fly — Stephen Curry had that thought two years ago after winning his fourth NBA title with the Golden State Warriors. All he had to do was win an Olympic gold medal.
And at the last minute, he made the medal his own.
The United States was once again atop the international men’s basketball scene as Curry scored 24 points (all on 3-pointers) and led the team to a 98-87 victory over France in the Paris Olympic final on Saturday night. It was the U.S.’ fifth consecutive gold medal and the 17th in the U.S.’s 20 Olympic appearances.
“Just be confident, stay in the moment, don’t get caught up in the moment,” Curry said. He’s made 17 3-pointers in the last two games, including nine against Serbia, which led to the gold medal game.
“Steph earned it,” added U.S. coach Steve Kerr.
Curry hit four 3-pointers in the final 2:43, including the game-winning one with 1:19 remaining. It put the U.S. up 93-84, and he ran down the court, shouting and waving his jersey so everyone could see “U.S.A.” in front of him.
If that wasn’t enough, there was another one with about 30 seconds left. He did it with his hands clasped next to his face, in a motion that suggests he’s going to bed. “Good night,” he said, and prepared a special shirt to wear after the game for the champagne and cigar celebration. It said “Nuit nuit” in French.
Good night. Game over. I got the gold medal. Again.
“Winning a gold medal is crazy, and I thank God for giving me the opportunity to experience that,” Curry said.
Kevin Durant, the first four-time Olympic basketball gold medalist for men, scored 15 points for the U.S., as did Devin Booker. LeBron James, in his self-explanatory metallic gold shoes, scored 14 points for the U.S., winning his fourth Olympic medal and third gold medal.
“It’s an honor to still be playing this game,” James said. “Playing at a high level, playing with 11 other great players and a great coaching staff, and continuing to serve our country. It’s a great moment.”
For the second consecutive Olympics, France had to watch the U.S. raise the American flag in celebration after the title game. France lost 87-82 to the U.S. in Tokyo three years ago, and this game was played to the last minute.
Until Curry took over.
“If we win silver, I think we’re the only team in the world that would be embarrassed by their fans,” said Kerr, whose Golden State Warriors finished with a 21-3 record and an Olympic gold medal (11-0 this summer) with the United States. “That’s the pressure we’re under. But you saw our guys, our staff, they love the pressure. They love the atmosphere, and it’s been fantastic.”
NBA Rookie of the Year Victor Wembányama, who played in his first Olympic final in San Antonio, scored 26 points for France, the second-most ever scored against the United States in a gold medal game, behind Drazen Dalipagy’s 27 points in Yugoslavia in 1976.
“I’m learning,” said Wembanyama. “And I worry about who I’ll be in a few years.”
Wembanyama covered his face with a towel as the United States celebrated. Guerschon Yabusele scored 20 points for the home team.
“Of course it’s disappointing because we expected to do it,” France coach Vincent Collet said. “But in the end you have to admit they were better. We were very close… When they make a fantastic shot, that’s the difference.”
The U.S. looked poised to take a 14-point lead early in the third quarter. But the offense quickly cooled, and when Evan Fournier hit a 3-pointer with 3:05 remaining in the third quarter, the home team went on a 12-4 run that cut the lead to 65-59.
And with a double-digit lead heading into Round 4, another big U.S. mistake gave France another spurt. Anthony Edwards and Durant signaled passes, which led to turnovers and a buzzer-beating goal by Nando De Colo, which left the U.S. lead at just 72-66 going into the final 10 minutes.
He came close three times. Thanks to Curry, he couldn’t get any closer. He hit four 3-pointers in 2:12, the last of which was a bit of a circus act, and all of them became instant Olympic legends.
“That was a big shot that put us up by six. That’s what solved everything,” Curry said. “And then we got into a rhythm and the avalanche happened and fortunately three other guys came in. It was an unbelievable moment. I’ve been blessed to be able to play basketball at a high level for a long time. This is a very high point in terms of excitement and relief and getting to the finish line.”
It will be the eighth time in Olympic history, and the ninth time on Sunday that the U.S. and France will play in the women’s final, that the home team will be competing for basketball gold.
The home team is now 5-3 in this match, while the men are 2-1. The U.S. men and women have both won in 1984 and 1996. The Soviet women won in 1980, the Australian women lost to the U.S. in 2000, and the Japanese women lost to the U.S. at the Tokyo Olympics three years ago.
For James, it was another addition to his endless legacy. For Durant, it was a four-gold medal. For Booker, Anthony Davis, Jayson Tatum and Bam Adebayo, it was a second gold. For Jrue Holiday, it was a second gold, with his wife, football great Lauren Cheney Holiday, leading a family. For Derrick White, Tyrese Haliburton, Joel Embiid and Edwards, it was their first Olympic title.
“It’s been an incredible experience, a beautiful experience,” Durant said.
And for Curry, it had been a long time since he had competed in an Olympics before, and the U.S. couldn’t be happier to have him here.
“I was laughing, eating cheese and having the best time of my life,” Curry said.
He likened it to Game 7, which was basically a road game. He had tremendous success in those moments, exploding for 50 points to help Golden State beat Sacramento in 2023, and going 27 points, 10 assists, and nine rebounds in a game-winning game at Houston in 2018.
And now this.
“It’s on par with all the greatest games of his career,” Kerr said. “The shot-making was incredible. But in that situation, away, in Paris, against France for the gold medal, it’s a fairy tale. But that’s what Steph does. He loves being in fairy tales.”
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AP Summer Olympics: https://apnews.com/hub/2024-paris-olympic-games
