Video: LeBron James Says It's 'F--king Good' Team USA Saw Adversity vs. Germany
July 22, 2024
It wasn't easy, but the Team USA men's basketball team closed out its showcase ahead of the Paris Olympics with a perfect 5-0 record by defeating Germany 92-88 on Monday.
After the game, star forward LeBron James gave a speech to his teammates where he made it clear that they will benefit from the tough matchups they had during their exhibition run.
"We saw some adversity, which is f—king good," James said. "We been down two games in a row, and that's gonna be good for us."
James finished with a team-high 20 points in Monday's win. The fourth quarter featured multiple lead changes before the 39-year-old took over down the stretch with some clutch plays to secure the victory for the Americans.
It was the second straight close game after Team USA needed a late go-ahead layup from James to get past South Sudan on Saturday.
Team USA has been missing a key piece in Kevin Durant, who sat out all five games while nursing a calf strain. ESPN's Brian Windhorst reported that "Team USA officials privately remain optimistic Durant will be able to play in the Olympics." The roster will need to be finalized by Saturday.
With the Paris Olympics now on the horizon, James is confident that Team USA will bring home a fifth straight gold medal.
"Like KD just said, the real s--t begins now," he told the team. "We got six games. We'll take one game at a time."