LeBron James is one of the best players in NBA history.
The King is also 39-years-old, approaching retirement and almost guaranteed to be playing in his final Olympics.
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Lakers legend Shaquille O'Neal recently provided an unfiltered opinion of James' role with Los Angeles for the 2024-25 season, which will see the inexperienced JJ Redick as head coach and James' son, Bronny, trying to make the team as a second-round draft pick.
O'Neal, a four-time NBA champion and Hall of Famer, said that James should become the No. 3 option for the Lakers, with Los Angeles turning Anthony Davis into a No. 1.
“If I was LeBron, being that I already have all the records, I would pass it to AD,” O’Neal said on The Big Podcast. “I would demand AD — ’cause listen, LeBron can still do what he do, but, ‘I don’t need to have the ball all the time. I don’t need to score all the points.
" 'So, AD I need you to score all the points. Austin Reaves, you can be No. 2. I can just be the old Magic Johnson-style point guard and keep everybody involved and just keep this thing going.’ ”
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O'Neal believes that it's time for James, who will turn 40 in December, to pass the torch to Davis and allow the Lakers to get more out of the 26-year-old Reaves.
Team USA head coach Steve Kerr could face a similar situation in the 2024 Summer Olympics if the international competition in Paris is as strong as expected.
"I think from the standpoint of career achievement, this team is probably as decorated as any since the '92 Dream Team," Kerr told a room of reporters including talkSPORT.
"The difference is in 1992, the world wasn't anywhere close to as good as it is now in terms of basketball popularity and globalization of the game."
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Steph Curry and James are uniting for the greater good, letting go of their rivalry in the aim for Paris gold.
But Kerr has a loaded roster that features some of the best young players on the planet.
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James is coming off a strong 2023-24 season with the Lakers in which he averaged 25.7 points, 7.5 rebounds, 7.4 assists and 1.3 steals in 71 games.
He was only selected to the All-NBA third team, though, and the Lakers finished seventh in the Western Conference before falling 4-1 to Denver in the first round.
On Los Angeles, Davis was the best overall player last season and had a two-point advantage over James in Player Efficiency Rating.
O'Neal appeared to understand that hierarchy as a fact and believes it's time for James to start setting up his teammates, instead of having the Lakers run through a King who is annually considering retirement.
Kerr has a lot to figure out in time for Paris.
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Determining how much Team USA should run through an aging James -- with Edwards ascending and Tatum a reigning world champion -- is at the top of the list.
The Olympics are on talkSPORT this summer, and you can tune in via our free online streaming service at talkSPORT.com