LeBron James made his long-awaited Olympic return after a 12-year hiatus, while Kevin Durant participated in his first game of the summer.
Together, the two seasoned Olympians led the U.S. men’s basketball team to a commanding 110-84 victory against Serbia in their opening match of the Paris Games, marking the start of their quest for a fifth consecutive gold medal.
Durant was in exceptional form, hitting his first eight shots and finishing the game with 23 points in under 17 minutes. James contributed significantly as well, scoring 21 points, grabbing nine rebounds, and dishing out seven assists. The duo combined for an impressive shooting performance, going 18 for 22 from the field—Durant was 8 of 9, while James shot 9 of 13. The U.S. team, which faced the reigning World Cup silver medalists, showed no signs of struggle.
Jrue Holiday added 15 points, Devin Booker scored 12, and both Anthony Edwards and Stephen Curry chipped in with 11 points each. For Serbia, three-time NBA MVP Nikola Jokic led the scoring with 20 points, while Bogdan Bogdanovic contributed 14.
Both teams will return to the court on Tuesday, with the U.S. facing South Sudan—who they narrowly defeated 101-100 in a recent exhibition—and Serbia going up against Puerto Rico in what could be a crucial match for both squads.
Before the tournament, Serbia’s coach Svetislav Pesic, who previously faced the 1992 U.S. “Dream Team,” claimed this American squad was even stronger. U.S. coach Steve Kerr humorously dismissed the comparison, recalling that Chuck Daly, the coach of the original Dream Team, rarely called timeouts. However, Kerr quickly called one just 2 minutes and 41 seconds into the game when Serbia jumped to a 10-2 lead.
After making adjustments, including substituting Joel Embiid for Anthony Davis, the U.S. quickly turned the game around. A three-point play by James gave the Americans their first lead, and a lob pass from James to Edwards capped off the first quarter with the U.S. ahead 25-20.
Durant continued to shine, capping off a perfect first half with a fadeaway shot that beat the halftime buzzer, leaving the U.S. with a 58-49 lead. The Americans maintained their momentum, with Edwards executing a crafty baseline move to extend the lead to 84-65 by the end of the third quarter, prompting Curry to celebrate enthusiastically from the sidelines.
With their strong start, the U.S. men’s basketball team is poised for a successful run in the Olympics, showcasing both veteran leadership and impressive teamwork.
Team USA today agains Team Serbia 🇺🇸
Lebron James and Kevin Durant carried them to victory
Advertisement110-84 🤩#basketball #nba #OlympicGames pic.twitter.com/7DnXHhFO4K
— TrendingSportsPodcast (@TrendingSportsP) July 28, 2024
