Team USA won the bronze medal at the 2004 Olympics with LeBron James on the roster.
The men’s basketball tournament took place in Athens, Greece, where the United States entered as the reigning Olympic champion but struggled throughout the competition. The Americans lost to Puerto Rico and Lithuania in group play, then fell to Argentina in the semifinals. They recovered by defeating Lithuania 104–96 in the bronze-medal game.
James was a 19-year-old rookie making his Olympic debut. He saw limited playing time on a veteran-heavy team that included Allen Iverson, Tim Duncan, Stephon Marbury, Dwyane Wade, Carmelo Anthony, and Emeka Okafor. The bronze was a disappointment because NBA players had helped the United States win gold in each of the previous three Olympic tournaments.
The result was only the second bronze medal in U.S. men’s Olympic basketball history at that point. James later won Olympic gold with Team USA in 2008, 2012, and 2024.