LeBron James recently shared Carmelo Anthony’s inspiring message, which inspired him and Team USA to mount a comeback and prevail over Serbia in the men’s Olympic basketball semifinal match last Thursday. James put forth the extra effort to lead the American team to the gold medal game, besting the Serbians, led by Nikola Jokic and Bogdan Bogdanovic, 95-91.
James shared an Instagram story recalling Melo’s motivational quote that he remembered when the team was struggling to regain the advantage over their formidable opponent.
“You said, ‘Gotta get it done The hard way.’ I heard you loud and clear my friend,” James’ caption said.
Carmelo Anthony was at the Accor Arena to cheer for Team USA. A three-time Olympic gold medalist himself, he’s been named a global ambassador for FIBA along with fellow NBA legends and Olympians Dirk Nowitzki and Pau Gasol.
LeBron James posts record-setting triple-double in Team USA’s win over Serbia
39 is an age that is considered old to still be active in the NBA, and yet LeBron James still continues to show why his name is included in basketball’s GOAT debate. In Team USA’s narrow win over Serbia on Thursday, James set the record for the most triple-doubles in Olympic basketball history by achieving his second.
“King James” has two of the only four recorded triple-doubles in the entire history of the Olympics.
The veteran Laker finished the semifinal game with 16 points, 12 rebounds, and 10 assists. While Stephen Curry was the best player of the game with 36 points, eight rebounds, and two assists, LeBron made some clutch plays in the fourth quarter that sealed the Serbians’ fate.
Kevin Durant only had nine points off the bench, but he got those points when it mattered most. Joel Embiid also proved to be a foil for Jokic, tallying in 19 points, four rebounds, and two assists. Meanwhile, neither Jayson Tatum nor Tyrese Haliburton played a single minute in the hard-fought game—again—as per head coach Steve Kerr’s decision.
LeBron James and Team USA are in the final stretch
LeBron James is one more game away from taking home his third Olympic gold medal, which will be Team USA’s fifth consecutive and 17th overall. The only team left to try and stop them is the host country, France, which recently defeated Germany, the reigning FIBA World Cup Champions.
The finals will be a rematch of the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, but with new rosters for both teams. While Team USA is the heavy favorite to win the gold, fans can expect France to give them a run for their money, especially with Victor Wembanyama, who is a formidable force both offensively and defensively.
As the underdogs coming into the finals, there isn’t any pressure in France to win the gold, while Team USA has a lot to lose as the defending Olympic champions. The host country will have to seize every opening in every mistake their opponent makes while playing a near-perfect game themselves to pull the rug from under the Americans for an upset.
For more NBA content:
Follow me on X at @ErnestLeo, and follow us at @HardwoodHeroics. You can also reach out to Ernest Hernandez via email at [email protected]. To read more of our articles and keep up to date on the latest NBA news, click here!
Ernest also handles a YouTube account called Sports On Air with over 102 thousand subscribers. The channel contains interviews predominantly from the Philippine Basketball Association. They can be reached at [email protected].
