LeBron James Talks 2016 Olympics and Return of Coach K

With Mike Krzyzewski officially signed on to continue as the head coach of Team USA for the 2016 Olympics, according to Jeff Zillgitt of USA Today, he's also got the blessing of the 2012 Olympics' best player, as LeBron James is seemingly excited about the announcement.

Coach K and LeBron helped Team USA win the gold in 2012, the team going undefeated throughout and beating Spain in the gold-medal game, picking up the second consecutive gold for the U.S. in the Olympics.

Via Zillgitt, LeBron talked prior to Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals about Coach K's announcement:

"

I think it's great. ...

What he means to USA Basketball is beyond just what we do on the court – what we stand for as Americans and being proud to wear the red, white and blue every time we step off the bus, practice, talk to the media or whatever the case may be.

I've got the utmost respect and trust in Coach K. Whatever his decision was going to be, we all support that.

"

Krzyzewski said many times that the 2012 Olympics was his final international tournament, even officially stepping down in February. However Team USA and Coach K will formally announce Thursday morning that he has decided to continue his reign as the team's head coach.

He took over the coaching duties in 2005, coaching the team to a bronze in the FIBA World Championship and then gold in every tournament since. He was also an assistant coach for Team USA in the 1984 and 1992 Olympics, winning gold in each year.

When asked whether he would be returning for 2016, LeBron was more ambiguous:

"First, I have to make sure I stay healthy. If I'm fortunate to be healthy, I would love to represent my country again. But that's a long time from now."

While LeBron is still standing firmly in the "maybe" column, with Coach K and a litany of talented young players chomping at the bit to join in on the fun, Team USA should be in strong standing to defend their medal.