USA basketball gold medal: Stephen Curry, LeBron James lead France to 2024 Paris Olympics

Team USA has won its fifth consecutive gold medal in men’s basketball. Stephen Curry, LeBron James and Kevin Durant led Team USA to a 98-87 victory over host France on Saturday at the 2024 Paris Olympics.

It was a tense gold medal game in front of a raucous pro-France crowd at Percy Arena in Paris, but Team USA never trailed in the second half and Curry put the game away with a mesmerizing 3-pointer late in the fourth quarter. He scored 24 points. Curry played himself. He hit four 3-pointers in two minutes and 11 seconds. His last shot — with 35 seconds left — was a shot only Steph Curry could make.

“I was fascinated by it,” Curry told reporters in Paris.

Victor Vembanyama made life difficult for the Americans, scoring 26 points in the biggest game of his career to date. Querzon Yabusele assisted Vembanyama with 20 points for France. Including a poster dunk on James In the second quarter.

Here are four takeaways from the Electric gold medal game.

Curry checks the ultimate box

Four NBA championships. Two MVPs (one by unanimous vote in history). Two marks. Ten All-Star Games. Ten All-NBA selections. Career NBA 3-point leader. The ultimate MVP. And now, finally, an Olympic gold medalist.

The latter, until August 10, 2024, is missing one of the greatest basketball resumes ever written, and Curry knows it. On the flight home from the Warriors’ 2022 NBA title win in Boston, Curry said it himself.

“I’ve got to do something more,” Curry said. “I’ve got to go play for Coach Kerr in ’24. … I’ve got to win an Olympic medal. Save me a spot.”

Team USA actually saved a spot for Curry, and he came out on top The biggest Was dominant with 60 points and 17 3-pointers in the final two games. The Americans may not have played in the gold medal game without Curry’s heroics against Serbia in the semifinals, when he scored 36 points, one shy of Carmelo Anthony’s single-game U.S. Olympic record.

“It’s special. Two years ago, the last time we won [NBA] Championship, I know that [the Olympics] I was excited to follow,” Curry said. “…The last five weeks with this team have been nothing but ‘1-2-3 gold.’ That is what we are saying. So for us to finally get it done, it’s crazy for me to get a gold medal.”

Curry got off to a slow start against France by committing two early turnovers and missing his first three 3-pointers, but from that point he made eight of 10 3s to finish with 24 points. After France cut the Americans’ lead to three with three minutes to play, Curry hit four 3-pointers in a two-minute span, hitting one of the most ridiculous shots you’ll ever see.

Check out each of his four clutch triples here:

“It’s about going to your place and being in control,” Curry said of her shooting in such tense moments. “You take those types of shots countless times in the gym, you have a rhythm and it’s decisive. We had turnovers because we weren’t decisive in what we were trying to do. I know if I get into my spot. Spot and I can get a good release out of it, and you with the results. Can live … Fortunately, took work.

With so many killers on this American team, Curry scored 12 of the Americans’ final 16 points, the greatest two-game stretch in Olympic history and completely ruined what was an ugly Olympic start for the future Hall of Famer. .

• Curry’s first four Olympic appearances: 29 points, 10 rebounds, 8 assists, 5/20 3PT
• Curry in semi-final and gold medal game: 60 points, 9 rebounds, 7 assists, 17/26 3PT

A crazy turn of events for not only the greatest shooter and one of the best players, but also the most flammable scorer the game has ever seen. Once he sees the ball go in, he’ll burn down your entire city. On Saturday, he did it for the entire country, earning him his first Olympic gold medal.

“I’ve been blessed to play basketball at a high level for a very long time,” Curry said. “It ranks very high in terms of the excitement and sense of relief of reaching the finish line.”

LeBron named MVP

Exactly. You can make a strong case for Curry with the way he carried Curry in the Americans’ only two challenging games, but LeBron was the best player on the team from start to finish in this contest. He ran the show, defended, hit timely 3-pointers, kept his head down and got to the bucket when he had to … incredible things en route to his third Olympic gold medal.

Olympic MVP is strange. They gave Manu Ginobili an out in 2004, the Americans who led Argentina to gold last Olympic year didn’t win it all, and then didn’t do it again until Kevin Durant took it home in Tokyo in 2021. Honors.

This time it goes to JamesFinished with 30 points, 20 assists and 18 rebounds in the semifinals and gold medal game, averaging 14.2 points (on 66% shooting), 8.5 assists (his 51 total was second only to Nikola Jokic), 6.8 rebounds and 1.3 steals per contest.

Durant won his fourth gold medal

Durant now has the most Olympic gold medals in men’s basketball history. The all-time leading scorer in US Olympic history, he is the best international American by a long shot. Check out all the other categories in which he is the all-time U.S. leader in Olympic action.

• Rebounds: 1st
• Field Goals Made: 1st
• 3-pointers made: 1st
• Free Throws Made: 1st

Throw in his two NBA championships, two Finals MVPs, one regular season MVP and four NBA scoring titles, and he’s on the short list of the most decorated basketball players to walk the planet.

Durant has been at his best in the biggest moments. In his previous three gold medal games, he posted 30, 30 and 29 points. On Saturday, he had 15 to go along with four assists and four rebounds. Durant sat out the first four games, but as time expired, Steve Kerr put Cady in the starting lineup and he knew what to do with LeBron and Curry leaning on him to deliver the ultimate gift.

Victor came to Vembaniyama

Vembanyama was sensational in the gold medal game, finishing with 26 points and seven rebounds on 11-of-19 shooting. He made three 3-pointers. He combined with Guerschon Yabusele (20 points) for more than half of France’s offense.

For the tournament, Vembanyama averaged 15.8 points, 9.7 rebounds, 3.3 assists, 2.0 steals and 1.7 blocks in less than 30 minutes per game. That was enough to earn him a spot in the Olympic All-Star Five, along with LeBron James, Stephen Curry, Dennis Schroder and Nikola Jokic.

Wembanyama wasn’t used as a common go-to player, but he was certainly a focal point for France, which sat Rudy Kobert for much of the tournament and rode Wembley as the main big man. What we know about his defense — rim protection, rebounding range, hands, etc. are signs that he’s ready to run his offense for the majority of an NBA game.

He only shot 29% from 3 this contest and 42% overall, but his decision making continues to get better and better. He doesn’t push too hard. He was decisive in beating Joel Embiid out of the one-on-one post early in the gold medal game, then he again finished off Embiid with a layup and an early offense. If he becomes strong enough to move incumbents, his ultimate limit will be impossible to fight against.

As the defensive focus shifts to him, his passing, which he’s armed with throughout this tournament, and his clear penchant for enjoying big-position responsibility, and the San Antonio Spurs could be on the fast track to contention.

Men’s Basketball Medals at the Olympics