A flailing LeBron James confronted Serbian Bogdan Bogdanovic during the U.S. basketball team’s thrilling victory in the Olympic semifinal on Thursday.
James and the Americans trailed by as many as 17 points before rallying in the fourth quarter and eventually winning 95-91.
But the Lakers star became frustrated at one point when Bogdanovic, who plays for the NBA’s Hawks, scored a three-pointer with Serbia ahead.
The two players exchanged a few angry words before being directed to their respective benches.
While A short clip of the incident It’s not shown why James specifically became irritated, Bogdanovic could be seen throughout the game arguing with former Team USA star (and close friend of James) Carmelo Anthony, who was sitting courtside.
LeBron James and Bogdan Bogdanovic exchanged some angry words during Thursday’s semifinals
Bogdanovic did Carmelo Anthony’s ‘three to the dome’ celebration several times in the game
Bogdanovic even mimicked Anthony’s signature “three on the dome” celebration in front of the former Nuggets and Knicks star, with the former hitting three three-pointers in the game and finishing with 20 points.
James later also made fun of Bogdanovic: giving him the “too small” gesture after rising up to hit a jumper over him (while being fouled).
However, they later appeared to reconcile after the game when they shared a hug on the court.
The United States eventually outscored its opponents 32-15 in a wild fourth quarter and will now compete for a gold medal against France on Saturday.
James, 39 and ageless, finished the game with a triple-double by scoring 16 points, dishing out 10 assists and grabbing 12 rebounds against the team led by Nikola-Jokic.
James and Bogdanovic hugged after the game after chatting with each other in Paris
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The Serbian center and three-time NBA MVP scored 17 points, 11 assists and five rebounds as his team faltered down the stretch.
While the former played a major role in the victory, Steph Curry was undoubtedly the star man for the US on the night, as he scored 36 points, eight rebounds and two assists.
The United States will now turn its attention to France after the hosts beat Germany 73-69 in the quarterfinals.
The team led by Victor Wembanyama and Rudy Gobert will be looking to win their first Olympic gold medal in basketball, either men’s or women’s.
