LeBron James and other Team USA basketball stars were spotted leaving an exclusive Paris lounge in the early hours of Monday morning despite having an impending training session ahead of Wednesday’s game against upstart South Sudan.
James, Durant, Anthony Davis and Bam Adebayo were seen leaving through the back entrance of Siena, an Italian restaurant near the Tuileries Garden on the north bank of the Seine. Durant left well before James, who was photographed leaving at 3 a.m. local time.
A group of mystery women were seen leaving the restaurant while umbrellas were used to shield celebrity guests and other friends from straggling photographers. It is not known if the women were part of the same group as the NBA stars.
Footage from that same night has also surfaced, showing Team USA’s Devin Booker, Jayson Tatum and even former San Antonio Spurs star Tony Parker hanging out with restaurant owner Mehdi Abdelhedi.
The photos emerged after Team USA’s victory over Nikola Jokic and Team Serbia on Sunday.
LeBron James was seen heading out around 3 a.m.
Kevin Durant sports a Boston Bruins cap as he heads out of Siena
The timing of the party was made even more curious by Team USA’s upcoming schedule.
Since all 12 teams were in action on Saturday or Sunday, all participants in the men’s tournament at the Pierre Mauroy Stadium had Monday off.
For some, it gives them a chance to regroup and practice. For others, like the United States, which beat Serbia in its opener thanks to Durant’s brilliant return from a calf problem, it’s a day to relax, recover and be a fan of Team USA.
“It’s very important,” U.S. coach Steve Kerr said Monday. “And it’s also important for us to allow our players to enjoy the Olympic experience, to be able to go watch other sports and be with their families. That’s a very important part of it. That’s what it’s all about today, and then we’ll refocus on it tomorrow.”
Miami Heat star and Team USA center Bam Adebayo is photographed leaving a Parisian restaurant
Los Angeles Lakers center Anthony Davis is photographed after spending time with Team USA in Paris
A woman leaves Siena in Paris, near the Tuileries Garden.
Another woman leaves Siena, where members of the US team were seen partying on Sunday night
Translation: Teams that finish 3-0 in the group are definitely in, teams that finish 2-1 in the group are almost certainly safe barring some crazy tiebreaker scenario, teams that finish 1-2 in the group will need some help but could still advance (two of these teams advanced at the Tokyo Games three years ago), and teams that finish 0-3 in the group will go home early.
The match between the United States and South Sudan will be of great interest to everyone, especially after the emerging African team nearly defeated the Americans in London earlier this month in a match that no one expected, with a score of 101-100. The winner of that match will secure a place in the quarterfinals.
Serbia-Puerto Rico is not a knockout match, but the winner has a much better chance of advancing to next week and the loser will have a lot of hope.
South Sudan has made the most of its Olympic debut in men’s basketball. On Sunday, the African nation beat Puerto Rico 90-79 in its opening game.
“We are no longer a secret,” South Sudan coach Royal Ivey said afterwards.
LeBron James is photographed hanging out with restaurant owner Mehdi Abdelhedi in Siena
Siena is an Italian restaurant near the Tuileries Garden, along the north bank of the Seine.
On Tuesday, they will face the United States again. The two teams met in a friendly match and South Sudan almost pulled off a surprise victory. South Sudan qualified for the Olympics thanks to their performance at last year’s World Cup, where they finished as the best African team.
The national federation is headed by former NBA player Luol Deng.
Additionally, head coach Royal Ivey is an assistant for the NBA’s Houston Rockets and spent 10 years in the NBA as a player. The New York native began coaching in 2014 in the NBA’s development league before stints with the Knicks and Nets. He got the job in South Sudan in 2021 and has been coaching them ever since.
The team features a few former NBA players. Wenyen Gabriel played briefly with James and the Lakers in 2022 and Carlik Jones had stints with several teams, including Dallas, Denver and Chicago.
Jones recorded a triple-double in a one-point exhibition loss to the U.S.