LeBron is a lot more vocal then he was on previous USA teams

MACAO, July 30, 2008 -- LeBron James is the third youngest player on the U.S. Men's Senior National Team roster. But he's definitely the most vocal.

When asked about his team's leaders on Tuesday, Coach Mike Krzyzewski mentioned the two obvious (and the two oldest) ones, Jason Kidd and Kobe Bryant, but also included James.

"This is his sixth NBA season," Krzyzewski said of James' growth as a leader. "There's a big difference there."

And there's a difference to any observer who's been around this team for the last three years. James was a not-so commanding leader in 2006 before Bryant and Kidd joined the team, and deferred to them somewhat last year, but as they prepare for the 2008 Olympics, he has clearly taken the reigns as an informal captain of the squad (no formal captain will be named).