LeBron James had to get four stitches after he was caught by an errant elbow during USA’s 122-87 Olympic quarterfinal win over Brazil on Tuesday.
Team USA coach Steve Kerr told reporters after the win the basketball superstar had to get stitches to close a gash over his left eye, which was the result of Brazil’s Georginho de Paula elbowing James as they went for a rebound in the third quarter.
James quickly grabbed his face and went to the ground as the Brazilian apologized before Team USA called a timeout so James could come out of the match to be treated.
He stayed on the bench for a moment before eventually making his way to the locker room.
The four-time NBA MVP returned to the bench in the final minutes of the game to watch the Americans secure the victory that punched their ticket to Thursday’s semifinal against Serbia.
Olympics 2024 in Paris
James saw no more action after returning from the locker room and finished the game with 12 points on 5-of-6 shooting in just 17 minutes of playing time.
“I’m fine. I just got hit with an accidental elbow.” James told reporters after the game.
He also recorded nine assists, three steals and three rebounds.
James has been one of Team USA’s biggest pieces, playing a vital role in their success while leading the USA with 7.8 assists per game during the tournament.
“That’s who LeBron is,” Kerr added. “For a guy who’s really a point forward at heart, for him to be the leading scorer in NBA history when that’s some of the secondary stuff he’s doing, it’s crazy. … He’s playing at such a high level, obviously , he has so much talent around him. So the game makes a lot of sense when he controls it.”
James is expected to be available for the game against Serbia.