In their penultimate practice before the Paris Games begin later this week, the four-time defending Olympic gold medalists held off World Cup champion Germany 92-88 in London on Monday night. James scored the final 11 points for the Americans down the line. James, who was named earlier in the day as the American team’s male flagbearer for Friday night’s opening ceremony down the Seine River (the female flagbearer will be unveiled on Tuesday), performed admirably down the stretch, just as he did over the weekend when his layup with eight seconds remaining gave the Americans a 101-100 victory over South Sudan, a newcomer. For the United States, James finished with 20 points, Joel Embiid with 15, Stephen Curry with 13, and Anthony Edwards with 11. For us, it was a useful test. And I’m happy that, as we did against South Sudan the other day, we were able to maintain our poise and persist once more,” James remarked. “We had a good victory there.” Franz Wagner scored 18 points to lead Germany. Dennis Schroder finished with 13 points and 10 assists, while Andreas Obst, the hero of Germany’s victory over the United States in the World Cup semifinals the previous year, finished with 14. Moritz Wagner scored 12 points, and Daniel Theis added 13 for Germany.
The Americans concluded their exhibition schedule with a perfect 5-0 record, although only one match proved to be an absolute breeze. That was against Serbia, whom the United States will play in their first Olympic game of the summer on Sunday. Canada occasionally caused problems for the United States, Australia rallied to make the game exciting in the end, South Sudan came dangerously close to pulling off an upset as a 43.5-point underdog, and with 4 minutes remaining on Monday, the Germans led the United States. James’ turn came next. In the last 3:57, he outscored Germany 11-6 on his own. Now, Paris is in wait. This weekend is when the real games begin. Curry remarked, “We’ve experienced everything.” ” Now, it’s only a matter of turning up next week when the lights are shining. I believe we’re prepared. I believe we are ready. We must now put on a show.
After 14 turnovers and some careless play, Team USA turned things around in the fourth quarter
Devin Booker worked both ends of the court to block a jumper and then make an absurd layup to give the United States a three-point lead after Stephen Curry tied the game at 75. With just over four minutes remaining, the Germans, who had defeated Team USA in the 2023 FIBA Basketball World Cup quarterfinals, were leading 82-81. James took over at that point, winning the game with a dunk and then converting a 3-pointer with 1:25 remaining. James would keep winning the rebounding battle, and his offensive play at the low post gave Team USA a late lead. Germany was led by Orlando Magic’s Franz Wagner, who finished with eighteen points, seven rebounds, four assists, and three steals.
Moritz, his Magic teammate and brother, scored 12 points and pulled down seven rebounds. The victory on Monday came two days after Team USA defeated South Sudan 101-100 thanks to a layup by James with eight seconds remaining. Their pre-Olympic tour started with victories over Australia, Canada, and Serbia. Next up for Team USA’s Olympic preparations is a trip to Paris. They will start the competition against Serbia on Sunday and play their remaining group-round matches against South Sudan on July 31 and Puerto Rico on August 3. The American men are aiming for their eighth gold medal in the previous nine Olympics and their fifth in a row.
Summary: More is still required, at both ends of the floor, over a longer period
“I think he might be one of the most overrated players in the NBA,” Dan Favale stated during an appearance on the “Hardwood Knocks” podcast hosted by Bleacher Report. And it’s not meant as a slight. However, we are discussing him as though he nearly has this non-star worth akin to Mikal Bridges. With him, I see the vision. However, I don’t currently trust the jumper. Unless he’s in space, I don’t think he can create his shot. Additionally, the defense seems a little disorganized.
“Part of it is, it’s a glamor franchise; he’s the best version of a hot prospect that they have, and so everybody is aware of him,” Grant Hughes said. “The highlights also have that effect. A+ athletes are our favorites. Furthermore, it makes it more difficult to rationalize [how he] frequently fails to appear in the appropriate defensive positions. He doesn’t get back up. I don’t believe it’s a bad thing to remark that he’s a little overrated. But I still believe that he still has absurdly great potential.” “To what end Golden State’s responsibility for Kuminga’s enduring limitations is debatable,” Favale stated. “Until the previous season, he lacked a role that could be considered consistent. And without a doubt, the production value per minute pops off the page. However, it’s absurd to think of him as cornerstone material from both the Warriors organization’s inside and outside. Maybe one day he’ll make it there. I’m hoping he does. But he’s not quite there yet.” The four players following Kuminga are Jalen Green of Houston (No. 2), Miles Bridges of Charlotte (No. 3), and Ja.
LeBron James is beginning to resemble “him”
Ever since professional men’s basketball at the Olympics began, there has been a standout player on the roster: Kevin Durant in 2021, Kobe Bryant on the Redeem Team, Charles Barkley on the Dream Team, etc. Watching the dynamics and how great players give way to one in particular is intriguing. And James and this crew are experiencing that at the moment. “It’s quite remarkable,” Kerr remarked. His level of effort and focus on each drill is astounding. He speaks, even at a walk-through volume, shouting out a play, the plan, and setting an example for others to follow. It’s amazing. Although I’ve known it, it’s still unique to witness it up close.
James is a player who is once again defying age and plans to approach the Olympics with an NBA Finals-like commitment, as evidenced by his preparation and attacking mentality during the warm-up games. It was on purpose that the last play against South Sudan, which was meant to spare Team USA from humiliation, was written for him. “LeBron took the lead when we had struggles,” Jr. Holiday remarked. James was respected by his peers universally, and now that he is 39 years old, even more so. Not only will the world witness that on the court, but it will also be on Friday when he represents Team USA as their male flagbearer.
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