This is an article version of the CBS Sports HQ AM Newsletter, the ultimate guide to every day in sports. You can sign up to get it in your inbox every weekday morning here.
Please check the opt-in box to acknowledge that you would like to subscribe.
Thanks for signing up!
Keep an eye on your inbox.
Sorry!
There was an error processing your subscription.
🏀 Good morning to everyone, but especially to …
LEBRON JAMES, KEVIN DURANT AND TEAM USA MEN’S BASKETBALL
They don’t just hand out nicknames like “Easy Money Sniper,” and Kevin Durant just showed why.
After missing all of Team USA‘s showcase games due to a calf injury, Durant poured in 21 points in a jaw-dropping first half as the Americans blew out Serbia,110-84, in its Olympic opener.
This was the basketball equivalent of a religious experience. Durant entered late in the first quarter and in the blink of an eye knocked down two 3-pointers. He hit all eight of his first-half shots, a stunning display of 3-pointers and tough midrange jumpers he made look effortless. Normally stone-faced, Durant flashed the broad smile of a player who has it all going and knows his opponent can’t stop it. He finished with a team-high 23 points.
LeBron James wasn’t far behind with 21 points as well as nine assists and eight rebounds. He and Durant shot over 77% from the floor combined, and the team as a whole shot a scintillating 62% from the floor and 56% from 3.
Simply put, two of the game’s iconic all-time players took charge, Brad Botkin writes.
Botkin: “On…..
