Kendrick Perkins on whether KD or LeBron is more important for Team USA: "It's gonna be on the back of Kevin Durant"

The U.S. men's basketball team opened their 2024 Olympics campaign with an impressive 110-84 win over the Nikola Jokic-led Serbian team.

LeBron James and Kevin Durant led the Americans to victory. "King James" had a near triple-double with 21 points, seven rebounds, and nine assists, while KD finished with a team-high 23 points on 8-9 shooting, including 5-5 from three.

In the aftermath of Team USA 's win, people have debated whether LeBron is still the team's most valuable player or Durant proved he's the key to the squad's success. ESPN's Kendrick Perkins says it's KD.

"If you're a fan of the Olympics, if you're a fan of basketball, if you're representing our country, or cheering for our country, when you were watching this team with Kevin Durant, you was going to sleep at night looking at the ceiling fan with the lights on. With Kevin Durant on that team, them toes get to wiggling in bed, those feet get to rubbing together, you real comfortable, you real laidback," "Big Perk" said .

KD changed the game

With LeBron, Stephen Curry, Joel Embiid, Jrue Holiday, and Devin Booker starting, the Serbians raced to a 10-2 lead, forcing Steve Kerr to call a very early timeout. With Team USA down 19-14, KD entered the contest, and the Americans never looked back.

The U.S. team went on a 21-6 run, including 14 points from KD, which gave them a double-digit lead. Durant was a perfect 8-8 from the floor with 21 points in the first half despite coming off the bench.

"We saw the separation last night," Perkins continued. "It was deflating yesterday when Kevin Durant got in the game and the buckets and shot-making that he was giving us when you know what he's capable of doing. If the game is close, the ball is going to be in Kevin Durant's hands down the stretch to take them home. We saw it the last time Team USA won the gold, and we're going to see it this time when Team USA wins the gold; it's gonna be on the back of Kevin Durant."

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Is LeBron still the best in the world?

Durant's greatness aside, LeBron continued his dominant play for Team USA with a brilliant all-around effort. James' performance led former NFL star Robert Griffin III to say that Bron is still the best player in the world, even at 39 .

"This man LeBron James is unbelievable," Griffin said . "Olympic play has started, and LeBron James is a 39-year-old who's the best player on the team, and he's out there playing like it's Game 7 of the NBA Finals. I mean, he's absolutely bodying dudes to the hole. LeBron James is proving time and time again that he is worthy of the title of the best player in the world because even at 39 years old, he gets it done on offense and defense."

Well, you can make a solid case for LeBron and Kevin Durant being the best players on Team USA. However, when it comes to who is more important for the squad's success, you can't say that it's any one of them. To win the gold, it must be a collective effort from the entire team, from top to bottom.

Related: Kendrick Perkins goes off on Steve Kerr for not playing Jayson Tatum vs. Serbia: "You do not disrespect him and embarrass him"