When people learn that I covered the Lakers in the LeBron James era for five years, they inevitably ask with eager eyes, “What was it like?”

I usually sigh deeply and then say something like, “It’s complicated.”

It was sometimes frustrating when he criticized coaches or teammates in a passive-aggressive manner. And his opaque handling of injuries, which sometimes went unreported for weeks, tested the patience of reporters

But as a spectator, it was never complicated. I never lost my appreciation for the idea of ​​being able to see one of the greatest basketball players of all time up close every other night. You could expect big games, especially when he was playing at Madison Square Garden (his favorite arena) or in Charlotte against Michael Jordan’s Hornets. In the playoffs, I’ve never seen anyone more consistently exciting, who gives it his all when he knows his team needs him.

At 39, James is still that type of player – one who knows what’s at stake and often rises to the occasion in a way other NBA stars can’t. Never has it been more clear who the game’s true greats are than on Thursday afternoon, when a star-studded Team USA caught up with a Serbian team hoping to pull off an upset in the semifinals. Despite all the talk of the greatness of those U.S. players, they trailed by 13 points with 10 minutes left to barely make it into the gold medal game.

In theory, it was an all-star lineup of the NBA’s best players, including All-NBA honorees Jayson Tatum, Anthony Davis and Anthony Edwards. But it was telling that none of these players were on the court when the Americans came back from behind.

Instead, we had James, who turns 40 in December, and 36-year-old Steph Curry leading the way, with 35-year-old (Maryland native) Kevin Durant backing up. The best stretch: a three-pointer from Curry off an assist from James, a fast-break reverse layup from James, then a layup from Curry that turned the game around and gave the U.S. a five-point lead.

I don’t want to debate the merits of the comeback itself. Even though the final quarter was thrilling, we all know Team USA should have won by a bigger margin. But it’s noticeable that the older generation led the victory. James had a triple-double, while Curry scored the most points on his team with 36 points.

The idea of ​​the “Dream Team” is intoxicating because they’re the All-Stars we all want to see in the same uniform. But the Olympic experience also helps clarify the hierarchy, which is why James and Curry – who were on the All-NBA third team last season – were the trusted hands to bring home a win when it mattered most.

Is coach Steve Kerr not giving Tatum enough playing time? He just hasn’t been that great in the minutes he’s gotten. Go out there and earn it, buddy.

Of course, since the semifinals, there have been numerous people, including Celtics legend Bob Cousy and Tatum’s own mother, who have criticized the US coaching staff for benching Tatum because for some reason it was not enough to win the game. People who use terms like “brand” and “respect” to explain why younger players deserve more time may not care enough about winning itself.

Kerr – who was Jordan’s teammate in the last three-peat with the Bulls and coached the Golden State dynasty – certainly knows the difference between talking points and points. actually points. His rotations at these Olympics reflect his confidence in his winning players, all of whom are the oldest players on Team USA.

My biggest old criticism of modern NBA stars is that many of them reach a certain level and think they’ve made it. Max contracts, All-NBA teams, and MVP votes are incredible milestones, but the greatest players never stop striving for more.

James has won four titles with three different franchises. Curry has four titles with multiple incarnations of the dynasty that truly revolves around him (his teams with Durant were superteams, but he won both before and after KD’s stint with Golden State). Both stars are trying to reposition themselves for the postseason this year, although many would argue they have nothing left to prove. For them, winning is important, no matter how much they’ve already accomplished, no matter what’s at stake.

The best players on Olympic teams are always telling. The original 1992 Dream Team was led in scoring by Charles Barkley, but Jordan was clearly the leading scorer in both the semifinals and the gold medal game. After the humiliating bronze medal in Athens in 2004, James, Dwyane Wade and Kobe Bryant were the three-headed monster that led the Americans to their victory in Beijing in 2008. Durant was arguably the USA’s best player in the last three Olympics before this one.

Here are some players who have averaged less than 10 minutes per game in previous Olympics: Draymond Green, James Harden, Amare Stoudemire and John Stockton. The rest of the world has improved its performance over the past 32 years, so the U.S. no longer has the luxury of playing the Olympics like an All-Star game where every star gets equal playing time.

With Durant starting Saturday’s gold medal game against France, Kerr appears to be relying solely on his experience – something the Americans will have to rely on against French prodigy Victor Wembanyama.

In a perfect world, one would like to see a clean transition to a younger generation of players in Paris. It is almost certain that James, Curry and Durant will no longer be playing for the red-white-blues in LA in 2028. But the turnovers, missed shots and general inattention against the well-rehearsed Serbian team showed that many of them are still learning international basketball or thought they could sleepwalk through it.

Meanwhile, Curry was breaking his ankles from blocks and James was deflecting shots that bounced off the rim (a unique quirk of FIBA ​​play). When my basketball friends texted me Thursday afternoon to ask if the Americans were going to lose the game with about six minutes left in the fourth quarter, I was sure: There was no way they could.

I’ve seen games like this from James and Curry, who are still the two biggest stars in the NBA after all this time. When they play with a certain amount of determination, they’re almost impossible to beat.

While Team USA considers a future on the outside, the stars of tomorrow have yet to discover that ability within themselves.