Anthony Davis and Team USA basketball are not taking the international competition lightly.
Prior to the U.S.’s game against Serbia on Sunday, Davis referenced the movie ‘Space Jam’ and stated that the Americans understand how strong the international competition has become.
“We don’t take these things for granted,” Davis said. “You don’t come in like, ‘Oh, we’re the Monstars and we’re just going to crush everybody.’ Like, those days are long over.”
It’s safe to say that Davis and his teammates took that into the game against Serbia as the U.S. earned a 110-84 win. Kevin Durant led the U.S. with 23 points and LeBron James was next with 21 points. Davis contributed seven points and eight rebounds in a bench role.
The win gave the Americans their first win of the tournament as they look to earn a fifth-consecutive gold medal. While the U.S. entered the tournament as the favorites, the strength of the international game has taken a step up in recent seasons.
Serbian star Nikola Jokić is a great example of this as he has won three of the last NBA MVP awards. He showcased his talent against the U.S. in the opening game, scoring 20 points and adding eight assists, five rebounds and four steals.
Still, the depth on the U.S. team make it a formidable force to deal with and the strong performance over Serbia should strike some fear into future opponents.
The U.S. will next be in action on Wednesday when it faces South Sudan. This is a rematch of a friendly from July 20 when South Sudan nearly pulled off a huge upset but would fall 101-100.