Team USA kicked off their quest for a fifth consecutive gold medal in basketball with a convincing win against Serbia at the 2024 Paris Olympics.
LeBron James and Co beat NBA rival Nikola Jokic 110-84 and it was a star-studded performance from the defending champions.
Kevin Durant made his first appearance of the summer after missing the exhibition games and scored 23 points in an almost perfect game, missing only one of hit shots across all four quarters.
That included five three-pointers and his performance was backed up by James, who added 21 with nine assists and eight rebounds.
It is the first time the Los Angeles Lakers star has appeared at the Olympics since 2016.
Team USA had a nine-point lead at half-time and continued pushing on in the second half.
The vets put on show in game 1. 👀#ParisOlympics pic.twitter.com/LWWtTnLFdu
— Team USA (@TeamUSA) July 28, 2024
Three-time NBA MVP Jokic topped Serbia’s scoring with 20 but was let down by some mediocre shooting elsewhere on the court, with his team going nine for 37 on three-pointers.
Stephen Curry made his Olympic debut and lined up alongside James, Joel Embiid, Devin Booker and Jrue Holiday.
He finished on 11 points despite picking up an ankle knock in the second half.
Team USA have two more group-stage games to play against South Sudan and Puerto Rico.
Serbia were expected to be their toughest test and a resounding victory puts them on course to defend their title in Paris.
