Lakers: Dwight Howard says he’s waiting for ‘LeGM’ to call him

Former Los Angeles Lakers center Dwight Howard took to social media and made his case to LeBron James to be added to Team USA. The current Lakers superstar is reportedly looking to form a team to compete in the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.

By referring to James as “LeGM” in the caption of the Instagram post, Howard and filmmaker Chase Walker may or may not have called James and left him a voicemail asking for Howard’s inclusion on the next Olympic team.

James reportedly recently expressed interest in returning to the Olympics and called up some of his fellow NBA stars in a recruiting effort. He has reportedly spoken with Lakers teammate Anthony Davis, along with Stephen Curry, Kevin Durant, Jayson Tatum and Draymond Green, and reportedly Devin Booker, Damian Lillard, De’Aaron Fox and Kyrie Irving They also have great interest.

Howard, who teamed with James on the Lakers’ 2020 NBA championship team and the 2008 U.S. team that won gold at the Beijing Olympics, did not play in the NBA last season after playing for the Lakers during the 2021-22 campaign.

That 2008 Olympic victory began a streak of four consecutive golds won by Team USA, including with James at the 2012 London Games, his last Olympic appearance to date.

The US team recently finished in fourth place at the FIBA ​​World Cup 2023 with losses to Germany in the semifinals and to Canada in the third-place match. Lakers star Austin Reaves was a key member of the club, whose failure to win a medal has raised questions about how to get USA Basketball to improve its chances in the upcoming Olympics.

It would certainly improve if James’ star-studded roster comes to fruition. Next summer he would be 39, Curry 36 and Durant 35, which would be contrary to the usual formula of US Olympic teams being led by young emerging stars. For example, Kobe Bryant, at age 33, was considered the “grumpy old man” of the 2012 team that included Davis, then 19 years old.

Howard would be 38 years old when the Paris Games begin in July 2024.