LeBron James experienced some nervousness and anticipation as he heard the national anthem before his first Olympic game in 12 years, but those feelings quickly dissipated.
James, alongside Kevin Durant, who are the most experienced Olympians on the U.S. team, showcased an impressive performance in the Paris Games opener. Durant scored 23 points, making his first eight shots, while James added 21 points, nine rebounds, and seven assists, leading the U.S. to a 110-84 victory over Serbia on Sunday.
James noted, “That’s the best game we’ve played so far,” as the U.S. improved to 6-0 this summer, starting the tournament with a win.
Durant and James shot a combined 18 for 22 from the field—Durant was 8 of 9 and James was 9 of 13. The U.S. defeated the reigning World Cup silver medalists from the Philippines with ease. Jrue Holiday scored 15 points, Devin Booker contributed 12, and Anthony Edwards and Stephen Curry each added 11 points.
James commented, “Whatever it takes. It’s going to be somebody different every day. And we have that type of firepower.”
The U.S. improved their Olympic record to 144-6, including 56-0 when scoring over 100 points. Notably, the U.S. won despite the absence of Jayson Tatum, who was not included in the rotation. U.S. coach Steve Kerr acknowledged Tatum’s professionalism and anticipated his contribution in future games.
Serbia’s Nikola Jokic scored 20 points, and Bogdan Bogdanovic added 14. Serbia struggled with the 3-point shooting, getting outscored 54-27 from beyond the arc. The U.S. shot 62% from the field compared to Serbia’s 42%.
With Jokic on the floor for 31 minutes, the teams were evenly matched. However, when Jokic was off the court, the U.S. outscored Serbia by 26 points, resulting in a final margin of 26 points.
Edwards remarked, “They got the best player in the world,” referring to Jokic.
Both teams will return to action on Wednesday, with the U.S. facing South Sudan and Serbia playing against Puerto Rico. The U.S. previously narrowly defeated South Sudan 101-100 in a London exhibition.
Initially, Serbia led 10-2, but the U.S. rallied to lead 108-74 for the remainder of the game.
Booker noted, “We knew they were going to come out and play hard,” reflecting on Serbia’s strong start in previous games.
Serbia coach Svetislav Pesic had compared this American team favorably to the 1992 “Dream Team,” but Kerr, when informed of this, laughed off the comparison. Kerr called a timeout within the first 2 minutes, 41 seconds of the game as Serbia took an early lead. Kerr made adjustments, including substituting Joel Embiid for Anthony Davis, which helped the U.S. take control.
Durant’s performance included an 8-for-8 shooting in the first half, culminating with a fadeaway shot that beat the halftime buzzer for a 58-49 lead. The U.S. extended their lead, with Edwards scoring a notable basket to make it 84-65 after three quarters, celebrated by Curry on the sideline.
Curry emphasized, “Very, very important to get off to a good start in this tournament because every game is so big.”
