After finishing fourth in last year’s FIBA World Cup, Team USA responded by putting together what has been anointed by some as its best roster ever for the 2024 Paris Olympics.

With the Olympics less than three weeks away, the Americans kicked off their exhibition game schedule against their North American neighbor Canada in a rematch of last year’s FIBA World Cup third place game.

While the stakes were nowhere near as high as their previous meeting, Team USA took this opportunity to make an early statement with an imposing 86-72 win at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.

The USA started the game with LeBron James and Stephen Curry flanked by Devin Booker, Joel Embiid, and Jrue Holiday. Meanwhile, Canada’s starting line-up featured five NBA players as well with Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Jamal Murray joined by RJ Barrett, Dillon Brooks, and Dwight Powell.

Team USA’s star power did not translate from the get-go though as Canada kicked off the match with an 11-1 lead following a three-pointer by RJ Barrett with 5:36 left in the opening quarter.

However, once the USA found its footing, there was no looking back.

Team USA took its first lead of the evening, 25-23, off a pull-up jumper by Booker at the 6:38 mark of the second quarter and eventually built an eight-point lead, 41-33, by halftime. The USA’s strong second quarter was fueled by their bench unit of Anthony Edwards, Anthony Davis, Jayson Tatum, Bam Adebayo, and Tyrese Haliburton.

These five players are all NBA All-Stars in their own right and are still in the midst or even just the early days of their prime years which further highlights the depth of this team.

The USA started the second half strong, extending their lead to 13, 50-37, in the early goings of the third quarter which allowed them to cruise to victory despite some short-lived comeback attempts from Canada.

Edwards led the way for Team USA in terms of scoring with 13 points followed by Curry (12), Holiday (11), and Davis (10). Haliburton scored only two points, although he finished with a team-high +/- of +17 in his 20 minutes of action. His impact was seen through his peripheral statistics–four rebounds, six assists, four steals, and a block–and his playmaking on this team full of scorers will be crucial for their success.

The 39-year-old James added seven points, five rebounds, three assists, three steals, and a block in 19 minutes. He also provided a couple of highlight-reel worthy plays, including an alley-oop dunk off a lob from Curry, that made his first appearance in a USA uniform since 2012 even more memorable.

Team USA missed the services of Kevin Durant in this win as he was sidelined by a sore calf. Kawhi Leonard was also absent as he backed out from the team earlier in the day. Leonard is set to be replaced by the Boston Celtics’ Derrick White, bringing the total number of players on the team from the reigning NBA champions to three (Tatum, Holiday).

The USA is set to play four more tune-up matches against Australia, Serbia, South Sudan, and Germany before its first Olympic match on July 28 versus Serbia.

This win served as a reminder of Team USA’s might, but if anything is to be learned from recent international competitions, winning the gold medal will not be an easy task for the Americans. The road to the top of the podium is now a long and winding one, though at the very least, the USA is off to a resounding start.