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Sebelum memanggil James pada [[2008 United States men's Olympic basketball team|tim Olimpiade 2008]], Direktur Pengelola Tim AS [[Jerry Colangelo]] dan pelatih [[Mike Krzyzewski]] memberi James ultimatum untuk memperbaiki sikapnya, dan ia mematuhi saran mereka.<ref name=wojnarowski_08122012/><ref>{{cite news|last=Helin|first=Kurt|title=USA Basketball president lauds LeBron James' maturity|date=August 14, 2012|work=probasketballtalk.nbcsports.com|url=http://probasketballtalk.nbcsports.com/2012/08/14/usa-basketball-president-lauds-lebron-james-maturity/|accessdate=February 26, 2013|deadurl=no}}</ref> Ketika [[FIBA Americas Championship 2007]], ia mencetak rata-rata 18.1 points, 3.6 rebounds, dan 4.7 assists per game, termasuk performa 31-point melawan Argentina di game kejuaraan, yang terbanyak dari pemain Amerika di kualifikasi Olimpiade.<ref>{{cite web|title=LeBron James Player Stats|url=http://www.fiba.com/pages/eng/fe/07/fibaAmer/men/teamPlay/play/p/competitioncode//eventid/3965/langlc/en/playernumber/48642/roundid/3965/season//fe_teamPlay_playStat.html|publisher=2007 FIBA Americas Championship|accessdate=February 26, 2013}}</ref><ref>espn.com, [http://sports.espn.go.com/oly/olybb/news/story?id=3002435 James' record outing highlights Team USA's dominance in title game], September 3, 2007.</ref> Tim AS finis dengan rekor 10–0, memenangkan medali emas dan lolos untuk [[2008 Olympics|Olimpiade 2008]] di [[Beijing|Beijing, China]].<ref name=USA /> James memuji sikap tim dan pengalaman untuk kemajuannya, mengatakan:"Aku tak berpikir kita mengerti seperti apa mengenakan seragam tim AS dan semua orang yang kami wakili tahun 2004. Sekarang pastinya kami tahu."<ref name=understand/> Pada Olimpiade, Tim AS tak terkalahkan, memenangkan medali emas pertama mereka sejak [[2000 Olympics|tahun 2000]].<ref name=Spain>{{cite web|title=Team USA beats Spain for Men's Basketball gold|url=http://www.olympic2012.org/2012/06/16/team-usa-beats-spain-for-mens-basketball-gold-2/|publisher=Olympic2012|accessdate=July 4, 2012}}{{Pranala mati|date=Februari 2021 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> Pada game final, James mencetak 14 points, 6 rebounds, dan 3 assists melawan Spanyol.<ref name=Spain />
James tidak bermain pada [[2010 United States men's FIBA World Championship team|2010 FIBA World Championship]] namun masuk kembali pada [[2012 United States men's Olympic basketball team|Olimpiade 2012]] in [[London|London, Inggris]].<ref>{{cite web|title=LeBron 'probably not playing' for USA at World Championships|url=http://www.cbssports.com/nba/story/13141643/lebron-probably-not-playing-for-usa-at-world-championships|work=cbssports.com|accessdate=August 2, 2012}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|agency=Reuters|title=LeBron, Kobe return to U.S. team for London Games|url=http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2012-07-07/sports/sns-rt-us-teambre867002-20120707_1_carmelo-anthony-thunder-lebron-james|publisher=Chicago Tribune|accessdate=July 8, 2012|date=July 7, 2012|archive-date=2012-07-09|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120709045617/http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2012-07-07/sports/sns-rt-us-teambre867002-20120707_1_carmelo-anthony-thunder-lebron-james|dead-url=yes}}</ref> Ia memimpin tim dengan [[Kobe Bryant]], yang akan berusia 34, mundur.<ref name=ap_column>{{cite news|title=Column: Going out in style – 'K Boys' golden again|date=August 12, 2012|work=ESPN.com|agency=Associated Press|url=http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/wire?section=oly&id=8262281|archiveurl=httphttps://www.webcitation.org/69tfnB8jj?url=http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/wire?section=oly|archivedate=August 13, 2012-08-13|deadurl=no|access-date=2016-10-28}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last=Medina|first=Mark|title=Kobe Bryant ends Olympic career on a high note|date=August 12, 2012|newspaper=Los Angeles