With all on eyes on them, Team USA put up their best performance of the Paris Olympics so far to beat Brazil in the quarter final. Blowing the Brazilians out 122-87, LeBron James and Co. kept their winning streak alive and made it seem like every other team is fighting for second place. However, as only four teams remain in the tournament, NFL legend Shannon Sharpe issued a stern warning for Team USA as their road to the gold medal gets tougher with a meeting scheduled against a Nikola Jokic-led Serbia in the semi-final.

Discussing Team USA’s dominant quarter-final performance on Nightcap, Shannon claimed the Americans have no margin of error from this point on, “You know how every team that you face now can beat you.” With the stakes much higher than before, Team USA will face Serbia on August 9, hoping to book a spot in the gold medal match. So, the NFL legend reminded Steve Kerr’s crew of the threat they face, “Serbia, we already know who’s on that team. The three-time league MVP and Bogy (Bogdanovic), shooting guard from the Atlanta Hawks.”

Although Team USA dominated Serbia in the Olympics opener last month with a 110-84 win, the Serbian team they face now will be far more experienced and prepared for the challenge. “These last three teams that potentially the Americans could face, they will play Serbia in the semi-finals and then potentially Germany or France, could beat them. And they know that. So, I expect them to be on their best behavior.” Sharpe remarked. Even during their previous encounter, containing The Joker proved to be a problem for Team USA as he finished with 20 points and 5 rebounds. Moreover, he made his teammates better by dishing out eight assists. Not only that, his defense was also impeccable as he grabbed four steals against the elite Team USA ball handlers.

Since that loss, Serbia has not lost a single game and gained a ton of confidence. And that showed during their quarter-final performance against Australia as they made a huge comeback to eliminate them in overtime. All thanks to Jokic’s near triple-double performance with 21 points, 14 rebounds and 8 assists. Meanwhile, Bogdanovic also dropped seventeen points to support the big man. So, Team USA cannot make the mistake of taking Serbia lightly.

Serbia is not the only threat for Team USA

Even if Team USA is able to repeat what they did in the opener and defeat Serbia once again, the job will be far from over. That’s because both their potential final opponents have the ability to pull off a massive upset in a one and done scenario. Just like the Americans, Germany is also undefeated in the tournament. On top of that, they are the reigning World Champions after winning last year’s FIBA World Cup. Equipped with stars like Dennis Schroder and Franz Wagner, Germany has the potential to win it all.

On the other hand, France has one of the best defensive lineups in the world with 20YO sensation Victor Wembanyama and 4-time DPOY Rudy Gobert. Moreover, they also have veteran leaders in Nicolas Batum and Evan Fournier, who understand how to handle the big moments. Whichever team wins the semi-final between France and Germany and reaches the gold medal match could pose a significant threat for Team USA. Apart from the warning, Shannon also had an important advice for LeBron James and Co., “You never underestimate you opponent and you never overestimate yourself, and you’ will be fine.”

Before you go, do not forget to check out this crossover between BG12 and Georgia Bulldogs star Asia Avinger