Whenever someone runs fast in other sports, he or she evokes comparisons with Olympic sprinters. For the last two or three years, French soccer player Kylian Mbappé’s sprint on the field led several individuals and media outlets to equate him with Usain Bolt or imagine him as the top Olympic sprinter. Now the discussion has gone to LeBron James, the power forward from the Los Angeles Lakers to become an Olympic sprinter. No, not at his present age, but a certain connoisseur said that the 27-year-old LeBron James had the tenacity to be an Olympic sprinter. However, such far-fetched thinking has only achieved a thump from someone who breathed fire in the Olympic sprint once. 

The discussion started with Paul Pierce’s comment on the Undisputed podcast, where he commented that 12 years ago, LeBron James had the prowess. “27-year-old LeBron, Miami LeBron, could have been an Olympic sprinter. 100%”, as he commented. However, that made Michael Johnson disgusted, as later in his X-post, the four-time Olympic champion added, “@undisputed COME ON MAN! I’m with Keshawn. I love @KingJames to death, but ain’t no way he was fast enough to be an Olympic sprinter, not even relay.” The point had already been elevated by Keyshawn Johnson, presented on the podcast, whom the veteran supported in his X-post. 

Keyshawn flouted the logic added by Pierce, proving LeBron James was on par with the Olympic sprinters in 2012. In his support, Pierce said that his former teammate in the Cleveland Cavaliers had changed a lot in the Miami Heat’s jersey. “it was just like, he just looked different as far as speed in Miami and athleticism,” the 46-year-old stated. But only athleticism may not lead any sprinter to an Olympic Games that witnessed Usain Bolt, Yohan Blake, Justin Gatlin, and Tyson Gay in their prime. So, in that case, only LeBron’s athletic maturity could have dealt for him, as alleged by Pierce in his comment, “You don’t get your athletic peak until like 27,28,29 around there”. Perhaps that imagination touched the ceiling as Keyshawn Johnson attacked vehemently. 

In his comment, he meant no disrespect for the basketball legend or Paul Pierce, but he couldn’t digest the comparison. In showing his displeasure, the wide receiver said, “Are you crazy?” with a laugh on his face. However, that couldn’t unsettle Pierce from his view of thinking about LeBron’s younger self as the Olympic sprinter. But LeBron James had his own way to make the 2012 Olympics memorable. 

LeBron James in the 2012 London Olympics: not as a sprinter but no less than a star 

In 2012, LeBron James entered the Olympics with three NBA MVP tags. With that, he had his certificate from none other than Scottie Pippen. The NBA Hall of Famer praised his offense and defensive skills. Ultimately, these two qualities made him the USA men’s basketball team leader in the London 2012 Olympics, while Kobe Bryant was on the brink of stepping back. Such a resume could stand him in front of Usain Bolt on showmanship, performance, and popularity scale. 

Before landing in London, the Jamaican had already impressed the world with two world records at the 2009 World Athletics Championships. Additionally, he left the Beijing Olympics with two gold medals in the 100m and 200m events. So, for him as well, the stakes remained high. Ultimately, both these superstars left the British capital while keeping their heads high. 

LeBron James scored the first triple-double in US Olympic basketball history. Eventually, his performance helped the squad win the second Olympic gold in the trot. On the other hand, Usain Bolt defeated the stacked-ever field in the 100m event to win the gold medal. His success stopped at nothing less than at the top podiums in other events, i.e. in the 200m and the 4x100m relay events. Therefore, it could be added that LeBron James continued to shine as a star without participating in the Olympic sprinting events. 

What are your views on the hot debate? Let us know in the comments below.