The clash between Serbia and Team USA on Thursday, August 8 will go down as one of the greatest games in Olympic basketball history. With three-time NBA MVP Nikola Jokic leading Serbia against LeBron James and Team USA, rivalries were rekindled and the drama was Shakespearean.
While all eyes are on the Americans heading into the Gold Medal Game after coming back to defeat Serbia 95-91, it’s the Los Angeles Lakers that were the big winners of the instant classic quarterfinal.
Jokic did what Jokic does, posting 17 points and 11 assists as Serbia nearly shocked the world by upsetting Team USA. Stephen Curry was the offensive answer for the Americans, posting 36 points and nine three-point field goals made, while James anchored the defense.
Per Jeff Zilgitt of USA Today, Team USA head coach Steve Kerr praised James for taking on the challenge of defending Jokic at key points of the fourth quarter.
“LeBron James is such an amazing basketball player,” Kerr said. “He guarded (three-time NBA MVP Nikola) Jokic most of the fourth quarter and just all the little stuff that he was doing defensively to thwart Serbia – rebounding, pushing the ball in transition.”
Just like that, the Lakers may have finally found their answer to Jokic on the defensive end of the floor: 39-year-old LeBron James.
James and Anthony Davis led Los Angeles to a gentleman’s sweep of Denver in 2020. Since then, Jokic has led the Nuggets to an 8-1 record across two postseason series against the Lakers—made even more troublesome by the fact that the series occurred in consecutive seasons.
It’s impossible to know what the Lakers could’ve achieved if not for Jokic and the Nuggets having their number, but it’s worth noting that they lost to Denver in the Conference Finals in 2023.
The unfortunate reality during both of those series was that Los Angeles had no answer for Jokic. In 2023, he averaged 27.8 points, 14.5 rebounds, 11.8 assists, 1.3 blocks, and 1.3 steals per game while shooting 50.6 percent from the field and 47.1 percent from beyond the arc.
In 2024, Jokic tallied 28.2 points, 16.2 rebounds, 9.8 assists, and 1.2 steals per game while shooting 59.1 percent from the field.
Los Angeles will never be able to shut Jokic down, as great players simply find ways to be great in the playoffs. What the Olympics have proven, however, is that James has the strength and physicality to keep him in check at crucial points of a highly competitive game.
The Lakers still need to figure out how to contain Jokic for the better part of three quarters, but James looks the part of the answer come the fourth.
The hurdle for Los Angeles will be finding ways to utilize a 39-year-old James in that defensive-minded role without losing his offensive value. That could ultimately require someone else to step up on offense at the end of games, with Davis and Austin Reaves the players likely to face that pressure.
A resolution often creates questions in an entirely new area, but for the Lakers, it’s good fortunate that they’ve found a potential answer during an otherwise quiet offseason.
