When Team USA found themselves trailing by 17 points against Serbia in the Olympic semifinals, the tension in the arena was palpable. But as the fourth quarter began, LeBron James remembered a piece of advice from his longtime friend, Carmelo Anthony, nudging him to push the extra mile to stay afloat and undefeated.

After the game, LeBron James took to Instagram to share the moment that sparked his resurgence. “You said, ‘Gotta get it done the hard way.’ I heard you loud and clear, my brother,” James wrote, directly acknowledging Anthony’s influence. James would then end his evening with a triple-double — 16 points, 12 rebounds, and 10 assists, forgoing the role of a primary scorer to set up his teammates whenever necessary.

Interestingly, this wasn’t just any triple-double for LeBron—it was history in the making. With this performance, he became the only men’s basketball player in the Olympics to achieve multiple triple-doubles. The first time he accomplished this feat was back in 2012. Adding to the milestone, LeBron’s triple-double was only the fourth in Olympic history, joining the ranks of Alexander Belov (1976) and Luka Doncic (2020).

Meanwhile, despite the criticism that had surrounded the team in previous games, the night belonged to Stephen Curry. His 36 points marked the second-highest-scoring game in Team USA’s Olympic history, sealing their hard-fought victory over Serbia.

In the closing moments of the game, Team USA finally caught up to Serbia. With just two minutes left, LeBron found Curry open for a crucial three-pointer, giving Team USA an 87-86 lead. That shot was enough to lift the team’s spirits and to eventually have Steve Kerr saying, “It’s one of the greatest basketball games I’ve ever been a part of.” 

Carmelo Anthony was on the courtside, watching the thriller unfold. He even shared a moment with Bron following the game that made it to his Instagram. “Don’t mess with family,” he captioned, also sharing smiles from their previous Olympic together.

Carmelo Anthony shares a story of LeBron James’ heroics after the semifinal

Right around the semifinals came to an, on the surface came the Rachel Nichols’ Open Run, with Melo sharing a stroy from 2015, involving King James, that still makes him smile. He recounted a time when he, LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, and Chris Paul were vacationing in the Bahamas. What was supposed to be a fun boast ride, saw panic when Melo found himself separated from the group. Soon, LeBron was in the water, trying to get the Knicks’ star out of his situation.

Recalling the incident, Anthony playfully admitted, “I wasn’t dying, but yeah, he came and got me.” Despite his attempts to downplay the situation, the interviewer nudged him further, reminding everyone that Melo had indeed been floating away. Laughing, Anthony added, “Superman came and saved the day.”

Interestingly, LeBron had also shared this story back in 2020, though his version carried a more serious tone. He spoke of how, with the grace of God and his own determination, he was able to get Melo back safely after learning that he wasn’t on the boat with them. “The only thing that was on my mind at that point and time was getting my brother back to the boat… I’m just happy he’s still here.” Family indeed.

“Stay tuned for more such updates and join us for the exciting second episode of the “Dual Threat Show” as our host BG12 sits down with Georgia Bulldogs star and Mountain West All-Freshman Team Selection, Asia Avinger.”