LeBron James is caught leaving trendy Paris restaurant at 3am after hanging with Team USA’s Kevin Durant, Anthony Davis and Bam Adebayo
LeBron James and several other Team USA basketball stars were caught leaving an exclusive stadium in Paris early Monday morning, despite the fact that they were supposed to practice straight away for Wednesday’s game against promising South Sudan.
James, Durant, Anthony Davis and Bam Adebayo were seen leaving through a 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 mysterious women were all seen leaving the restaurant while umbrellas were used to shield the celebrity guests and other friends from the photographers hanging around. It is unknown if the women were part of the same group as the NBA stars.
Photos have also surfaced from earlier in the evening showing Team USA’s Devin Booker, Jayson Tatum and even former San Antonio Spurs star Tony Parker interacting with restaurateur Mehdi Abdelhedi.
The photos followed Team USA’s victory over Nikola Jokic and Team Serbia earlier on Sunday.
LeBron James was spotted walking toward the exit around 3 a.m.
Kevin Durant wears a Boston Bruins cap as he heads out of Siena
The timing of the celebration was made even more notable by Team USA’s upcoming game schedule.
With all 12 teams in action on Saturday or Sunday, everyone in the men’s tournament at the Pierre Mauroy Stadium had Monday off.
For some, it’s a chance to regroup and practice. For others, like the U.S. — who edged Serbia in the opening game, led by Durant’s brilliant return from a calf injury — it’s a day to relax, recover and become Team USA fans.
“It’s huge,” U.S. coach Steve Kerr said Monday. “And it’s also important for us to let our players enjoy the Olympic experience, so they can watch other sports and be with their families. That’s a huge part of this. That’s what today is about, and we’ll continue tomorrow.”
Miami Heat star and Team USA center Bam Adebayo is pictured leaving a Parisian restaurant
Los Angeles Lakers center Anthony Davis is pictured after hanging out with Team USA in Paris
A woman leaves Siena for Paris, which is near the Tuileries Garden.
Another woman leaves Siena, where members of Team USA were seen partying late Sunday night
Translated: teams that finish 3-0 in the group are definitely in the game, teams that finish 2-1 in the group are almost certainly safe unless a tight tiebreaker occurs, teams that finish 1-2 in the group need some help but can still advance (two such teams advanced to the Tokyo Games three years ago), and teams that finish 0-3 in the group go home early.
The match between the US and South Sudan is one that everyone will be watching, especially after the rising team from Africa nearly defeated the Americans in a 101-100 game in London earlier this month that no one saw coming. The winner of that game will secure a trip to the quarterfinals.
Serbia-Puerto Rico is not an elimination match, but the winner has a much greater chance of advancing to next week and the loser will be hoping for a lot.
South Sudan has made the most of its Olympic debut in men’s basketball so far, beating Puerto Rico 90-79 in its first game on Sunday.
“We are no longer a secret,” South Sudan coach Royal Ivey said afterwards.
LeBron James is pictured hanging out with restaurateur Mehdi Abdelhedi in Siena
Siena is an Italian restaurant near the Tuileries Garden on the north bank of the Seine
The next game is a rematch with the USA on Tuesday. The two met in a friendly and South Sudan almost pulled off a stunning upset. South Sudan qualified for the Olympics thanks to its performance at last year’s World Cup and finished as the best African team.
The national association is led by former NBA player Luol Deng.
Additionally, head coach Royal Ivey is an assistant with the NBA’s Houston Rockets, where he spent 10 years as an NBA player. The New York native began coaching in the NBA’s developmental league in 2014 before stints with the Knicks and Nets. He landed the South Sudan job in 2021 and has been leading them since.
The team features a few former NBA players. Wenyen Gabriel played briefly with James and the Lakers in 2022, and Carlik Jones bounced around a few teams, including Dallas, Denver and Chicago.
Jones had a triple-double in the one-point loss to the USA in a practice match