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LeBron James' Honest Statement After Team USA's Win Over Nikola Jokic, Serbia

Lakers star LeBron James helped lead USA Basketball to a win over Nikola Jokic and Serbia

Joey Linn

Jul 10, 2024; Las Vegas, Nevada, USA; USA forward LeBron James (6) looks on during the third quarter against Canada in the USA Basketball Showcase at T-Mobile Arena.
Jul 10, 2024; Las Vegas, Nevada, USA; USA forward LeBron James (6) looks on during the third quarter against Canada in the USA Basketball Showcase at T-Mobile Arena. / Candice Ward-USA TODAY Sports
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After a perfect 5-0 record in their Showcase Games, USA Basketball stayed perfect with a win over Serbia in their Paris Olympics Group Play opener. Led by Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James and Phoenix Suns star Kevin Durant, Team USA was able to take down Denver Nuggets star Nikola Jokic and the rest of Serbia's talented roster.

Speaking on the NBC broadcast after the game, James was asked about playing with Durant, saying, "We just bring out the best in one another. We're very seasoned to the FIBA games... to have KD on our side, to have KD on my side is a treat for sure."

On how Team USA can continue to improve, James added, "We're gonna get better with our turnovers. Obviously we're trying to make the right play, so you can never exclude that. But it's some of the careless turnovers we had that we can give ourselves even more possessions offensively. We'll be better coming up on Wednesday."

James finished with 21 points, nine assists, and eight rebounds in the win over Serbia. It was an all-around game for James, who is able to thrive in this role with Team USA where he is relied upon to do a little bit of everything.

This loss for Serbia came down to an inability to survive with Nikola Jokic off the court. Finishing with 20 points, eight rebounds, five assists, and four steals, Jokic played well. Serbia played Team USA even in Jokic's minutes, but was outscored by 26 points in the minutes he sat.

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Joey Linn
JOEY LINN

Title: Credentialed writer covering the NBA for Sports Illustrated's FanNation Email: joeylinn52@gmail.com Education: Communication Studies degree from Biola University Location: Los Angeles, California Expertise: NBA analysis and reporting Experience: Joey Linn is a credentialed writer covering the NBA for Sports Illustrated's FanNation. Covering the LA Clippers independently in 2018, then for Fansided and 213Hoops from 2019-2021, Joey joined Sports Illustrated's FanNation to cover the Clippers after the 2020-21 season. Graduating from Biola University in 2022 with a Communication Studies degree, Joey served as Biola's play-by-play announcer for their basketball, baseball, softball, and soccer teams during his time in school. Joey's work on Biola's broadcasts, combined with his excellence in the classroom, earned him the Outstanding Communication Studies Student of the year award in 2022. Joey covers the NBA full-time across multiple platforms, primarily serving as a credentialed Clippers beat writer.

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