SAPPORO, Japan, Aug 21 - LeBron James on Monday called on the United States to continue sacrificing individual glory for team success at the world basketball championship.

The favourites have breezed through their first two games against Puerto Rico and China as they seek their first world or Olympic title since 2000.

James warned that the Americans could not afford any slip-ups against the top teams when the serious business begins during next week's knockout stages, however.

"We know that we're a much better team if we don't worry about individual statistics," the co-captain told reporters during a rest day for the U.S. team.

"We have too many great players that we don't have to go out there and score points (individually) all night long."

The U.S. finished an embarrassing sixth at the last world championship in Indianapolis in 2002 and took bronze at the 2004 Athens Olympics.

They won the last of their three world titles in 1994 and their last Olympic gold medal in Sydney six years ago.

However, the current team, led by James and co-captains Carmelo Anthony and Dwyane Wade, have lived up to their status as odds-on tournament favourites in their opening games in Sapporo.

"Teams are going to make shots and we are too," said James. "But we have great runs. We make 12-3 runs or 15-3 runs and that takes the game from five to 20 points so quickly...so we're not concerned about teams making shots."

James did, however, name Olympic champions Argentina and Spain, who are both 3-0, as two teams that the U.S. needed to be wary of in Japan.

"There are no teams that we're too concerned about but Argentina has a good team and Spain has a good team," he said.

"But we're not looking past Italy or Senegal (or Slovenia) in our pool play because we still have to finish those games out."

The U.S. play Slovenia in their third Group D game on Tuesday.