What happened to LeBron James? Closer look at USA veteran exiting mid-game vs Brazil

Fans were worried about star forward LeBron James as he returned to the locker room in the middle of their quarterfinal game against Brazil. Team USA looks to beat the Brazilian national team after dominating the group phase at the 2024 Paris Olympics.

James was assisted to the locker room after he was unintentionally hit by an elbow from Brazil's Georginho de Paula. The blow hit his left eye, and he had to exit the game to have it checked up.

Steve Kerr revealed after the game that James received four stitches. The injury occurred when Georginho de Paula tipped in a putback and accidentally clipped James in the side of the head with his elbow as he was coming down.

In the first half, James helped Team USA build a commanding lead, 63-36. The All-Star forward had 10 points and eight assists in the first two quarters. He shot a perfect 4-4 from the field and even had three steals.

Despite the injury, James is expected to be available for Team USA's semifinal matchup against Nikola Jokic and Serbia on Thursday. The game is scheduled to tip off at 3 p.m. ET.

LeBron James' early start helped Team USA get the win

There was a lot to like about Team USA's performance against Brazil tonight. They walked away with a dominating 122-87 win. One key factor to their victory was the hot start from LeBron James in the first half.

Due to the injury he suffered, James had to leave the game early. He didn't return to the game and allowed the others to take over. The four-time NBA champion played 17 minutes of action and finished with 12 points, three rebounds and nine assists as he went 5-6 from the field.

The top performer for Team USA was Devin Booker, who had 18 points in 15 minutes. Booker also had three rebounds and three assists in the game. Anthony Edwards was also stellar as he came off the bench. Edwards had 17 points and five rebounds to help the national team beat Brazil.

With their recent win, they've advanced to the semifinal round. The team that will try and stop them is Serbia. The Serbians beat Australia 95-90 in a thrilling overtime game. The Boomers built a 24-point lead in the game but the European team was able to erase the deficit.

Three-time NBA MVP Nikola Jokic had a great night for his national team. Jokic finished with 21 points, 14 rebounds, nine assists and four steals. Bogdan Bogdanovic also made the most of his playing time as he had 17 points, five rebounds and six assists.

The bout between Team USA and Serbia will be on Thursday (Aug. 8).