Team USA wins fifth straight gold medal in men’s basketball

PARIS — The American basketball powerhouse remains strong.

The world has come a long way in the last three decades and there are bright talents and developing teams that show promise. But when Team USA sends its best team, no one has shown they can stop the Yanks.

The United States has now won its fifth straight Olympic gold medal after a hard-fought 98-87 victory over resilient and proud host France on Saturday.

The unforgettable moment came from Stephen Curry, who made four super-clutch 3-pointers in a two-minute second of the fourth quarter to stave off a French uprising. Curry secured his first gold with a ridiculous fall away bomb, silencing the home fans with his signature “put them to sleep” move.

“At that point your mind goes blank, you don’t really care about the setting or the script or anything, it’s just a shot,” Curry said. “Luckily it went in … it’s just rhythm and flow and trust and that was it.”

After making nine three-pointers and scoring 36 points in the semi-finals, Curry made eight of 12 three-pointers in the final for 24 golden points.

“I’ve seen that a few times from Steph, but it never gets old,” said Team USA coach Steve Kerr. “It’s a global sport with a lot of great players, but we still feel like we have the best players.”

Curry’s teammate, LeBron James, won his first Most Valuable Player Award at age 24 and added another 15 years later to the most extensive MVP list the game has ever seen. He was named Olympics MVP, an award added at the 2021 Olympics in Tokyo, joining his four NBA MVPs, four Finals MVPs, three NBA All-Star Game MVPs and the only In-Season Tournament MVP in history.

Part of an overall strong performance, James wore gold shoes and made key power and finesse plays throughout the game, scoring 14 points with six rebounds and 10 assists to earn his third career gold medal and fourth Olympic medal overall, joining Kevin Durant as the only American to win four. Durant, who became the first American to win four gold medals, had 15 points and several big baskets.

Devin Booker, who has been an unsung hero all summer, had 15 points to claim his second gold. And Anthony Davis had one of the best games with eight points, 10 rebounds and four blocks to also give him his second gold.

In the end, the American 3-point shooting may have made the difference. They made 18 of 36 3s, a number that France simply could not match. The French made nine triples, but took 30.

“It wasn’t easy, but damn, I’m excited,” Curry said. “This is everything I wanted and I’m even more excited.”

Victor Wembanyama, who is perhaps the most likely to beat the Americans in the future, said Saturday’s match in the French capital was “the chance of a lifetime” and that going into these matches he had the mentality that for Les Bleus it was “win or fail first”.

His play backed up his words and his potential by delivering one of the best games of his young life. Wembanyama’s presence was felt everywhere, from the opening moments of the game when he drilled a long 3-pointer, his long arms and fearless temperament leaving a significant mark on the game.

Wembanyama played his best game ever for the national team, scoring 26 points with seven rebounds, wiping away tears as the Americans celebrated the victory.

“Wembanyama was amazing tonight,” Kerr said. “He’s going to be one of the best in the world soon.”

It was the biggest game of any French player’s life and they played admirably, pressuring the US throughout a tense second half. Defensively pressing, Team USA was disrupted and forced 17 turnovers, the game’s biggest flaw, that kept the door open for the home team as they repeatedly chipped away at the lead.

Guerschon Yabusele scored 20 points for France, who won silver at the last two Olympic Games.

“It’s a disappointment because we expected to be able to do it,” said France coach Vincent Collet. “We have to acknowledge at the end that they were better. They are still the best.”