Mike Krzyzewski praises LeBron James, Kobe Bryant on their mental approach

LeBron James has been an elite basketball player for seemingly forever, and if his performances at the 2024 Summer Olympics have been any indication, he may not noticeably decline any time soon.

The 39-year-old has helped lead Team USA men’s basketball to two wins in its first two games of group play in Paris. There were some concerns the team was ripe for an upset, but it won those two contests so easily that those anxieties are starting to wash away.

Legendary Duke University head coach Mike Krzyzewski was long associated with Team USA basketball. He began coaching the squad at the 2006 FIBA World Championships and ended his tenure by guiding them to a third straight Olympic gold medal at the 2016 Games.

That tenure allowed him to coach LeBron James, as well as late Los Angeles Lakers legend Kobe Bryant, multiple times. Krzyzewski reflected on what made both of them special during an appearance on “The Herd w/ Colin Cowherd.”

“I noticed him when I started coaching him how smart he was,” said Krzyzewski. “… And then you add intelligence, then you add a command voice. Then you add leadership, and then you add something that a lot of people don’t have, and that’s the will to prepare to win. … He [James] and Kobe were the two guys who were just above everyone in preparation. Physical, mental, you name it. When they were on the court at a practice or at a game, they wanted to be the best, all the time. They paid the price for it.

“For anyone that knocks LeBron for anyone, they’re crazy,” Krzyzewski said. “We’re not going to see anybody like him. He’s one of a kind. What he’s doing in the Olympics— his verve, demeanor, his attitude, he helps his team by how he looks, not just how he plays. I want to play with a guy who looks like him because there’s hardly anybody who looks like that. This guy has the face of a champion.”

James just became only the third player in Team USA men’s Olympic basketball history to score 300 points along with Carmelo Anthony and Kevin Durant. He’s going for his third Olympic gold medal, which would be one more than Bryant and Michael Jordan, although critics also point out he only won a bronze medal at the 2004 Summer Olympics, something neither Bryant or Jordan ever did.