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In North London, England, there is an ordinary university sports center. The gym would usually be packed with students working out, but on this sweltering Friday afternoon, the place has a slightly different atmosphere.
Fans waited with bated breath outside, security guards sat at the entrance, and long lines of reporters queued to get into the center.
Soon the reason for this added excitement becomes clear: the buzz in the stadium gets louder as the U.S. men's basketball team emerges from the locker room and onto the court to practice before playing in the Olympics.
The star-studded team will begin its quest for a fifth consecutive gold medal on Sunday when it faces Nikola Jokic's Serbia, with the game scheduled for 11:15 a.m. ET in Lille, France, about a two-and-a-half-hour drive north of Paris.
On one side of the court, you see reigning NBA champions Jayson Tatum and Derrick White taking shots from 3-point range, and between them, former NBA MVP Joel Embiid working on a mid-range shot, before Stephen Curry, the NBA's all-time leading 3-point scorer, weaves his way into frame with the ball between his teammates.
That this level of talent would play together seems stranger than fiction, and when you look at the other members, the fiction quickly descends into fantasy land.
Looking to the left, stretching in the middle of the court are Anthony Davis, July Holiday, Devin Booker and Bam Adebayo, with up-and-comers Anthony Edwards and Tyrese Haliburton soon joining the fray, and two-time NBA champion, two-time Finals MVP and former regular season MVP Kevin Durant watching from the sideline.
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LeBron James and Team USA practiced in London before heading to Paris.
Then there was the little extra something, with four-time NBA champion, four-time regular season MVP and four-time Finals MVP LeBron James finishing up some media business before taking to the court.
While the U.S. national team has had many star players in the past, it's hard to argue that this current lineup is the strongest the U.S. has ever sent to the Olympics.
Basketball fans have long dreamed of seeing players like James and Curry on the same team, and when James' powerful block led to Curry's three-point shot in a warm-up game against Germany, it was clear those dreams were becoming a reality.
Having a star-studded roster is an advantage, but the team's performance needs to translate from paper to the court. To help with this, Team USA held a basketball showcase to improve the team's performance.
After the games in Las Vegas, the U.S. team got a pre-Olympic test with two games in Abu Dhabi and finally two games in London.
The star-studded team won five games from five, but it wasn't as easy as the results suggested, especially in London.
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Team USA underwent rigorous training during the showcase's London tour.
The U.S. beat South Sudan 101-100 in a tough victory, then overcame a crisis to win 92-88 against Germany.
“Don't take the South Sudan game lightly,” James said after the narrow win. “They played very good basketball, and that's why this game will be won between the lines, not on paper.”
The NBA's all-time leading scorer echoed that sentiment after beating Germany.
“I felt good tonight, that's the most important thing,” the Lakers star told reporters after the game. “We were tested by a great German team. They were world champions last year, so it was a good test for us.”
“Just like in the recent match against South Sudan, we were able to keep our cool and fight with perseverance. It was a good win for us.”
In both cases, Team USA relied on their leader, and it was “King James” who led the team to victory.
The 20-time NBA All-Star led the U.S. in scoring with 25 points against South Sudan and added a game-high 20 points against Germany, including 11 in the fourth quarter.
Watching James play, it's hard to believe he'll be turning 40 later this year, and teams still can't stop the Los Angeles Lakers star.
“LeBron James played pretty well at the end,” Germany coach Gordon Herbert told reporters after the game, summing up the match against the United States.
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LeBron James starred in Team USA's showcase games against South Sudan and Germany in London.
Team chemistry must happen quickly
But the U.S. team heading to France knows it can't rely solely on James, and after five practice games, other stars will be looking to step up at the Olympics.
Golden State Warriors star Curry said he believes the whole team can do that.
“The chemistry is very natural,” Curry told reporters in Paris on Thursday. “No matter who has the ball, I'm confident, I can make plays, I can be myself and hopefully something good will come from that. The chemistry has been there and hopefully it will continue.”
The two-time MVP also spoke about the importance of having the right attitude to be successful when playing for such a quality team.
“You have to be able to adapt quickly,” Curry said. “You have to bring your egos as individual players, but at the same time, you have to let it go because you understand it doesn't matter who scores on a night. When you step on the court, you're expected to do certain things, give it your all, play with energy, and as Team USA, if you do that, good things usually happen.”
Stars from around the world are now vying to end America's Golden Age, and oddly enough, one thing they're trying to exploit is the number of stars on their teams.
“On paper, they're obviously the most talented team, that's no secret to anybody,” Australian star Josh Giddey told reporters last week. “The difference is that those guys have never played together, whereas a lot of other countries have a core of players who have been playing together for years, and I think that really (helps).”
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Stephen Curry will be one of the American stars to watch during the Olympics.
Miami Heat star Adebayo told reporters that you can't win games on paper, saying that while the U.S. team is filled with All-NBA players, the opponents also have NBA-caliber players, which isn't the case in the Olympics of old.
France is loaded with talent, including Rookie of the Year phenom Victor Wembanyama and four-time NBA Defensive Player of the Year Rudy Gobert, Canada has 10 NBA players, including two-time All-NBA First Team star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, and Australia has a core of NBA veterans.
But Durant, the leading Olympic scorer in U.S. national team history, named two NBA MVPs as players to watch outside of the U.S. national team.
“Giannis [Antetokounmpo] perhaps, [Nikola] As for who the biggest international star is, Durant said, “Our game is global now. Every player here is a big star in their own way. We're playing 65 or 64 NBA players right now, and they're all the best players in the world.”
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The U.S. men's basketball team is hoping to bring home the gold medal for Team USA.
But despite the increased competition, the U.S. team's confidence remained unshaken.
When asked which player he was looking forward to playing in the Olympics, Curry answered with confidence.
“It's up to us to decide who will compete for the gold medal,” the sharpshooter told reporters, but given his team's track record, his confidence is hardly misplaced.
Team USA could win its fifth consecutive gold medal if it wins this year's Olympics, a victory that would surely put the team in basketball history books.
