The latter club, led by All-Defensive First Team centers Victor Wembanyama of the San Antonio Spurs and Rudy Gobert of the Minnesota Timberwolves (who came off the bench and played just 12 minutes), got the score as close as three points late with just 2:58 left in regulation.

Several former Team USA mainstays were seated courtside to take in the event, including a pair of former LeBron James-era Team USA colleagues in ex-Lakers power forward Carmelo Anthony, a 10-time All-Star and future first-ballot Hall of Famer, and two-time All-NBA Third Team point guard Stephon Marbury.

When Brandon "Scoop B" Robinson inquired about why James, who played alongside him on an ill-fated 2004 Team USA bronze medal-winning squad during the Athens game, didn't greet Marbury after winning on Saturday, Marbury offered a funny response.

He didn’t see me 😂 https://t.co/qSmncWzvGo

— I AM PEACE STAR (@StarburyMarbury) August 13, 2024

The 6-foot-2 Marbury, who was also a two-time All-Star with the Phoenix Suns and then-New Jersey Nets in addition to his two All-NBA appearances with those teams, played in the NBA from 1996 (as part of a loaded draft class) through 2009, before continuing his career in China. He went on to become one of the most beloved CBA players in that league's history, earning three CBA All-Star appearances, three CBA championships, and a CBA Finals MVP during his tenure with the Beijing Ducks.

More Lakers: LeBron James Hoping to Inspire People All Over World WIth Team USA Win