Lakers star LeBron James eased his way to the interview podium Sunday with a giant water jug in his hand and a do-rag covering his hair, the last of the NBA All-Stars to speak with the media.

James was selected as a reserve, breaking his NBA record of 21 consecutive starts but extending his record for most appearances to 22.

At 41 and playing in his record 23rd season, James was asked about his future, because his eventual retirement always seems to be a source of curiosity.

So, James was asked before he played in the “U.S. vs. “World” All-Star Game tournament at Intuit Dome whether he had any inkling about what he wants to do next season.

“I want to live,” James said. “When I know, you guys will know. I don’t know. I have no idea. I just want to live. That’s all.”

James played on Team Stripes, joining fellow veterans Kevin Durant and Stephen Curry, who didn’t play because of a right knee injury.

They are long-time combatants, friends and U.S. Olympic teammates. And they are All-Stars again, all older than 37 and still playing at a high level.

“It’s always an honor to see those guys,” James said. “We have had such an unbelievable journey throughout our individual careers and then intersecting at certain points in our careers, matchups in the regular season, Finals appearances, postseason appearances, then Olympics two summers ago. When it comes to me, Steph and KD, we’ll be interlocked for the rest of our careers, for sure. It’s been great to be able to have some moments with those guys, versus those guys, teaming up with those guys.”

The All-Star format has changed from East versus West to U.S. versus the World.

There were three teams — Team Stars, Team Stripes and Team World, and they played 12-minute games in a round-robin tournament.

Game 1 was Team World vs. Team Stars, a game that went into overtime after Anthony Edwards tied the score 32-32 at the end of the first 12 minutes.

Team Stars, the first team to score five points in overtime, won 37-35 on a Scottie Barnes three-pointer,.

Victor Wembanyama led Team World with 14 points, six rebounds and three blocks.

Anthony Edwards had 13 points for Team Stars, which will play Team Stripes next.

James and Clippers star Kawhi Leonard are on the USA Stripes and Lakers superstar Luka Doncic, the leading all-star vote getter, is on Team World because he is from Slovenia.

James was asked whether he could have ever imagined a USA versus the World all-star format.

“No,” James said, laughing. “No. I mean, East-West is definitely, it’s a tradition. It’s been really good. Obviously, I like the East and West format. But they are trying something. But we’ll see what happens. I mean, it’s the US versus the World. The World is gigantic over the U.S. So, I’m just trying to figure out how that makes sense. But, I don’t want to dive too much into that. Yeah, East-West is great. We’ll see what happens with this.”

Just before the tipoff of the first game, former President Barack Obama and former First Lady Michelle Obama were introduced to a standing ovation.

During Team USA’s comeback men’s hockey win over Denmark at the Winter Olympics, two fans raised the flag of Greenland in the stands to protest President Donald Trump’s intent to acquire Greenland for the U.S. 

The flag was raised enthusiastically after Denmark took an early lead. However, the U.S. came back to win the game 6-3. 

Vita Kalniņa and her husband Alexander Kalniņš, fans of the Latvian hockey team who live in Germany, held up a large Greenland flag during warmups and again when the Danish team scored the opening goal of the preliminary round game against the U.S., which ultimately beat Denmark 6-3.

“We are Europeans, and I think as Europeans we must hold together,” Kalniņš told The Associated Press.

“The Greenlandic people decide what will happen with Greenland, but, as it is now, Greenland is a part of the Danish kingdom and, as Greenland is a part of Denmark, as in this case, we support both countries against the U.S.”

A Danish fan at the game, Dennis Petersen, said, “It doesn’t matter whatever sport it is — it could be tennis, it could be bobsledding, it can be ice hockey, it could be football — it has nothing to do with politics. … They are athletes, not politicians.”

An American fan at the game, Rem de Rohan, said, “I think this is the time for people to kind of put that down and compete country versus country and enjoy,” he said. “We love rooting on every country that’s been here.”

Fans on social media had their own reactions to the flag display and the result of the game. 

“Now that the USA is up 4-2 could we place a wager that if the USA wins the game, Denmark gives up Greenland?” one fan wrote in response to the flag.

One fan wrote, “Team USA won, do we get Greenland now?”

AMERICANS ATTENDING OLYMPICS URGED TO ‘EXERCISE CAUTION’ AFTER ITALIAN RAILWAYS HIT BY SUSPECTED ‘SABOTAGE’

Another fan similarly said, “How did that turn out? we won, we get greenland now.”

Some American conservative influencers used the U.S. victory as a springboard to make viral jokes about annexing Greenland. 

The comeback victory by the U.S. appeared uncertain early in the game. 

After trailing 2-1 through the first period, the Americans dominated on offense to take a 6-3 victory over Denmark Saturday in the Milan Cortina Olympic Games.

The Americans scored three unanswered goals to open the second period, with 4 Nations hero Brady Tkachuk (Ottawa Senators), Jack Eichel (Vegas Golden Knights) and Noah Hanifin (Vegas Golden Knights) finding the back of the net. 

Both sets of brothers on the team — Brady and Matthew Tkachuk and Jack and Quinn Hughes — each had a point in the contest. Fourteen players had points for the Americans with a different goal scorer each time the lamp was lit.

The Americans had 47 shots on goal compared to Denmark’s 21.

