The United States aims to achieve gold in the Olympics for the fifth consecutive time. Led by the likes of Stephen Curry, LeBron James and Kevin Durant, this team is deemed the greatest team the United States has assembled, even better than the 1992 “Dream Team” that featured Michael Jordan, Larry Bird, and Magic Johnson. Over the last few years, there has been talk that the world has caught up to the USA in basketball. Five of the previous six NBA MVPs have been players from foreign countries. It begs the question, has the United States lost its ability to produce the best player every year?
The U.S. had five games to prepare for the Paris Olympics. This was their chance to prove that the United States is still atop the mountain of basketball giants. Game one was against star-studded Canada, whom many think have a shot at the gold medal. It was a close game in the first half, but the United States’ firepower was unmatched. Anthony Edwards led all scorers with 13 points as the U.S. won 86–72.
Game two took place against Australia, which had no answer through three quarters and was down as many as 23 points. The USA then began to give what seemed less effort and let the Aussies bring the game back as the US squeaked by with a 98–92 victory. It was a close call for a match viewed as over in the third quarter.
Game three was against current MVP Nikola Jokiv and Serbia. Curry took the reins and guided the United States to a 105–79 victory while scoring 24 points.
Game four was against South Sudan, which favored the U.S. by 41.5 points. They barely made it out by the skin of their teeth, winning 101–100. Game five was against Germany, where the US won 92–88, with James leading the way with 20 points.
The alarm bells were ringing in these friendly Olympic games. A point must be proven: show the world wrong and bring home the gold, or fail and be labeled as the team that should’ve.
This team is led by 39-year-old LeBron James, who was nominated as the flag bearer for the United States. This team will have to rally behind him to reach the goal of five Gold Medals in a row and close the doubters’ mouths shut.
The United States kicked off its gold medal defense with a victory, triumphing over Serbia 110–84 in their group-stage opener.
Durant and James spearheaded the effort for the U.S., contributing 21 and 23 points, respectively. Durant stood out, making his Paris debut with the team after missing exhibition matches due to a calf injury. He made 8 of 9 shots, missing only once.
Serbia’s three-time NBA MVP Jokić tallied 20 points, eight assists, and five rebounds, but the U.S.’s NBA-caliber talent proved too much to handle. Serbia started strong with a 10–2 run, leading to a competitive first quarter. However, once the U.S. took the lead late in the first period, they maintained control for the rest of the game.
Next, the United States will play against South Sudan on Wednesday, while Serbia will compete against Puerto Rico on the same day.
