We are here for gold, says LeBron James

Miami Heat superstar LeBron James says the US Olympic basketball team can find the necessary cohesion to take the gold in London.

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James will try to lead Team USA to its second-successive gold medal in competition starting on Sunday.

Asked how he would cope with the huge expectations, the 27-year-old small forward answered he was confident he could help deliver the top prize.

"That's our challenge, that's our goal, to win a gold medal, and you know it's going to take a lot of hard work, a lot of dedication, but we have an opportunity to do that," James said on Friday.

The US team is more than a group of individual stars who include Carmelo Anthony, Kobe Bryant and Kevin Durant in their ranks.

"We are a team, and that's why we're here."

These Games mark 20 years since Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen led the US dream team to gold in Barcelona, but James would not be drawn on possible parallels with his generation.

"We don't compare our team to anyone. We are our own team, we make our own identity, we go out there and we try to play as a team," he said.

The US begins their Group A campaign on Sunday against France, before going on to face Tunisia, Nigeria, Lithuania, Argentina.