LeBron James of the Los Angeles Lakers was outstanding versus Serbia.
July 28, 2024; Villeneuve-d’Ascq, France; LeBron James (6) of the United States, prior to a match at Stade Pierre-Mauroy, the Olympic Summer Games in Paris, 2024. / John David Mercer/USA TODAY Sports
After defeating Serbia 5-0 in their Showcase Games, USA Basketball maintained its pristine record going into the Paris Olympics Group Phase. In this game, Team USA had a remarkable performance from Phoenix Suns star Kevin Durant, who returned from injury to lead all scorers with 23 points on only one missed shot.
Leading Los Angeles Lakers player LeBron James finished with 21 points, nine assists, and eight rebounds on Sunday, maybe the best all-around performance of any player. Former NBA guard Nick Young told Chicago Bulls star Michael Jordan that James is the greatest player of all time while James was crushing Serbia:
James uses his longevity as one of his defenses against all-time greats. James, who is 39 years old and still among the top players in the world, currently holds the record for most points scored in the NBA. If he keeps up his current level of play, he might surpass that total even further.
Young had time with the Washington Wizards, Los Angeles Lakers, Golden State Warriors, Philadelphia 76ers, LA Clippers, and Denver Nuggets throughout his twelve seasons as an NBA player. After winning a championship with Golden State in 2018, Young was teammates with Steph Curry and Kevin Durant of USA Basketball. Steve Kerr, the head coach of squad USA, also led the Warriors squad in 2018.