U.S. Men’s Basketball Team Wins Fifth Consecutive Olympic Gold Medal

The U.S. men’s Olympic basketball team captured their fifth consecutive Olympic gold medal on Saturday night at Bercy Arena, defeating France 98-87 in front of a boisterous home crowd. This victory marked a rematch of their encounter three years ago, with France once again unable to match the American firepower, boasting a roster laden with future Hall of Famers.

Stephen Curry spearheaded the balanced U.S. offense, contributing 24 points, including four crucial 3-pointers in the game’s latter stages. He took complete control of the contest, ending the night with 8 three-pointers and relishing every moment of thwarting France’s upset hopes.

Team USA continued its reign of global dominance on the men’s side, a streak that began after their setbacks at the Athens Olympics—including a decisive loss to Puerto Rico—and a semifinal defeat to Argentina. Following their bronze medal finish in Athens, the U.S. rallied, bringing together the nation’s top players to consistently compete in international tournaments. This marks their third Olympic gold medal, with Kevin Durant, the all-time leading scorer in U.S. Olympic history, adding a fourth gold to his collection, a new Olympic record for a men’s player.

However, this Olympic gold holds a special significance for Stephen Curry, the two-time NBA MVP and four-time NBA champion who revolutionized basketball with his long-range shooting prowess. Curry played a pivotal role in the team’s thrilling 95-91 comeback victory against Serbia, sinking 9 of 14 from beyond the arc on Thursday and sinking two free throws with 8 seconds remaining to seal the win.

“I understood the moment and the stakes and the uncomfortable nature of being down for so much of the game and having, you know, 10 minutes to come back,” Curry stated after that game.

“I came into this experience thinking that this would be my one and only time to play in the Olympics and experience the stage,” Curry said. “So that was part of my sense of relief and joy. I don’t want to be on the first team since ‘04 that didn’t make it to the gold medal game and get a gold medal. My one opportunity is here. That stuff, you’re thinking about while you’re still just trying to have fun playing the game that you know.”

Throughout the Olympic tournament, the U.S. team embraced a “next man up” mentality, relying on various players to contribute, whether it was to sink 8 consecutive shots against Serbia in the opening game, or Curry stepping up to rescue the U.S. from a semifinal deficit with his scoring burst, despite not shooting at his usual efficiency for much of the tournament in France. James recorded a triple-double—16 points, 12 rebounds and 10 assists—against Serbia in the semi.

“There’s pressure,” Curry acknowledged. “Whoever the 12-man group was, we’re all here to win. We’re all giving up a lot of time over our summers. We understand the pride of representing your country. We understand the expectations. So there’s a lot of like-mindedness there that, honestly, we don’t even have to speak about.”

Saturday’s victory also brings a sense of satisfaction to Joel Embiid, the 2023 NBA MVP. Throughout these Games, Embiid, born in Cameroon but holding U.S. and French citizenship, faced jeers from French fans due to his decision to play for the U.S. rather than the host nation. The negativity continued on Saturday at Bercy Arena, with the crowd expressing delight when young French phenom Victor Wembenyama stripped the ball from Embiid as he attempted a shot in the first quarter.

“They’re gonna boo me. I’m gonna go back at them and tell them to suck it,” Embiid declared before Saturday’s gold medal game.

On Friday, Curry was asked about his key takeaway from the comeback that propelled Team USA to the Olympic title game and ultimately victory. “The whole fourth quarter was unreal,” Curry said. “I’m sure it’ll hopefully when we have a medal around our neck, gold, tomorrow you’ll be able to reminisce on all of it.”

Let the memories begin.