LeBron James Explains Which Olympic Sports He Could Medal In

The Los Angeles Lakers superstar just earned his third Olympic gold medal with Team USA basketball.

Aug 10, 2024; Paris, France; United States guard LeBron James (6) celebrates with the gold medal after defeating France in the men's basketball gold medal game during the Paris 2024 Olympic Summer Games at Accor Arena. Mandatory Credit: Rob Schumacher-USA TODAY Sports / Rob Schumacher-USA TODAY Sports

LeBron James, among his many other notable accolades, cemented his place as one of Team USA's all-time basketball players by leading his squad to gold in Paris this summer. It marks James's third career gold medal, and the way he came up big for the Americans every time they needed him resulted in his first Olympics MVP award.

The above accomplishments merely add to The King's legend and the idea that he is one of the greatest athletes the world has ever seen. To that point, on a recent episode of The Shop, the question was raised of which Olympic sport LeBron could compete in other than basketball.

It didn't take long for James to respond: the long jump and the high jump. If he was given enough time to prepare. And he would medal, too.

"There's zero competition I could compete in without preparation," James said. "But, I think maybe the long jump? The long jump or the high jump. If you give me some time, I need about six months or eight months [of] preparation to get to that."

When asked if it would lead to a medal, James said, "I'm a podium-only guy."

If nothing else it speaks to LeBron's greatness that the audience cannot dismiss the possibility out of hand. Coming from any other athlete in the world, it may sound silly. But this is LeBron James, without exaggeration one of the most athletic humans to walk the planet. If he put in six months of training for a long jump, would you really bet against him?

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