LeBron James and many other Team USA basketball players were photographed leaving an upscale Paris hotel in the early hours of Monday morning, despite having an upcoming training session ahead of Wednesday’s game against upstart South Sudan.
James, Durant, Anthony Davis, and Bam Adebayo were observed exiting Siena, an Italian restaurant near the Tuileries Garden on the Seine’s north bank, by the back entrance. Durant left far before James, who was photographed leaving around 3 a.m. local time.
A number of unidentified women were seen exiting the restaurant, with umbrellas deployed to protect the celebrity guests and any other pals from lingering photographers. It’s unclear whether the women were part of the same group as the NBA stars.
Photos from earlier in the night have also surfaced, showing Team USA’s Devin Booker, Jayson Tatum, and even former San Antonio Spurs player Tony Parker hanging out with restauranteur Mehdi Abdelhedi.
The photographs followed Team USA’s victory over Nikola Jokic and Team Serbia earlier on Sunday.
The timing of the celebration was made much more intriguing by Team USA’s forthcoming schedule.
With all 12 teams playing on Saturday or Sunday, everyone in the men’s competition at Pierre Mauroy Stadium had the day off on Monday.
For some, this is an opportunity to recover and practice. For others, like the U.S., who swept past Serbia in its opening, powered by Durant’s stunning return from a calf ailment, it brings a day to relax, recover,
Go be Team USA fans.
“It’s huge,” U.S. coach Steve Kerr said Monday. ‘And it’s also vital for us to give our players the opportunity to enjoy the Olympic experience, to watch some of the other sports and spend time with their families. It’s a major component of this. That is what today is about, and we will lock back in tomorrow.
Translation: teams that go 3-0 in group are definitely in, teams that go 2-1 in group are almost certainly safe barring some wild tiebreaker scenario, teams that go 1-2 in group will need some help but could still advance (two such teams did advance at the Tokyo Games three years ago), and teams that go 0-3 in group are going.
Arrived home early.
The battle between the United States and South Sudan will be closely watched, especially after the African upstart team nearly defeated the Americans in London earlier this month in a 101-100 game that no one anticipated coming. The winner of that game will advance to the quarterfinals. Serbia-Puerto Rico is not an elimination game, but the winner has a far higher chance of moving on to the next round, whereas the loser will have to rely heavily on hope.
South Sudan has had the most successful Olympic debut in men’s basketball thus far. On Sunday, the African nation defeated Puerto Rico 90-79 in its opening game.
‘We are no longer a secret,’ South Sudan coach Royal Ivey remarked afterward.
The next game is a rematch against the United States on Tuesday. In an exhibition game, South Sudan almost pulled off a shocking upset. South Sudan qualified for the Olympics based on its performance in the World Cup last year, where they finished as the top African team.
The national federation is chaired by former NBA player Luol Deng.
Furthermore, head coach Royal Ivey is an assistant with the NBA’s Houston Rockets and formerly played in the league for ten years. The New York native began coaching in the NBA developing league in 2014, followed by stints with the Knicks and Nets. He was appointed as South Sudan’s leader in 2021 and has been in charge since.
The team includes a few former NBA players.
There are players on it. Wenyen Gabriel temporarily played for James and the Lakers in 2022, while Carlik Jones moved around with other clubs, including Dallas, Denver, and Chicago.
Jones recorded a triple-double in the one-point exhibition loss to the United States.
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