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LONDON — You can wake up this morning and feel good about rooting for LeBron James, on the verge of winning a gold medal today to pair with the NBA championship, his first, he won in late June.
James yesterday gave his most emphatic reason why he plays and why today matters as the surging U.S. Olympic team gets its expected rematch with Spain and the Gasol Brothers in the gold-medal game (10 a.m. EDT) .
“It’s not just about basketball,’’ James said after the team’s final practice. “It’s about a lot of other things. People give up their freedoms for us to do what we do, and do it without pressure. You talk about pressure? We have all the soldiers going out, fighting for our freedom. This is the least what we can do is give them something to cheer for [today].’’
James’ remarks came days after three U.S. Marines were killed in a suicide bombing in Afghanistan — one a former West Point hockey star. USA coach Mike Krzyzewski played and coached at West Point.
During this Dream-Team era, some American players — mostly before 9/11 — complained about giving up their summers for the Olympic movement. Even Dwyane Wade, who is not here because of injury, said recently players should be paid for their involvement. Not James. After grinding out the NBA’s condensed lockout season all the way to the finals, he is here, leading and dominating.
James has been Team USA’s MVP. When Lithuania gave the USA its gigantic 99-94 scare eight days ago, James put the team on his shoulders and won the game. The Americans haven’t been challenged since, and that moment stands as the team’s most important during these Games.
“The word has gotten out on what it means,’’ James said. “It’s more than the names on the backs. It’s all about the [USA] name on the front. And I have a responsibility to be a role model to a lot of kids who have hopes and dreams.’’
The team has been together since the start of training camp July 5 in Las Vegas.
“I knew what it was going to be,’’ James said. “I hoped to compete for the championship. … I already committed to the team. I knew it would be a long summer. I knew what I had to get my body prepared for. Of course, I would’ve loved to rest. Everybody would like to do absolutely nothing, but I got a responsibility and I’m here.’’
With Krzyzewski loathe to give his only center, Tyson Chandler, extended minutes because the coach loves smallball, James will, at times today, defend Spain’s 7-foot center, Marc Gasol. Gasol didn’t play in the USA’s exhibition victory over Spain before the Olympics.
“It’s a challenge. He’s a big guy,’’ James said of Gasol. “I have to defend him, keep him off the glass. There’s always two sides of the court. He’s still got to guard me.’’
The U.S. beat Spain four years ago to restore American dominance after 2004’s bronze-medal disaster. With James, Kobe Bryant and Kevin Durant all finding their inner superstar since the Aug. 4 game with Lithuania, Spain looks to be in trouble , despite its size advantage.
Coming into the Games, the U.S. coaching staff’s biggest concern was their team’s stars losing their identities while trying to fit in. Of course, that never was a problem for Carmelo Anthony, consistently bold and averaging a team high 17.4 points on 56-percent shooting.
After shellacking Argentina by 26 in the semifinals, the Americans are peaking and their comfort level at its apex. But Team USA assistant coach Mike D’Antoni said Spain won’t be a pushover.
“They’re dangerous. They’re good players and they’re going to play their best game,’’ he said. “They really have nothing to lose. They’ll be loose. Pau and Marc are two of the best players on anybody’s team.’’
But James sounded confident everything will go right for his team today.
“You have the 12 best guys in the world on one team,’’ he said. “Who wouldn’t want to be on a team like this if you’re healthy?’’
The year of LeBron
With a gold medal in today’s final in Spain, LeBron James would cap off a remarkable stretch of basketball. Here’s a look back at some of James’ best moments in 2012:
April 3: With Dwyane Wade out of the lineup, James scores a regular season-high 41 points in a 99-93 victory over Philadelphia.
May 20: Trailing Indiana 2-1 entering Game 4 of the Eastern Conference semifinals and playing without Chris Bosh, James scores 40 points in a 101-93 victory en route to taking the series in six.
June 7: Facing elimination with the Heat trailing the Celtics, 3-2, in Game 6 of the Eastern Conference finals, James goes off for 45 points on 19-of-26 shooting with 15 rebounds and five assists. It’s the most points James had scored in a playoff game since scoring 47 vs. Atlanta in 2009.
June 21: James records a triple-double (26 points, 13 assists, 11 rebounds) in the series-clinching victory over Oklahoma City (left) to earn his first NBA championship in his ninth season.
Aug. 4: With Team USA trailing Lithuania in the fourth quarter, James takes over (right), scoring nine of his 20 points in the final four minutes. “It was like LeBron said, ‘I got this, I’m doing this,’ ” U.S. coach Mike Krzyzewski said.
marc.berman@nypost.com