Why was LeBron James almost dropped from Team USA in 2008? Mike Krzyzewski's misgivings explored

LeBron James was part of the Redeem Team that helped return the glory to the United States in 2008. James was also part of the 2004 team that failed to win gold in Athens. But did you know that the then-Cleveland Cavaliers superstar was almost dropped from Team USA?

In a detailed article from ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski back in 2010 when he was still with Yahoo! Sports, there were concerns from Mike Krzyzewski and Jerry Colangelo about James' lack of maturity. There were problems with his "enablers" who didn't challenge him and allowed him to be "bossy."

The last straw for Team USA authorities was when the NBA told them about James' behavior at the 2007 All-Star Weekend with Maverick Carter. The league told Krzyzewski and Colangelo that they would not intervene if they decided to not include him on the 12-man roster for Beijing.

Team USA used their trump card to get LeBron James in line – Nike. The shoe giant told James and his camp to straighten their act or he'd be spending the summer of 2008 in the comfort of his couch.

"Before Team USA gathered for the 2007 Tournament of the Americas in Las Vegas, an unmistakable message had been delivered to James through Nike: Unless you change, we're serious about leaving you home," Adrian Wojnarowski wrote.

Due to Nike's intervention, James changed his attitude and approached people such as coaches, teammates and other personnel much better. Team USA also made the brilliant move of putting Jason Kidd in charge of "The King" and helping him teach about professionalism.

It's one of the reasons why James has a lot of respect for Kidd, who was an assistant coach for the LA Lakers in 2020 when they won the championship.

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LeBron James ready to win his third gold medal for Team USA

LeBron James is ready to win his third gold medal for Team USA. (Photo by Paul Harding/Getty Images)

At the age of 39 years old, LeBron James might still be the best American player in the world. James showed in the last two exhibition games before the 2024 Paris Olympics that he's still among the best. He carried Team USA to two wins against South Sudan and Germany.

The LA Lakers star hit the game-winning layup to put away a tough South Sudan team. He then scored the final 11 points for Team USA in their victory over Germany. It was an amazing display from the oldest player in the NBA, scoring easy points in the paint.

James has already won two Olympic gold medals in 2008 and 2012, as well as one bronze medal in 2004. He's aiming to win his third gold medal before his likely retirement from international competition after the Paris tournament.