Steph Curry made the most of his first and only Olympic experience.
The 36-year-old guard who plays for the Golden State Warriors put on a show that will be long remembered after the Paris games are over.
Curry picked the perfect time to go on a tear, scoring 24 points and making eight threes as Team USA defeated host France, 98-87, in Paris Saturday to clinch the team’s fifth straight gold medal.
Curry shot 8 for 14– all of them threes–including four in the final 2:47 in the fourth quarter to turn away a French uprising that cut the American lead three points. Curry’s ultimate golden dagger was a crazy fall away bomb over two defenders after a behind the back dribble with 35 seconds to play to lift the US to a 96-87 lead, silencing the home fans with his ‘put them to sleep” trademark move.
“Before every shot you take, you think it’s going in,” Curry said. “All I saw was the rim. I didn’t see who was in front of me. I know it was kind of a late clock situation. but that one impressed me.’
LeBron James may have been selected MVP of this tournament. He was Captain America. But Curry left the biggest impression Nobody does it better It was Marvel comic stuff.
Curry’s erupted for 36 points and made nine threes as the U.S. rallied from a 17-point deficit to defeat Serbia, 95-91, in the semi-finals two days earlier.
“I’ve seen that from Steph a few times, but it never gets old,” US coach Steve Kerr, who coaches Curry with the Warriors. “It was like a story book stuff today. And Steph likes to be in story books. it’s a global game, but we still feel we have the greatest players.”
The USA certainly has the deepest talent pool in the world. But times are changing. The rest of the world is catching up, increasing the pressure on this stacked team to win gold.
“I think we’re the only team in the world where our fans are ashamed of them if they get a silver medal,” Kerr said. “That’s the pressure they face. But our players, and you saw Steph, love the pressure. They appreciate the atmosphere. They were fantastic.”
There was pressure on Kerr, too, who heard the criticism when he played All NBA player Jayson Tatum limited minutes and opted to play without a pass first point guard. When the final buzzer sounded, he exhaled, showing a sign of relief when the Americans, who had 17 turnovers, avoided disaster against another team that wouldn’t go away.
The stars came out at the right time. But the core nucleus of this team isn’t getting any younger.
LeBron James, who scored 14 points with six rebounds and 10 assists, is 39-year and there are specs of gray in his beard. Kevin Durant, who scored 15 points and is the first American player to win four gold medals, is 36. By 2028, that holy trinity, 34-year- old Jrue Holiday and possibly 31-year old Anthony Davis will have likely aged out of the pool for the senior national team for Los Angeles. That roster will likely consist of Devin Booker, Chet Holmgren, Bam Adebayo, Jayson Tatum, Tyrese Haliburton, Jalen Brunson, Paolo Branchero, Anthony Edwards, Tyrese Maxey, Jalen Williams and Joel Embiid, if he chooses to play at age 34.
This year’s team had a Dream Team selection feel to it. There are other candidates like Scotty Barnes, Cade Cunningham, Cooper Flagg and Zion Williamson, if he is healthy. But everyone may to jump at the offer the way they did this year, even though tournament will be played in this country.
Other countries like France, Serbia, Germany and Canada can only be expected to get better.
Serbia, with three- time NBA MVP Nikola Jovic, were right there this cycle as was France, with 20-year- old NBA rookie phenom Victor Wembanyama. The towering 7-4 center had a monster gold medal game, scoring 26 points and grabbing seven rebounds in his Olympic debut as the French, who are flooding the NBA draft with a new wave of talent, won their second straight silver medal.
“I’m learning and I’m worried for the opponents in a couple years,” he said.
