LILLE, FRANCE – JULY 28: Stephen Curry, Kevin Durant and LeBron James (L-R) of USA celebrates victory while the group stage match between Serbia and USAon day two of the Olympic Games Paris 2024 at Stade Pierre Mauroy on July 28, 2024 in Lille, France. James, a 20-time NBA All-Star and the NBA’s all-time scoring leader as of last year, hadn’t competed in the Olympics for 12 years but had secured three Olympic medals: two golds from 2012 and 2008 and a bronze from 2004. As for Durant, the now four-time Olympian was making his summer debut but came with three gold medals under his belt.
Durant missed all five exhibition games the U.S. played ahead of Paris due to a calf strain. However, as the highest-scoring player in men’s Olympic basketball history, Durant made his first eight shots on the way to 23 points in less than 17 minutes. James added 21 points, nine rebounds, and seven assists.
“Everybody played their role pretty well,” Durant said. “My role was to come in and provide spacing and shot-making for the team, and I’m glad I was able to knock them down.” The people have spoken. “More than any player I’ve ever been around, when he comes back from a long absence, you don’t notice it,” Kerr said.
“That’s the best game we’ve played so far,” James said after the Americans improved to 6-0 this summer, 1-0 in the tournament that matters. Both teams return to action on Wednesday, with the U.S. taking on upstart South Sudan—a rematch of a 101-100 escape win for the Americans in an exhibition in London earlier this month—and Serbia meeting Puerto Rico in what could essentially be an elimination game for both teams.
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