The USA basketball team kicked off their preparations for the Paris Olympics with an 86-72 win over Canada in Las Vegas on Wednesday. This game marked the first time LeBron James and Steph Curry played together as international teammates, leading the US to victory after overcoming an early 11-1 deficit.
The star-studded USA roster, which is aiming for a fifth consecutive gold medal in Paris, showcased its talent in front of a record-breaking crowd of 20,756 at the T-Mobile Arena. Coach Steve Kerr’s starting lineup featured Curry, James, Jrue Holiday, Devin Booker, and Joel Embiid. The second unit, including Anthony Davis, Bam Adebayo, Anthony Edwards, Tyrese Haliburton, and Jayson Tatum, made a significant impact on the game.
Before heading to France, the team will fly to Abu Dhabi for additional practice and two exhibition matches against Australia and Serbia on July 15 and 17, respectively, at Yas Island’s Etihad Arena.
Reflecting on the game, James acknowledged the team’s room for improvement. “We know we can be a lot better but we’ve only been together four days,” he said, highlighting the need to tighten up on both ends of the court. Curry echoed this sentiment, emphasizing the importance of defense. “We can work out the kinks and the timing on offence, but if we compete like that and commit to playing defense, we’ll be fine against anybody,” he stated.
James also shared his excitement about teaming up with Curry. “We’re just two guys who love to play the game of basketball,” James said. “It’s fun. We play the game at a high level but more importantly, we just play the game that we love the right way.”
Curry, looking ahead to the Olympics, stressed the collective effort required for success. “We just want to win gold, whatever that takes,” he said. “No matter what your stats are, no matter how many minutes you play – if everybody on the floor commits to just doing what you’re asked to do, we’ll be good.”