Two days before their first game, the men’s Team USA basketball team touched down in Paris. Stephen Curry and Kevin Durant immediately addressed the media, speaking about the star-studded team, their expectations, and more. But the third head of the monster trio, LeBron James was absent. Was he touring the iconic Olympic Village where every Olympian is scheduled to stay? Or was he checking into a lavish hotel in Paris?

As it is widely known, NBA players are among the most fame-packed individuals at the Olympics. Ever since 1992, the age of the Dream Team, the ramifications of their astronomical popularity have been visible. Stars like Magic Johnson and Michael Jordan were squashed in between thousands of fans in Barcelona. Since that year, the team has stopped living in the revered Olympic Village.

Instead, Team USA basketball, both men’s and women’s teams generally stay in luxurious hotels or even sophisticated yachts, the rent for which is covered by USAB. But there are other reasons apart from them being incredibly famous that they don’t live in the Olympic Village. At first, the size of the beds provided posed an inconvenience. In 2012, American hurdler Lolo Jones shared a comical image of seven-footer Tyson Chandler squeezing into a 5’8″ frame bed.

But since 2020, the Tokyo Olympics adopted ‘cardboard beds’ created by Airweave. These beds are not only environment-friendly, easy to transport, and recyclable, but they are also attributed to comfort and sturdiness. Additionally, a bed extension facility is also provided for taller athletes, which frankly every superstar on Team USA would have needed.

Despite these innovations, the men’s basketball team has opted to stay in a hotel in Paris rather than the Olympic Village.

The time LeBron James and others did go to the Olympic Village

With their acclaim and allure, Team USA is often compelled to stay in a more secure environment than the Olympic Village. However, after a disappointing and isolated 2004 Olympics, youngsters like LeBron James and Carmelo Anthony wanted to experience the Village. Kobe Bryant led the charge in 2008, and the Redeem Team took a tour of the iconic facility.

“We got bum-rushed going into the village. You have some of the best athletes in the world and they look up to Kobe and myself and LeBron and [Dwyane] Wade. That kind of felt weird — but it felt good at the same time,” Melo told The Washington Post in 2008.

That year, LeBron James and several Team USA players attended multiple sporting events, showing their support for the nation’s finest. They watched the most prolific Olympian, Michael Phelps bag another gold alongside their myriad of viewing experiences.

In his Olympic debut, Stephen Curry too is hoping to not only be on duty but also watch the games from a fans’ perspective. “I want to be just a fan in general. I need to look at the list and I need to see what the most random event that I can get to. Archery. I want to see something crazy, off the grid,” he told Andscape.

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