The US Men’s Basketball Team Faces Off Against Serbia in Thrilling Paris Olympics Opener: See the Outcome

LeBron James made his Olympic return after a 12-year absence.

VILLENEUVE-D’ASCQ, France — LeBron James felt a mix of nervousness and excitement as he heard the national anthem before his first Olympic game in over a decade.

That feeling didn’t last long.

The duo of LeBron James and Kevin Durant, the most experienced players on the U.S. team, led the charge as the Americans started their bid for a fifth consecutive gold medal with a decisive 110-84 victory over Serbia. Durant hit his first eight shots, ending with 23 points, while James added 21 points, nine rebounds, and seven assists.

“That’s the best game we’ve played so far,” James remarked as the U.S. team improved to 6-0 this summer and 1-0 in the Olympic tournament.

Combining for an impressive 18 for 22 from the field, both James and Durant showcased why they’re integral to the team. Jrue Holiday contributed 15 points, Devin Booker chipped in 12, and both Anthony Edwards and Stephen Curry scored 11 points each.

“Whatever it takes,” James said, emphasizing the team’s depth. “It’s going to be somebody different every day. And we have that type of firepower.”

Overall, the U.S. improved its Olympic record to 144-6, remaining unbeaten when scoring over 100 points. This was achieved without Jayson Tatum, who recently signed the richest contract in NBA history, being part of the rotation. U.S. coach Steve Kerr made the decision, saying he went with combinations that made sense and praising Tatum’s professionalism.

Serbia’s three-time NBA MVP Nikola Jokic scored 20 points, with Bogdan Bogdanovic adding 14. However, the team struggled from the 3-point line, getting outscored 54-27, and allowed the U.S. to shoot 62% while being held to 42% from the floor.

In his 31 minutes on the floor, Jokic kept Serbia competitive, but during his nine minutes off, the U.S. outscored Serbia by 26 points. The final margin reflected that differential.

“They got the best player in the world,” Edwards commented.

Next up for the U.S. is South Sudan, a rematch of their narrow victory in an exhibition game earlier this month. Serbia will face Puerto Rico in what could be an elimination game for both teams.

The game saw Serbia take an early 10-2 lead, but the U.S. outscored them 108-74 for the remainder of the match.

“We knew they were going to come out and play hard,” Booker said. “They did the same thing when we were in Abu Dhabi. They have a lot of talented guys. We didn’t underestimate them.”

Serbia coach Svetislav Pesic, who previously faced the 1992 U.S. “Dream Team,” had said this American squad might be even better. Kerr laughed off the comparison, noting the Dream Team’s coach Chuck Daly never needed a timeout.

It took just 2 minutes and 41 seconds for Kerr to call a timeout after Serbia’s early run. Subbing Joel Embiid for Anthony Davis ignited the U.S. recovery, with a three-point play by James putting them ahead. A James-to-Edwards lob extended the lead to 25-20 at the end of the first quarter.

Durant then took over, finishing the first half with a perfect 8-for-8 shooting and a fadeaway buzzer-beater that gave the U.S. a 58-49 lead.

Edwards broke through Serbia’s defense to make it 84-65 after three quarters, a play that had Curry celebrating on the sidelines.

“Very, very important to get off to a good start in this tournament because every game is so big,” Curry said after his Olympic debut. “You only have six of them if you want to get to the gold and obviously, Serbia is a great team. KD was unbelievable in the first half and gave us a huge boost, and our defense in the second half opened the game up.”