LeBron James Leads USA to Narrow Victory Over South Sudan in Paris Olympic 2024 Warm-Up

The all-time NBA scoring leader, LeBron James, 39, scored a game-high 25 points, including the game-winning basket at the O2 Arena on a driving layup with eight seconds left.

After an 8-0 scoring run in the fourth quarter, South Sudan, who had led 58-44 at the half, was about to pull off one of the biggest upsets in international basketball history when James came to the rescue.

US coach Steve Kerr stated, “The ending was good for us — just to feel that, to feel what it’s going to feel like in Paris.”

We had a wonderful experience. A helpful reminder that everyone should perform as though it’s their greatest experience when we play against teams.

With 20 seconds left, J.T. Thor, who has spent the last three seasons playing for the NBA’s Charlotte Hornets, made a three-pointer to give South Sudan a 100-99 lead.

South Sudan had one last possession after James made the game-winning basket, but Carlik Jones missed a jumper with six seconds left, and Wenyen Gabriel missed two put-back tries prior to the final buzzer.

Kerr remarked, “South Sudan was amazing.” “I did a poor job of getting my team ready. It is my fault that we did not pay enough attention to what they are capable of.

“I believe that was a major factor in South Sudan’s early confidence-building. “They were really confident in themselves after we turned it up in the second half, as they had already made a number of three-pointers.”

James was the catalyst for the US’s 23-5 run from the end of the third quarter to the beginning of the fourth. James, a four-time NBA winner and two-time Olympic champion, stated, “We have to keep moving forward.”

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“We have maybe two weeks together, but many of the teams we’re playing have been practicing for months or maybe longer. “So, we have an opportunity with every match and every filming session. Without going back, we must strive to make the most of it.

Joel Embiid, a 2022 US citizen born in Cameroon, contributed 14 points and seven rebounds for the Americans.

For the US team of NBA stars, Anthony Davis contributed 11 rebounds and 15 points after coming off the bench. “As we witnessed tonight, we’re not 100 percent together, but as I mentioned earlier, everything is under control.” Davis stated.

Marial Shayok scored 24 points, Jones contributed 15 points, 11 rebounds, and 11 assists, and Thor scored 14 points off the bench for South Sudan, which is rated 33rd in the world.

While Jones plays for Partizan, a longstanding Serbian power, Shayok plays in China and temporarily with Embiid.

On July 31 in Lille, the Americans will play South Sudan once more in the Olympic group stages.