As the USA men’s basketball team gears up for the Olympics, they are not just working on their on-court skills, but also discussing their experiences with autographs. From sharing stories about how they settled on their signatures to reminiscing about the players they asked for autographs as kids, the team is full of fascinating anecdotes.
One interesting revelation is that at least two of LeBron James’ teammates on the USA team actually asked him for his autograph when they were younger. Anthony Davis was successful in getting James’ autograph at a basketball camp, while Jayson Tatum had a less pleasant experience when James turned him down at a game in Memphis.
Tatum recalled the incident, revealing that he was left disappointed when James left without signing his autograph, leading to tears from the young fan. However, Tatum later got his revenge when he dunked on James in a game.
Interestingly, James himself signed his first autograph in 1996 when he was just 11 years old. Now, at 39 years old and with plans to play alongside his son in the NBA next season, James is the older statesman of Team USA.
Despite the ups and downs of autograph experiences, the players clearly have a deep appreciation for the tradition and importance of collecting signatures, both as fans and now as athletes themselves.
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Photo credit www.nytimes.com
