As LeBron James stood there, listening to the national anthem play before his first Olympic game in 12 years, he felt a sense of nervousness, butterflies, and maybe even a touch of angst.
The moment passed swiftly.
In the opening game of the Paris Games, James and Kevin Durant, who are the two most seasoned Olympians on the American team, put up an outstanding performance to start off the U.S. campaign for a fifth consecutive gold medal. Durant was in top form, scoring 23 points and making his first eight shots, while James contributed with 21 points, nine assists, and seven rebounds. The U.S. team dominated Serbia and secured an impressive 110-84 victory in the first game of the Olympics for both teams on Sunday.
“We’ve played our best game so far,” exclaimed James as the American team secured their sixth consecutive victory this summer, and their first triumph in the crucial tournament.”
The U.S. team had an easy time against the Philippines, who were the reigning World Cup silver medalists from last summer. James and Durant were on fire, with a combined 18 for 22 from the field. Durant went 8 of 9, while James was 9 of 13. Jrue Holiday contributed 15 points, while Devin Booker had 12. Anthony Edwards and Stephen Curry each added 11 points to the scoreboard for the U.S. team.
James expressed his determination, stating “Whatever it takes.” He emphasized that the team has a diverse range of players who are capable of contributing to the game-winning efforts, stating “It’s going to be somebody different every day. And we have that type of firepower.”
In Olympic play, the U.S. team has an impressive record of 144 wins and only 6 losses. They have a perfect record of 56 wins when they score more than 100 points. Surprisingly, the team managed to secure a win without the NBA star, Jayson Tatum, who recently signed the richest contract in NBA history. Even the U.S. coach, Steve Kerr, thought it was a crazy decision to leave him out of the rotation.
According to Kerr, he carefully selected the combinations that he believed would be the most effective. He also mentioned that he had spoken with Jayson, who was very professional throughout the conversation. However, Kerr emphasized that this was only for the current game and that things could change in the future. He stressed the importance of winning the next six games and leaving behind any NBA-related distractions. Despite the changes, Kerr had nothing but praise for Jayson, calling him the “ultimate pro” and stating that he handled the situation like a champion, and will undoubtedly be ready for the next game.
In Serbia’s game against the U.S., Nikola Jokic, a three-time NBA MVP, scored 20 points, while Bogdan Bogdanovic contributed 14 points. The U.S.’s strength in the game was their 3-point shooting, outscoring Serbia by 54-27 in that category. However, Serbia struggled in this area, which was a liability for the Americans in their previous warm-up games. Additionally, the U.S. shot an impressive 62%, while Serbia was held to 42% from the floor.
During the 31 minutes that Jokic played, both teams were evenly matched. However, in the nine minutes when Jokic was off the court, the U.S. managed to outscore Serbia by a whopping 26 points. This ultimately led to a final margin of victory of 26 points for the U.S. team.
According to Edwards, “The best player in the world” was acquired by them.
On Wednesday, the U.S. and South Sudan will face off again, following their previous close match in London where the U.S. narrowly escaped with a 101-100 win. Additionally, Serbia and Puerto Rico will meet in a game that could determine which team advances and which is eliminated from the tournament.
Serbia took an early lead of 10-2, but the U.S. team made a strong comeback and dominated the rest of the game with a score of 108-74.
Booker acknowledged that they were aware of the opposition’s determination to put up a good fight. He mentioned that the same thing happened when they played in Abu Dhabi, and the other team had many skilled players. However, he emphasized that they did not underestimate their opponents.
When the tournament was about to begin, Svetislav Pesic, the coach of Serbia, shared his opinion that the current American team is superior to the 1992 Olympic “Dream Team” from the United States, which he had coached against. The “Dream Team” was famously composed of several NBA stars and amazed the world during the Barcelona Games. However, when Steve Kerr, the coach of the American team, was informed about Pesic’s comment a few weeks ago, he chuckled and didn’t take it seriously.
According to Kerr, Chuck Daly never called a timeout while coaching the Dream Team.
In just 2 minutes and 41 seconds of the Olympics, Kerr wasted no time calling for a substitution. When Serbia took an early eight-point lead, the Americans found themselves in a tough spot. Kerr decided to sub in Anthony Davis for Joel Embiid, and it proved to be a game-changer. A fantastic three-point play by James in the middle of the first quarter gave the U.S. their first lead, and a beautiful lob from James to Edwards put the Americans ahead 25-20 after the first period.
At that point, the Durant exhibit had already begun.
With a perfect record of 8-for-8 in the first half, he concluded his remarkable performance by sinking a fadeaway shot just as the halftime buzzer sounded, extending their lead to 58-49. As the game progressed, their lead continued to grow. Edwards displayed an incredible move by slipping past Nikola Jovic from Serbia for a fantastic baseline score, making it 84-65 by the end of the third quarter. The play was so impressive that Curry couldn’t contain his excitement and was seen dancing and mimicking video game controls on the sidelines.
In his Olympic debut, Curry emphasized the importance of starting strong in the tournament, since every game carries immense significance. With only six games to secure the gold medal, each match is crucial. Facing off against Serbia, a formidable team known for their intricate offense and physical defense, Curry acknowledged the challenge ahead. Despite this, the team was able to secure a victory, largely thanks to Kevin Durant’s incredible performance in the first half, which gave them a significant boost. In the second half, their defense opened up the game, ultimately leading to their success.
