For the third time during the exhibition games, Team USA was almost in trouble of losing a matchup! The highly anticipated third game would allow the United States to get their revenge after the 2023 FIBA World Cup. Little did the US know what and who they were facing. What started off as a tough puzzle to solve, in the final quarter with 4 minutes remaining, Germany was still at the lead 82-81.

But suddenly, King James stepped up for the nation and, in clutch time, bullied his way through the rivals and dropped shots, finishing the game miraculously 92-88.

It was an awe-inspiring moment, not just for fans but for NFL legend Shannon Sharpe too. He didn’t shy away from sharing his praise of the 39-year-old star player. During the segment of his ‘Nightcap’ podcast, the former athlete and his co-host, Chad “Ochocinco” Johnson, discussed LeBron’s prowess and how the player becomes unstoppable once he enables a different mindset.

“When he puts his head down, it’s kind of hard,” said Sharpe. “Yeah, he like a bull in a China shop.”

Sharpe’s praise comes after the All-Time NBA scorer secured an individual score of 20 points, 6 rebounds, and 4 assists to his name. In just 18 minutes of gameplay, the score was accumulated by the player going 8-11 with his field goals, 2-2 with his three-pointers, and 2-4 with his free throws. LeBron’s stint was initially not off to a good start, since he only added 4 points to the overall score during the first quarter. However, as crunch time approached, the player scored the final 11 points for Team USA with 3:57 minutes on the clock. At the same time, the entire German roster could only add 6 points.

LeBron James made his final 2-pointer with just 45.5 seconds remaining on the clock. Attendees at the O2 Arena in London were left in awe as the #6 defended against a field of Germans, with a little help from Stephen Curry and Anthony Davis, reached right below the hoop and dropped the ball through it to increase the lead. The shoulder shrug that followed the shot fully captured the king’s aura. In addition to the 39-year-old, Joel Embiid and Stephen Curry provided the required assistance with their 15 and 13 points, respectively.

“It was a good test for us. And I’m glad we were able to once again, you know, keep our composure, persevere like we did the other day versus South Sudan,” James said. “It was a good win for us.”

The win against Germany ensured that Team USA concluded their exhibition games run with a perfect 5-0 record. While LeBron is earning the praise of many from the sports world, it is sadly not an easy task to impress everyone.

Is LeBron James the “King of the Practice Games”?

If there is one individual who has remained a constant critic of LeBron James over the years, then it is 72-year-old television personality Skip Bayless. From mocking the player for missing an important three-pointer during an NBA regular season game in April to criticizing LeBron James for missing the NBA Finals at one point and not being born with a “Clutch gene”, Bayless’s feelings for the Lakers star are not anything private. Now, those same feelings have caused the longtime ‘Undisputed’ host to take a shot when the player is receiving love from the rest of the NBA world.

Taking to his official X account, Bayless mocked the NBA player by putting out a tweet that stated “LeBron, King of the Practice Games.” Later on, he would bring the GOAT debate back to the limelight by making a comparison between LeBron and Chicago Bulls legend Michael Jordan by claiming “If Team USA had had Jordan in his prime today, it would’ve covered the 15.5-point spread.”

Bayless’s criticism may be lying in the fact that LeBron James has performed well till now, but only in the exhibition games. The main games of the 2024 Paris Olympics are still less than a week away from the beginning. Furthermore, it would also have been a dig at the fact that the Los Angeles Lakers were only able to win the NBA’s inaugural In-Season Tournament this season, and not the main tournament.

In light of Bayless’s remark, it is important to note that even though the previous games were all part of a practice series, not all of the matchups went as well as some people would have expected. Steve Kerr’s rotations against Australia allegedly put the team at a disadvantage, as their lead reduced from 65-41 to 86-80 within the span of just one quarter! The team’s capabilities were again brought into question after Team USA won against South Sudan, a team that only qualified for the Olympics this year, by just 1 point. Fortunately, LeBron James did not falter in both games, adding 10 and 23 points respectively to save his roster’s grace.

Furthermore, along with Kevin Durant, LeBron James is the most experienced Olympian on the roster. Along with possessing a bronze medal from the 2004 Athens Games, the player also holds two Gold Medals from the 2008 Beijing and the 2012 London Olympics. Therefore, his capabilities shouldn’t be called into question before the player has had even one main game in the 2024 Olympics.