USA Basketball and Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James got off to a strong start on their road to the 2024 Olympics in Paris after they beat Canada in their opening game of their exhibition slate.
The game against Canada took place in Las Vegas and was full of eager fans, including former president Barack Obama. James and the Americans got off to a slow start shooting the basketball, but quickly rallied thanks to their bench unit led by Anthony Edwards and Anthony Davis. From that point on with a lead, Team USA was able cobble together enough runs to keep Canada at bay and take home their first victory of the summer.
James was the de facto point guard of the team and scored seven points, including the best play of the night when he hammered down a lob from Stephen Curry. While James didn’t assert himself offensively, he moved his feet well defensively and set the tone on that end of the floor.
After the win, James emphasized that the Americans will have a good chance to win games as long as they keep their defensive intensity up, via FOX Sports:
“I know we’re a lot better, but we’ve only been together four days so all the miscues offensively with the turnovers, we’ll get better with that,” James said. “But it starts on the defensive end. As long as we defend we’re gonna give ourselves a good chance to win every night.”
As James noted, the team only got a couple of practices in before their exhibition match against Canada, so offensive rust was to be expected considering most of the players haven’t played organized basketball in months. Defensively, though, Team USA did well to pressure Canada and get their hands in passing lanes as well as contest shots near the rim.
James was no slouch as he came up with three steals and a block, looking engaged on that end of the floor. If LeBron and the rest of the group continue to improve defensively, it’s hard to imagine another team besting them in international play.
Lakers’ LeBron James says it’s always a treat to be around Barack Obama
Playing for Team USA is a massive honor for players as they not only get to represent their country but they also get to play in front of some of the most important people in the world. President Barack Obama was in attendance for the win against Canada and LeBron James noted it’s always a treat to be around him.
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