LILLE (France) - In 2014 and 2016, the Finals of the two biggest international competitions saw Serbia matching up with USA. USA Basketball emerged victorious in both games.
Now, eight years later, the two juggernauts are in the same group in Lille at the Men's Olympic Basketball Tournament Paris 2024. They are joined by South Sudan and Puerto Rico in the battle for the Quarter-Finals.
The top two will advance regardless of what's going on in other groups. The third-placed team will have to be better than at least one other third-placed team from other groups to advance, while the fourth-placed team doesn't get to experience Paris this year.
The Favorite: USA
There were some tough tests during the showcase, and it was a really good thing for coach Steve Kerr, because now he gets to take a battle-tested team to the Olympics.
LeBron James was the one who saved the day against both South Sudan and Germany, just months ahead of his 40th birthday he's got his sights set on proving that he is still the best basketball player out there.
Steph Curry's movement and shooting help the others space the floor, Jrue Holiday's team-first mentality is always impressive, while Anthony Davis and Bam Adebayo provide a second unit like no other, taking full advantage of the fact that there are no defensive three seconds around here.
Perhaps the easiest way to paint this picture for you: USA swept through their five preparation games, winning every single one of them. And they can get to the Olympics even better, because we are yet to see what Kevin Durant brings to this team.
He suffered a minor calf injury and will travel to France, but coach Kerr still wants to see him put together a string of practices before actually playing a game.
The Underdog: South Sudan
Puerto Rico already have some impressive Olympic games behind them, so they weren't in consideration to be the underdog. If anything, calling them the underdog would just make them more comfortable in their perennial quest of upsetting the odds.
Meanwhile, South Sudan are set to make their Olympic debut. A lot of people were stunned as coach Royal Ivey and his men came within eight seconds of handing USA their first defeat in Steph Curry's era (23-0), but those who followed the last World Cup just went: "Told you so!"
These guys are tall, athletic, talented, play with so much heart to put the nation on the basketball map of the world, and their point guard Carlik Jones is one of the best in the business.
What makes you respect South Sudan the most is their mindset. They feel like they could do some damage already in their first Olympics, instead of just becoming complacent after they made history by reaching the summit for the first time.
The Pivotal Game: South Sudan v Puerto Rico
It's the first game of the group, and it really needs no explanation other than:
Whoever loses this game will have to defeat Serbia and/or the United States to advance to the Quarter-Finals.
The Open Question: How many triple-doubles in Group C?
Carlik Jones was one rebound shy of getting the triple-double at the World Cup last summer. This summer, he picked up one against the United States in a friendly, so consider him a hot favorite to fill the stat sheet.
Nikola Jokic is a walking triple-double in the NBA, while LeBron James already has an Olympic triple-double to his name.
With so many great passers and rebounders in this group, the question isn't if somebody would get a triple-double. The question is if these guys can combine and get more triple-doubles in the group stage of Paris 2024 than we ever had before.
Alexander Belov (1976), LeBron James (2012) and Luka Doncic (2020) are the only three players to achieve the feat in Olympic history.
More?
Don't forget to check the Team Profiles for: USA, Serbia, South Sudan and Puerto Rico.
FIBA