Team USA provided NBA fans with a unique opportunity to watch stars of different generations come together to lead their country through the 2024 Summer Olympics. Headlining that group was Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James, who defied the odds to star in Paris at 39 years of age.
The improbability of the success that James experienced has been discussed at length, but a recent post by one of his Team USA teammates may provide the greatest insight yet.
Team USA was truly a clash of eras, with 39-year-old James, 36-year-old Stephen Curry, 35-year-old Kevin Durant, and 34-year-old Jrue Holiday representing the older generations. On the opposite end of that spectrum was 23-year-old Anthony Edwards and 24-year-old Tyrese Haliburton.
In a post to X, Haliburton put how insane it is that he was teammates with James on Team USA into perspective with two throwback photos.
my mom sent me these pics this morning, life crazy lol pic.twitter.com/nYJMM3PdKb
— Tyrese Haliburton (@TyHaliburton22) August 13, 2024
Everyone is likely aware of how long James has been playing for, but posts like this offer a unique look at how much has changed since he started playing—and how many he's inspired.
Tyrese Haliburton shares photos wearing LeBron James jersey as a kid
Haliburton was three years old when James was drafted by the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2003. For that matter, he was four when James captured his first Olympic medal in 2004—and eight when the Lakers star won his first Olympic gold medal in 2008.
The fact that James has been playing long enough for them to be teammates on Team USA is absurd—especially considering Haliburton is preparing for his fifth NBA season.
In addition to being teammates at the Olympics, both Haliburton and James were named All-NBA in 2023-24. That might be the single most mind-blowing fact of all, as the 39-year-old James and the 24-year-old Haliburton are simultaneously playing at an elite level.
If that's not enough to blow your mind, try the fact that both are expected to make an All-NBA team again in 2024-25—when James will be 40 years of age.
James is coming off of a season in which he averaged 25.7 points, 8.3 assists, 7.3 rebounds, 1.3 steals, and 2.1 three-point field goals made. In his 21st season, he shot a career-best 41.0 percent from beyond the arc and increased his season-over-season averages by 1.5 assists and 0.4 steals per game.
While Haliburton received the first All-NBA nod of his career, James secured his 20th—a record that he continues to extend well beyond the previous high of 15.
2024-25 will be a season that brings this story full circle once more, as Haliburton and the Indiana Pacers, and James and the Lakers attempt to contend for the NBA championship. Haliburton and the Pacers reached the Conference Finals in 2024, while James and Los Angeles did the same in 2023.
Regardless of how far their respective teams ago, it's remarkable to think about the fact that they'll be sharing a court at some point in 2024-25—15 years apart in age.