Times|url=http://www.latimes.com/sports/lakersnow/la-sp-ln-la-london-olympics-kobe-bryant-ends-olympic-career-on-a-high-note-20120813,0,6931992.story|archiveurl=https://www.webcitation.org/69tg5zH1W?url=http://www.latimes.com/sports/lakersnow/la-sp-ln-la-london-olympics-kobe-bryant-ends-olympic-career-on-a-high-note-20120813,0,6931992.story|archivedate=2012-08-13|deadurl=no|access-date=2016-10-28}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last=Medina|first=Mark|title=London Olympics: 5 things to take from Team USA's win over Spain|date=August 12, 2012|newspaper=Los Angeles Times|url=http://www.latimes.com/sports/lakersnow/la-sp-ln-la-london-olympics-5-things-to-take-from-team-usas-win-over-spain-20120812,0,6456027.story|archiveurl=https://www.webcitation.org/69tgFXNJH?url=http://www.latimes.com/sports/lakersnow/la-sp-ln-la-london-olympics-5-things-to-take-from-team-usas-win-over-spain-20120812,0,6456027.story|archivedate=2012-08-13|deadurl=no|access-date=2016-10-28}}</ref> James memfasilitasi offense dari sisi ke sisi, memanggil set defensive, dan mencetak point jika dibutuhkan.<ref>{{cite news|last=Freeman|first=Eric|title=The Team USA Reputations Index: How the gold medal changes our opinions of these players|date=August 13, 2012|work=yahoo.com|url=https://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/nba-ball-dont-lie/team-usa-reputations-index-gold-medal-changes-opinions-140024134--nba.html|archiveurl=https://www.webcitation.org/69tklmjoF?url=http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/nba-ball-dont-lie/team-usa-reputations-index-gold-medal-changes-opinions-140024134--nba.html|archivedate=2012-08-13|deadurl=no|access-date=2016-10-28}}</ref><ref name=cacciola>{{cite news|last=Cacciola|first=Scott|title=Summer of LeBron Ends With Gold|date=August 12, 2012|newspaper=The Wall Street Journal|url=http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10000872396390444318104577585193378735380.html|archiveurl=https://www.webcitation.org/69vBbpXYR?url=http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10000872396390444318104577585193378735380.html|archivedate=2012-08-14|deadurl=no|access-date=2016-10-28}}</ref><ref name=bishop_nigeria>{{cite news|last=Bishop|first=Greg|title=LeBron James Is Content With Dishing Off During U.S. Feast|date=August 2, 2012|newspaper=The New York Times|url=http://www.nytimes.com/2012/08/03/sports/olympics/lebron-james-prefers-to-assist-in-us-teams-victories.html?partner=rss&emc=rss|archiveurl=httphttps://www.webcitation.org/69faDjwFj?url=http://www.nytimes.com/2012/08/03/sports/olympics/lebron-james-prefers-to-assist-in-us-teams-victories.html?_r=1|archivedate=August 4, 2012-08-04|deadurl=no|access-date=2016-10-28}}</ref><ref name=stein_08082012>{{cite news|last=Stein|first=Marc|title=Once again, LeBron answers the call|date=August 8, 2012|work=ESPN.com|url=http://espn.go.com/olympics/summer/2012/basketball/story/_/id/8249604/2012-olympics-once-again-lebron-james-answers-call|archiveurl=https://www.webcitation.org/69vE85m5W?url=http://espn.go.com/olympics/summer/2012/basketball/story/_/id/8249604/2012-olympics-once-again-lebron-james-answers-call|archivedate=2012-08-14|deadurl=no|access-date=2016-10-28}}</ref> Ketika game melawan [[Australia men's national basketball team|Australia]], ia mencetak triple-double pertamanya dalam sejarah Olimpiade Basket AS dengan 11 points, 14 rebounds dan 12 assists.{{refn|Assists were recorded as an official Olympic statistic starting in 1976.<ref name=triple_double>{{cite web|title=LeBron James Tallies First Triple-Double In U.S. Olympic History To Power USA To Semifinals With 119–86 Win Against Australia|date=August 8, 2012|work=usabasketball.com|url=http://www.usabasketball.com/mens/national/12_moly_game_06.html|archiveurl=https://www.webcitation.org/69vDFCmyl?url=http://www.usabasketball.com/mens/national/12_moly_game_06.html|archivedate=2012-08-14|deadurl=yes|access-date=2016-10-28}}</ref>|group=lower-alpha}}<ref name=stein_08082012/> Tim AS melaju untuk memenangkan medali keduanya beruntun, kembali mengalahkan Spanyol di final.