As Team USA braces itself for the Paris Olympics 2024, LeBron James and Steph Curry have had to navigate personal obstacles. Recently, when LeBron James appeared on the “Mind the Game” podcast with JJ Redick, he talked about the offseason schedule and how he’s preparing for Paris. While James discussed his training timeline, transition pains, and the need to “switch it up”, Curry had to give up his golf ambitions.

The Lakers veteran was, however, quite worried about being unfit for the Olympics but managed to find a way. The NBA star has always dedicated a significant portion of his off-season to rest and recovery, giving his body enough time to heal from the demanding season. But as the Olympic training draws near, James must find a balance. He revealed that the training camp would start in Vegas two months from now.

James said, “I don’t want to go into training camp doing nothing on the court for two months, so I’m going to kind of switch it up a little bit.” LeBron James then followed this statement by describing his revised schedule. He mentioned that he will rest in May to recover and resume training gradually in June. James also discussed the transition to a ‘FIBA ball’. He said, “I’ll work on getting a feel for the ball. So now, I got the FIBA ball I got to work with, so that’s a little different.”

On the other hand,  King James’ teammate, Steph Curry, also had to take a huge step related to his next favorite sport.

If you’re a fan, then you know how passionate Curry is about golf. Golf is more than just a hobby for him. In fact, Curry became the first person of African-American descent and the fifth active athlete (first since Al del Greco) to win the American Century Championship last year! Interestingly, Charles Barkley finished 81st among the 93 names on the participation list in the same edition.

After winning the title last year, he admitted he wasn’t doing this for a living, and despite that having silverware to show for it was “pretty special”. The basketball sharpshooter finished ahead of Mardy Fish with a commendable 75-point haul! Steph’s $125k winner’s cheque was donated to charity because he was an amateur golfer. However, the sentiment remains, doesn’t it?

And this year, he’ll need to sacrifice his belief in pulling off a double. As the celebrity tournament’s schedule clashed with the Olympics, he had to drop it. Curry admitted in an interview earlier, “The chance to represent my country and, hopefully, win an Olympic gold medal for the first time at the 2024 Games in Paris is an opportunity that I simply could not pass up.”  He prioritized his debut for representing his country in the competition.

As Curry joins James in the training camp soon, the duo will grapple with the transition. However, one challenge that stands out is that of the FIBA ball. How’s it different from the NBA ball?

Will a few inches and grams really hinder LeBron James and Steph’s abilities?

For LeBron James and Stephen Curry, switching from the familiar NBA ball to the FIBA ball may pose a challenge. Although the distinctions between the two might seem subtle, they can affect a player’s game big time. Slight adjustments to shooting, dribbling, and general ball management will be required.

The official NBA ball measures 74.9 cm in circumference with a diameter between 24-24.2 cm. The basketballs must be inflated to a pressure between 7.5-8.5 PSI and cannot exceed the maximum weight of 22 ounces. Meanwhile, in FIBA, the ball’s maximum is 78 cm and the minimum circumference is 74.9 cm. Notably, the maximum FIBA ball weight is 20-22 ounces. The main difference is the number of panels. NBA balls have 8 and its FIBA counterpart has 12.

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Notably, the 29.5-inch circumference is consistent for both balls. Despite that, American media and fans were unitedly convinced that at the 2006 FIBA World Cup SFs against Greece, the ball was smaller! In the past, most players reported a difference too.

Former player Deron Williams had said, “They’re slippery. It takes a while to break a ball in. We don’t play with new ones in the NBA, we use the ones that are worn in.” Raja Bell also admitted that it’s lighter and smaller with a different texture, which affects gameplay. Analyst Brian Windhorst called it a ‘softer but bouncier ball’.

The consensus is clear, the FIBA ball will be hard to get used to. It will be challenging for the legendary duo too, as they aren’t accustomed to it, especially Steph. Paris is approaching and they have a few months to hone their skills. LeBron James looks to win his third gold while Stephen Curry plans on making the new addition to his cabinet.