The U.S. ends preliminary play Sunday with a game against Germany at 3:10 p.m. ET. The Americans will once again be heavy favorites, and a victory will put them into the knockout stage.

The Americans can also go right to the knockout stage with an overtime loss. With a regulation loss, their fate would be determined by Canada’s game against France and point differentials with Slovakia, Finland and Sweden.

But as a heavy favorite against a German team with just eight NHL players, the U.S. may not need to worry.

The Associated Press contributed to this report. 

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PHOENIX — His smile is so unassuming, his stare so innocent, one has to wonder.

Does Yoshinobu Yamamoto understand he’s become a Dodgers legend?

“No,” he said Saturday, chuckling at the notion. “Nothing’s changed.”

Ah, but everything has changed, the formerly overpaid disappointment having transformed himself into arguably the most important player on baseball’s most important team.

Barely touching 5 feet 10, he looks tiny next to giant countryman Shohei Ohtani, with whom he’ll always be compared because they joined the Dodgers at the same time with equally historic contracts.

Quiet and contemplative, he seems dry next to the charming Ohtani. Employed only as a pitcher, he seems boring next to the goose-bump-inducing Ohtani.

Struggling at times during his first two regular seasons with the Dodgers while Ohtani was twice voted National League MVP, Yamamoto was originally overshadowed by the greatest player in history.

Until last October, when he became one of the greatest World Series pitchers in history.

Who can forget how he shut down the Toronto Blue Jays in Game 2, shut them down again in Game 6, then shut them out in relief on zero days rest to get the win in the deciding Game 7.

It was crazy. It was historic. It was two allowed runs in 17 ⅔ innings with 15 strikeouts and two walks.

Put it another way: It was more compelling than Sandy Koufax’s three-hit shutout on two days rest to win the 1965 World Series over the Minnesota Twins.

It was Yamomania. It was Bulldog 2.0. But if you believe the guy on the mound, it barely made a ripple.

At Camelback Ranch on Saturday, in his first news conference since his World Series heroics, he shrugged and acted like those games were just a walk in the park — except, of course, he barely walked anybody in the park.

Someone asked, how did the World Series change him?

Um, it didn’t.

“I was able to get into the offseason with a great feeling and I was able to go into the offseason with more calmness,” he said through interpreter Yoshihiro Sonoda.

Someone else asked, did he have to alter his legendary workload in the offseason?

Er, no.

“As a matter of fact, the amount of work I did last year has not been affected in terms of preparation,” he said. “In November, I took off and then I began a gradual ramping up. It’s been like a normal offseason.”

Then someone asked, has he watched anything from that World Series?

Actually, yes!

“Of course, that moment of the last out,” he said. “But when I reflect back on that series, there’s so many great plays they made. Also there’s the small play which was very important. So many great scenes.”

One of the best scenes was the one nobody saw, after Yamamoto had thrown 96 pitches in a Game 6 victory.

He was done. He told his personal trainer he was done. Dave Roberts told the media he was done.

But then, in his words, he got “tricked.”

According to a report by then-Times columnist Dylan Hernández, trainer Osamu Yada told Yamamoto, “Let’s see if you can throw in the bullpen tomorrow.”

Dodgers pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto throws live batting practice during a workout Friday during spring training at Camelback Ranch.

(Ross D. Franklin / Associated Press)

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The trainer figured Yamamoto’s mere presence as a potential reliever would inspire the Dodgers and worry the Blue Jays.

Yamamoto figured he was just going to the bullpen for show.

Oh, he put on a show, all right.

After he pitched 2⅔ scoreless innings to win the game and the World Series championship for the Dodgers, the gamesmanship had been transformed into greatness, and the con man had become a hero.

“For him to have the same stuff that he had the night before is really the greatest accomplishment I’ve ever seen on a baseball field,” said Dodgers baseball boss Andrew Friedman to reporters after the game.

Yamamoto explained afterward, “I didn’t think I would pitch. But I felt good when I practiced and the next thing I knew, I was on the mound in the game.”

And before he knew it, history.

“I really couldn’t believe it,” Yamamoto said. “I was so excited I couldn’t even recall what pitch I threw at the end.”

Now, with the Dodgers chasing a third consecutive championship and Yamamoto involved in a daring race for a Cy Young Award — who will get there first, he or Ohtani? — a different sort of question must be asked.

How on earth can he pitch any better?

“That’s an internal personal question … as far as, can you repeat and continue to get better than what you’ve been,” Roberts said. “Certainly there’s a high bar, but there’s always room for improvement and I can’t find anything right now to be quite honest, but …”

Yamamoto needs to stay healthy. He made his major-league high 30 starts last year after making just 18 the previous year. He needs to do that again to support the other frail Dodgers starters.

Yamamoto also needs to take care of himself while playing for Japan in the upcoming World Baseball Classic. Ohtani is not pitching, but Yamamoto is, and he doesn’t need to wreck his arm.

Finally, he needs to continue acting like the ace that he has become, from his uncomplaining leadership to his dazzling arsenal.

“Every time he takes the ball, he expects to win and we expect to win,” Roberts said.

That is the bottom line on Yoshinobu Yamamoto’s new reality. He was once Ohtani’s sidekick. He is now Ohtani’s partner.

Like it or not, his life has changed. Witness the crowd that screamed for him Saturday at Camelback Ranch like they always scream for Ohtani.

“More calmness?”

He’ll need it.