<ref name=Spain2>{{cite web|agency=Associated Press|title=Kevin Durant, U.S. pull through in final as Spain can't rain on parade|url=http://espn.go.com/olympics/summer/2012/basketball/men/recap?gameId=1172|publisher=ESPN.com|accessdate=February 26, 2013}}</ref> James mencetak 19 point dalam game itu, menjadi pemimpin scorer sepanjang sejarah tim basket AS.<ref name=USA /><ref name=Spain2 /> Ia dengan Michael Jordan menjadi satu-satunya pemain yang memenangkan NBA MVP, Kejuaraan NBA, MVP NBA Finals, dan medali emas Olimpiade pada tahun yang sama.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://hangtime.blogs.nba.com/2012/08/12/u-s-surges-past-spain-late-claims-second-straight-olympic-gold-medal/|title=U.S. Surges Past Spain Late, Claims Second Straight Olympic Gold Medal|first=Sekou|last=Smith|date=August 12, 2012|accessdate=August 13, 2012|work=NBA.com|publisher=NBA.com|archive-date=2015-11-26|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151126163535/http://hangtime.blogs.nba.com/2012/08/12/u-s-surges-past-spain-late-claims-second-straight-olympic-gold-medal/|dead-url=yes}}</ref> Setelahnya, Krzyzewski mengatakan James "adalah pemain terbaik, ia adalah pemimpin terbaik dan ia sepintar siapapun yang bermain basket saat ini."<ref>{{cite news|last=Deveney|first=Sean|title=Olympics 2012: The golden era of LeBron James|date=August 12, 2012|work=SportingNews.com|url=http://aol.sportingnews.com/olympics/story/2012-08-12/olympics-2012-lebron-james-team-usa-spain-carmelo-anthony-london-games-us-gold-m|archiveurl=https://www.webcitation.org/69thGegfJ?url=http://aol.sportingnews.com/olympics/story/2012-08-12/olympics-2012-lebron-james-team-usa-spain-carmelo-anthony-london-games-us-gold-m|archivedate=2012-08-13|deadurl=no|access-date=2016-10-28}}</ref>
== Profil pemain ==
=== ''Offense'' ===
James memasuki NBA pada usia muda dan membuat dampak ofensif dengan cepat; ia memegang beberapa rekor "pemain termuda" beberapa kali, termasuk menjadi pemain termuda yang mencetak 25.000 point dalam kariernya.{{refn|<ref name="nbabio"/><ref name="nbastat"/><ref name="NBA.com">{{cite web|title=James Wins MVP as East Rallies Past West|url=http://www.nba.com/games/20050220/ESTWST/recap.html|publisher=NBA.com|accessdate=April 27, 2007}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=James receives 78 of 118 first-place votes|url=http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=1786166|publisher=ESPN.com|accessdate=May 7, 2007}}</ref><ref name="usabio">{{cite web|publisher=USA Basketball|url=http://www.usabasketball.com/biosmen/lebron_james_bio.html|title=USA Basketball: LeBron James Bio]|work=usabasketball.com|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20070514045140/http://www.usabasketball.com/biosmen/lebron_james_bio.html|archivedate=May 14, 2007}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title = LeBron is youngest NBA player to score 25,000|url = http://espn.go.com/nba/story/_/id/14040860/lebron-james-cleveland-cavaliers-became-youngest-nba-history-score-25000-points|website = ESPN.com|accessdate = 2015-11-04}}</ref>|group=lower-alpha}} Pada masa pertama bersama Cavaliers, ia digunakan sebagai [[point forward]] pemegang bola, dan meskipun shooting-nya cenderung lebih ke perimeter,<ref name=Goldsberry /> ia tak diragukan sebagai salah satu [[Slasher (basketball)|slashers]] dan finisher terbaik dalam basket, memimpin NBA dalam [[three-point play|three point plays]] tahun 2006.<ref name="Taneja">{{cite book |last=Taneja |first=Anil |title=World of Sports Indoor |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=XDDKml6q3c8C&dq |accessdate=June 13, 2013 |year=2009 |publisher=Gyan Publishing |location=Delhi |isbn=978-81-7835-765-2 |page=56}}</ref> Sekitar waktu ini, ia sering dikritik karena tidak mengembangkan [[Jump shot (basketball)|jump shot]] atau post game tepercaya,<ref>{{cite news |last=Araton |first=Harvey |title=With Stars Aplenty, Heat Looks for Leader |date=March 8, 2011 |page=B11 |newspaper=[[The New York Times]] |url=http://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/08/sports/basketball/08dribble.html?