When you come into a tournament with LeBron James, Stephen Curry, and Kevin Durant leading the way, you are expected to win it all. The United States took a loaded roster to the Paris Olympic Games last summer, and it’s fair to say that anything less than a gold medal would have been seen as a humongous failure.
Serbia, France, Canada, and Germany all stood in the way of a fifth consecutive gold medal for Team USA. Players like Curry and Anthony Edwards were coming off phenomenal seasons, but 40-year-old James, the team’s captain, took on a leading role. The veteran made sure this group was going to get over the finish line.
Derrick White Shares LeBron James’ Powerful Message for Team USA Going Into Olympic Games
Derrick White was one of the last players to be named to the USA men’s national team, after Kawhi Leonard dropped out due to a nagging knee injury. The guard was a member of the 2024 Boston Celtics team that won the NBA championship, and his sound defensive abilities made him a valuable asset to the roster.
Once the tournament tipped off, White said the players shared the same goal: Take home the gold medal.
James underlined that message in Paris. The four-time NBA champion sent a powerful message to his teammates, ensuring they took nothing for granted.
“Bron was like, ‘We got 12 of the coldest players in the NBA. It doesn’t matter if you have 30 points or 5 points, we need to just win this gold.’ That was the kind of mindset we all had going into it,” revealed White during the latest episode of his podcast “White Noise Podcast with Derrick White.”
Derrick White on LeBron’s message to Team USA:
“Bron was like, ‘We got 12 of the coldest players in the NBA. It doesn’t matter if you have 30 points or 5 points, we need to just win this gold.’ That was the mindset.”
(via White Noise Podcast)pic.twitter.com/VEpyqCLkil
— Witness King James (@WITNESSKJ) August 6, 2025
The USA went undefeated during the tournament, but there were some scares. James’ words seemed to resonate with his teammates. When push came to shove, the players did just enough to overcome some challenging scenarios.
In the tournament’s opening game, Durant led the way, shooting a spectacular 8-for-9 from the field to finish with a team-high 23 points against Serbia. Against Brazil in the quarterfinals, Booker stepped up, leading the team with 18 points.
In what turned out to be a phenomenal back-and-forth battle against Serbia in the semifinals, Curry guided the team to a miraculous comeback late in the game. The Golden State Warriors’ sharpshooter finished with 36 points to battle back from a 13-point deficit in the fourth quarter.
Curry showed the same composure in the finals against France, hitting some clutch baskets to ensure the USA fans were going home happy.
For James, the championship game would likely be his last Olympic game. It was a special moment for Team USA’s captain, and one he remembers fondly down the line.
