There is more to Team USA than LeBron James and Kevin Durant. That was very much on full display during the Americans’ huge 103-86 win over South Sudan in the 2024 Paris Olympics.
James, who scored 12 points on 5/9 shooting from the field with seven rebounds and five assists against South Sudan, spoke about the depth of the United States and the contribution Team USA got from the bench.
“It’s great,” James said. “I mean, you know, we’ve got 12 guys that can go out and get the job done, you know, any given night. And, you know, our second lineup came in and did that tonight for us. Defensively, that’s where it started, and then offensively, they were great as well.”
Bam Adebayo was the star of the night for USA against South Sudan, as the Miami Heat big man came off the bench and fired 18 points on 8/10 shooting from the floor to go with seven boards in nearly 21 minutes of action. Durant also provided 14 points as part of USA’s second unit.
Depth and elite talent from top to bottom of the roster has always been a major strength of the Americans in the Olympics. Team USA can afford to bench guys like Tyrese Haliburton and Jayson Tatum and still come away with dominant victories over elite teams in Paris.
James and company can finish group play with an undefeated 3-0 record when they take on Puerto Rico this Saturday.
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