_r=1&scp=16&sq=miami+heat&st=nyt |archiveurl=httphttps://www.webcitation.org/5x78M6mi8?url=http://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/08/sports/basketball/08dribble.html?_r=2 |archivedate=March 2011-03-11, 2011|access-date=2016-10-28 |dead-url=no }}</ref> area yang dikembangkannya di Miami, dimana pelatih Heat [[Erik Spoelstra]] mengubah peran James menjadi lebih unik.<ref name=Goldsberry /> James mulai lebih cenderung di post dan mengurangi shooting di three-pointer, membuat 149 di 2012, terendah sepanjang kariernya.<ref name=Reference /><ref name=Goldsberry /> Ia mengembangkan pilihan dan akurasi shooting pada jump shotnya, finis kedua di NBA dalam persentase catch-and-shoot terbaik tahun 2013.<ref>{{cite web|last=Haberstroh|first=Tom|title=Is LeBron James an elite shooter?|url=http://insider.espn.go.com/nba/story/_/page/PerDiem-130225/nba-lebron-james-shooting-star|publisher=ESPN|accessdate=June 17, 2013}}{{subscription required}}</ref> Ia juga belajar sebagai "pemotong operan" dalam offense Heat yang mengutamakan passing.<ref>{{cite web|last=Lowe|first=Zach|title=The Miami Juggernaut|url=http://www.grantland.com/story/_/id/9098417/how-miami-heat-went-historic-winning-streak-came-dominate-league|publisher=Grantland|accessdate=April 21, 2013}}</ref> Pada masa ini, Tom Haberstroh dari ESPN mengatakan free throw shooting adalah kelemahan James, mendeskripsikannya sebagai "biasa".<ref name=Haber>{{cite web|last=Haberstroh|first=Tom|title=Miami Heat: 2013-14 roster (Subscription required)|url=http://insider.espn.go.com/nba/preview2013/story/_/page/2013-14-mia-preview/miami-heat-player-profiles|publisher=ESPN Insider|accessdate=September 20, 2013}}</ref> Kembali ke Cavaliers, James mulai mengalami penurunan produktivitas berhubung usia,<ref>{{cite web|last1=Shoals|first1=Bethlehem|title=LeBron James Is Underrated and Overlooked|url=http://www.gq.com/story/lebron-james-is-underrated-and-overlooked|publisher=GQ|accessdate=9 April 2016}}</ref> mencetak rata-rata scoring terendah sejak musim rookie-nya pada tahun 2015 dan 2016.<ref name=Reference /><ref>{{cite web|last1=Engelmann|first1=Jeremias|title=NBA has co-MVPs this season|url=http://espn.go.com/nba/insider/story/_/id/15160735/nba-co-mvps-season|publisher=ESPN Insider|accessdate=9 April 2016}}</ref> Shootingnya juga menurun, dan terkadang dinilai sebagai ''high-volume outside shooter'' terburuk di area ''3-pointer'' dalam NBA.<ref>{{cite web|last1=Schuhmann|first1=John|title=The worst high-volume shooters from outside the paint, a list topped by LeBron James & Kobe Bryant.|url=https://twitter.com/johnschuhmann/status/681848369392828416/photo/1?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw|publisher=Twitter|accessdate=29 March 2016}}</ref>
Selama kariernya, kemampuan playmaking James banyak dipuji; dalam satu artikel, Zach Lowe dari Grantland mengatakannya sebagai "salah satu passer terbaik".<ref name=Lowe2>{{cite web|last1=Lowe|first1=Zach|title=The Decision 2.0: OK, What's Next?|url=http://grantland.com/the-triangle/lebron-james-cleveland-cavaliers-aftermath-miami-heat/|website=Grantland}}</ref> Menggunakan ukuran, visi, dan perhatian yang ia dapat dari lawannya menjadi keunggulannya,<ref name=Rosenberg>{{cite news|last=Rosenberg|first=Michael|title=Don't hate LeBron, enjoy him; he's most gifted player in NBA history|url=http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2012/writers/michael_rosenberg/05/21/lebron/index.html|publisher=Sports Illustrated|accessdate=June 7, 2013|date=May 21, 2012|archive-date=2013-09-21|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130921061338/http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2012/writers/michael_rosenberg/05/21/lebron/index.html|dead-url=yes}}</ref> James mampu membuat poin mudah untuk rekannya dengan assist yang akuran, membuat 2.6 three pointer per game, terbanyak di NBA, hanya dari passingnya pada tahun 2013.<ref name=Mahoney>{{cite web|last=Mahoney|first=Rob|title=The Case For: LeBron James as Most Valuable Player|url=http://nba.si.com/2013/04/16/lebron-james-mvp-nba-2013/|publisher=Sports Illustrated|accessdate=June 7, 2013}}</ref>
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