Jerry Colangelo applauds the maturity shown by LeBron James – NBA Update
LeBron James has achieved much success in the year 2012 and things could not have gone any better than summing up the campaign by winning an Olympic gold medal.
However there was a time in the 27 year olds’ was about to be taken off the national team.
In 2006, Chairman of USA basketball Jerry Colangelo and head coach Mike Krzyzewski did not think LeBron could ever be mature enough to represent his country. But six years on, from being close to been taken off the 2008 Beijing
roster to winning back to back gold medals at the Olympics, James has proven to be one of the best players of his generation.
He did not lack the talent even back in 2006 but the change in approach and maturity is what has changed in the past six years and that has left Colangelo very;
“LeBron James is a different player and a different person than he was in ’06,” Colangelo said. “And I say that with exclamation marks. He’s matured incredibly as a person, player and leader….
“He’s matured incredibly,” Colangelo said. “He never had someone to emulate in his life, and Coach K fit into a great role. He did the rest himself. He’s grown so much. So much.”
After leading Miami Heat to an NBA Championship and achieving his personal goal of getting his first ever ring, James brought the same kind of leadership to team USA in the Olympics. Without scoring much throughout the exhibition
and the first few preliminary round games, LeBron answered his team’s call against Lithuania. With his team in a spot of bother deep into the game, James stepped up the ante and produced a clutch performance to seal the game.
He also became the first man to record triple-double figures during an Olympic game (against Argentina), setting his name in the history books. Team USA was again struggling to finish the game against Spain in the Final, before
LeBron sank down a three and then stormed down the right side to slam the ring. After that the momentum changes and Spain never had a chance to comeback.
Tags: